My Life Is A Zoo

The Night of Monday, December 8, 1980.

2009-03-15T16:08:00.001-07:00

This blog and post is in memory of John Lennon, one of my favorite singers from as far back as high school. From 1976-1980. He had left the music business to help take care of his new son and was living in New York in the Dakota Apartments.
While on vacation in the Bahamas he had the inspiration to start writing music again after spending five years raising his son, Sean. He got the idea for the name of his album from a flower he saw in the Bahamas called "Double Fantasy."
He called Yoko to let her know he was starting to write music and she started as well. They started to record at The Record Plant in New York City. They signed with Geffen Records. The album was released in November of 1980. The first single was "Just Like Starting Over."
The album was declared gold by the end of November.
Mark David Chapman came to New York on December 6, a Saturday. He first purchased the album "Double Fantasy" in a record shop in New York. It wasn't until December 8, in the afternoon, when he got John Lennon to sign his album. He waited several hours until John returned to his apartment and when he was walking through the doorway he yelled, "Mr. Lennon?" He then shot five bullets at his back.
The police arrived minutes later and the guard at the Dakota pointed at Chapman who was standing across from him, reading a copy of "Catcher in the Rye." Chapman was arrested and taken to the police station. Lennon was taken to Roosevelt Hospital where he was declared dead minutes later, after the hospital staff tried to revive him with blood transfusions.
A press conference was held, after they arrested Mark Chapman, announcing the death of John Lennon.
The next Sunday they had an 11 minutes of silence on the radio in memory of John and a vigil was held outside of the Dakota Apartments in memory of him.
Mark Chapman was eventually sentenced to 25 years to life and is serving at Attica Prison in New York. The picture of Jared Leto, in "Chapter 27," refers to the movie about the killing of John Lennon. The film is pretty fair.
I was attending Oregon State University in Corvallis during fall term when I heard the news of John Lennon's death. I collected newspaper articles which I placed on my dorm room door for people to read. They described what happened. In 1983 the album "Milk and Honey" was released, which was going to be a follow-up to "Double Fantasy." It was released posthumously and featured some of Yoko Ono's work too.

Trick or Treat!!!!!

2008-10-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

BOO! Choose your trick or treat from the bowl. Go on. Take one. Candy is good for you on Halloween. But be sure and brush your teeth after. : )
Tonight I went over to my sister's house to hand out candy for her. It was fun. There were about 20 little kids who came by, I think.
Click on the picture and you'll be so close to the candy you can smell the Butterfinger candy bars.
It was a perfect night for trick or treating. No rain. There was some earlier in the day, but tonight there was just fog drifting over the roads and making things look spooky.
My sister had a pumpkin outside with a candle in it. There used to be several packages of M&M's in this bowl, but they went first. I gave the kids their choice, and most of them wanted those. Well, hope you had a good Halloween. I did!

Mental Health Awareness Week.

2008-10-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

THIS post is a little late, but I wanted to let you know that the past week - in fact, every year during the second week in October - was Mental Health Awareness Week.
There was a recent article in our local newspaper on events being held to mark this. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, sponsored a vigil to mark the beginning of the week.
The group has online mental health services. Check them out if you have questions.
Here is another link to the whatadifference organization. This is for people living with mental illness or those who have friends with mental illness. I hope this helps someone understand the difficulties of day to day living when you have these problems.
Things have been going well at the Portland Zoo. The baby elephant is coming along and growing fast.
The animals are cared for very well. It is getting chilly at the zoo, however, and before you know it, it will be time for Zoo Lights and everything will be lighted up and lots of visitors will ride the Zoo Train.
Check out the Portland Zoo if you are in town.
The photo above is of the Oregon countryside. The fields are plowed and ready for winter.

The New Addition to the Oregon Zoo.

