First of all, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read and comment on my last post. It’s really nice to know that Oreo’s story touched so many people. He was larger than life, and it’s amazing to think that more than 10 years after his death, he can still affect people in such a profound way.
Thanks to all of you, this