2008-09-14T15:42:00.001-07:00

Recently Rose-Tu gave birth to her first calf. Its name is Samudra, or Sam for short.
The young elephant likes baths and splashing water. I've seen the baby a couple of times inside the observation building. It was with its mother and with Chendra, another elephant. Chendra is a friendly elephant.
At first there were some problems with Rose-Tu getting acquainted with its new calf, but with time it was able to get connected in her relationship with Sam. Hopefully it will have good mothering skills.
All the zoo staff, the workers too, got a framed complimentary photo of Sam the new elephant for all our hard work at the zoo. There was lots of work, too, with all the visitors we had.
The weather at the zoo has been excellent. With the good weather all the visitors have been coming to get their first look at Sam. For a while, he couldn't have visitors. TV photographers and interviewers were at the zoo, covering the story of the new elephant - especially since Asian elephants are on the decline.
Come up to the zoo if you have the chance and take a look at Sam for yourself.

Hey! Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-08-24T14:46:00.001-07:00

The best sister in the world (well, one of them - I have three) made me this marble cake for my birthday, which is tomorrow, August 25.
She is a great sister because they don't make marble cake mixes any more. She had to make a yellow cake and a chocolate cake and mix them together. It turned out to be three wonderful layers high.
As you can tell by the cake I will be 49. It doesn't seem possible. The years go by pretty quick.
Thank you to my brothers and sisters for making time in their day to remember my birthday. I hope they know I appreciate it VERY MUCH!
If you want to know what I want for my birthday, how about world peace or a starring role in a great movie for Leah Remini?

A Post To Help Others Understand

2008-08-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

Schizophrenia is a disease. It is not something you can control easily, even with medication sometimes. But there is help and there is understanding. I have posted this YouTube video so others might find out more.
I hope it helps you or someone in your family understand this disease a little better. I think this video helps clear up a lot of misunderstandings - and this comes from first hand experience.
Thanks a lot for taking time to read this. Zookeeper

Your Show of Shows - This is Your Story

2008-07-06T18:58:00.001-07:00

You might enjoy watching some classic TV. Carl Reiner, Sid Caesar, Howard Morris, Louis Nye - those kinds of comics.
They are doing a satire of "This Is Your Life" and it's really funny. Here's the YouTube video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apwsZWUjl7g
This video is in two parts. After the first one ends look below for the second part.

A Newspaper Column About Me.

2008-06-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

My sister recently wrote a newspaper article about me. You can find it by searching the Argus newspaper online or read it here. These are her memories and observations:

HE WAS always different, right from the very start.
And because he was different, his life was destined to be much more difficult than we could ever imagine.
My brother was born when I was 13. My mother was a little embarrassed to tell me and my 12-year-old sister that she was expecting a baby. We knew where they came from by then. But we were excited. A baby in the house! Just what a family with five children needed: a baby to entertain them. This was better than any bride doll we had ever gotten for Christmas.
My brother arrived in August 1959 at the Jones Hospital in Hillsboro. We wanted to go see him and our mother, but you had to be a certain age - I forget the minimum - to enter the maternity ward. We had to stay in the parking lot while she waved from the window. My sister and I decided we would fool the nurses and asked Dad if we could try. He said sure.
In retrospect, I think he may have talked with the nurses beforehand. They must have bit their lips awfully hard not to laugh. My sister and I put on makeup and nylons and pinned our hair up - and I think one of us even borrowed a pair of Mom's high heels. However, I doubt we fooled anyone.
They let us in and we finally got to see our mother. There she was, that poor overworked lady, finally getting a vacation, with her meals served on a tray. We got one quick peek in the nursery, saw our new brother and then the nurses said visiting time was over.
My grandmother told us we would have to help our mother with the baby, and I remember putting my share of his diapers through the wringer washing machine and hanging them out to dry. One more brother came along a year later to keep him company.
Time went by quickly. I helped my brothers learn the alphabet on a chalkboard. They were both smart and learned quickly. The older brother was an excitable little boy, shy and fearful in some situations, but seemed very happy most of the time.
When he started elementary school I left home to begin my own family and became incredibly busy.
I would see my brother at family gatherings but we were no longer as close as we once had been. It was obvious to me that something wasn't quite right, but sometimes you are so close to a situation you regard it as normal.
His teenage years were difficult and my brother dropped out of high school. The social aspect was too stressful and there were questions about whether or not he had earned enough credits to walk with his class, even though others in similar situations had been able to do so. My mother was so mad! However, he eventually earned his GED and began training in shoe repair.
That didn't work out either and for a long time he lived with my parents. He was often depressed and my mother remembered my father sitting with him on the couch, his arm around his son's shoulder, in tears because this strong man didn't know how to help his son.
Finally, my brother met a woman named Bettie Mitchell, director of Good Samaritan Ministries, and got counseling. She worked hard for my brother, connecting him with a doctor who finally gave us a name for why my brother was different: schizophrenia. He got the proper medications, qualified for Social Security Disability - after a lot of paperwork and interviews, moved into a group home in Portland and got a job working part-time at the Oregon Zoo, an agency that generously makes opportunities for those with disabilities.

It's estimated 20 percent of youth have mental problems, with 66 percent of them untreated. My brother, in one of his few pieces of luck, got help. Today he has his own apartment and still works at the zoo.
We've grown closer again since he lives nearby and occasionally visits, shares a meal and does his laundry.
It hurts, however, when I go places with him and others look at him differently because on a primal level there's an evaluation we all unconsciously do when we look at another person.
He talks to himself sometimes, he's shy and still a little fearful. Yet he has done things and persevered when others - including myself - might have given up.
I look at my brother today and I see the smiling, cheerful boy he was. I remember him in my mother's arms as she gazed down at him, her eyes drinking in every feature of his face as she imagined the man he would become.
And he has worked hard to become the person he is. If you see someone like him on the MAX train or at the grocery store - someone mumbling to himself, his hair a little messy, his shirt a little unfashionable - remember that once upon a time a mother had great hopes for him ... and a sister still does.

The Dinosaurs Are Back!

2008-05-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

After millions of years - a long absence - the dinosaurs have made a comeback at the Oregon Zoo in Portland.
These dinosaurs are mechanical, are coated with foam rubber and they move and roar.
One dinosaur shoots out water. You can hear them roar, but no one really knows what a dinosaur sounds like since they've been gone for so long.
Here's the link to more information about the Oregon Zoo exhibit.
Both kids and adults like to see the dinosaurs. There's information about them on signs by the exhibit. Don't worry: The signs tell you whether the dinosaur you're looking at is a meat eater!
Go to the link for more on zoo hours and admission prices. - Zoo Keeper

My Tribute To Leah Remini.

2008-01-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

Today I would like to share someone with you. In September 1989, I was watching the television program "Who's the Boss?" when I found somebody to write to. You see, I have been writing to celebrities since 1983, and have been collecting autographs of different people since then. That evening Leah Remini appeared, and afterward was on a new TV series called "Living Dolls." I wrote her the first of many cards and letters, and received nice responses nearly every time. Later, Leah started appearing on other shows, like "Saved By the Bell". But one of my favorites was "The King of Queens," playing Carrie Heffernan. I have enjoyed being one of her fans, and hope that I can meet her someday. So, Leah, I will always keep you in my thoughts and will keep remembering you on your birthday. Have a wonderful life, and always make people like me happy.

Christmas at the zoo.

2007-12-17T17:18:00.000-08:00

Having a great time at zoolights. We are open from now until December 30th. The outdoor sights are fine this time of year. We start after thanksgiving and run until after Christmas. Come visit us some night!

A Special Treat For You All!

2007-11-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a performance by one of my favorite bands, Rachel Rachel. Even though they are not together anymore, here is one of their songs. Recorded in 1991, here is Carry on wayward son, a remake of a song recorded originally by the group, Kansas. Enjoy!

2007-11-22T12:37:00.000-08:00

Sarah And I, Together On My Blog.

2007-11-18T18:09:00.000-08:00

Recently my sister Jeanne found an old photo taken when I was a little baby. Maybe between 1959 or 1960, before I was a year old. I still was learning to walk but still being held onto by one of my sisters. This was before my brother Ned was born. I decided to add another autographed photo to my blog. Her name is Sarah Jessica Parker, and another one of my favorite people. I first saw her on the series, "Square Pegs" on CBS back a long time ago. Years later she was on "Sex and the City" on HBO. Now she is appearing on Garnier commercials. Maybe in the near future I will put up some new photos up. So stay tuned!

Waiting For Thanksgiving.

2007-11-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

After a short hiatus, I decided to write something new on my blog. What am I thankful for? Well, my year has been fun. My job has shown me as I work with my fellow workers at the zoo that life is worth something. I made some new friends, and get along with everyone. I will be spending thanksgiving with people I really care about{ my brothers and sisters} so we should be having a lot together. Of course, years ago, all of us would get together at our parents home in Cherry Grove, Oregon for a big get together. When they moved to Gaston, we still got together for Thanksgiving and Christmas and enjoyed the time we had. This year, maybe we can reminise all our special times, and our future times. Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Some Of My Favorite People.

2007-10-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Today I'd like to put some pictures up from my authograph collection. Rachel Rachel is a group I met back in 1993. The picture was sent to me later.
You might recognize Lisa Whelchel from the series "Facts of Life" and Tatum O'Neal from "Paper Moon," a 1970s movie that won her an academy award, beating Linda Blair, who was in "The Exorcist."
Pam Dawber is from "Mork and Mindy" and "My Sister Sam." Liza Minelli, daughter of Judy Garland, is also in my collection. She appeared in "Arthur" with Dudley Moore.
I can't put everyone because I have so many.
Talk to you later. Brad

One Saturday Afternoon.

2007-10-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hello! Today I decided to place some zoo animals on my blog. Elephants,leopards, and orangutans are just a few of the sights at the Oregon Zoo. When was the last time you came for a visit? The zoo recently has been going under construction to build new exibits for the animals, so soon you can see the progress. Right now, we are looking forward to "Zoo Lights" soon, when the Zoo is all colorful at night, and people can see the sights. So come out really soon.

Oregon Zoo Says,"Rose-Tu Is Expecting"!

2007-10-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

Big news flash. One of our elephants is going to be a mother for the first time. 13 year old Rose-Tu will be giving birth in September of 2008. This is big news at the Oregon Zoo. Rose-Tu and Tuska mated between December 4-6. The last time there was a birth was in August 31, 1994 when Rose-Tu was born. Originally there were twins, but one only survived. The other died. It was a rarity that twins of elephants would be born anywhere, but it did happen at the zoo. When I hear anymore news, you will be posted.

A Tribute To My Beautiful Friend.

2007-09-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

This morning I was thinking of something to write about on my blog. So I thought, "Why not write about someone I know quite well to talk about"? So I will tell you about a good friend of mine whom I have known for many years. Her name is Maya Frost, and she is truly a success story. I got to know her during our high school years in Gaston, Oregon. We got to take a couple of classes together, including chorus. I really liked her piano playing and let her know. She had a lot of friends, myself included. After high school, I did not keep in touch, but I did read about her in the local newspapers about how she was doing. It was on her blogs that I found out something wounderful that happened in her life. Maya has done great things for other people, and they appreciate it. I for one am really proud of her. I hope she has a great life. Thank you Maya for your great work. This tribute is just for you.

The Zookeeper, Brad Fenimore Checking In.

2007-09-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Hello There! Thank you for reading my blog. I am just starting out, so I hope my thoughts are clear and my words are interesting. Hope I can be entertaing without making you bored stiff. If you have any suggestions or anything that can cheer me up, do not hesitate to write me. I am glad to hear anything. So let your imagination run wild. But not too wild. Ha, Ha! Just kidding. Hope to here from you soon. Take care.

Return of the Lions

2007-09-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

In 2009 the Portland Zoo will be bringing back the lions. The structure, which was originally the Alaskan Tundra area, will be the lions' new home.
Right now there are fundraisers going on to help bring the lions back.
The most popular feature at the zoo right now is the new chimp born several days ago. He doesn't have a name yet.
The weather at the zoo's been good so there have been lots of visitors. There will be more 90 degree days this week, so probably more people will be visiting.
I like my job at the zoo. It's fun.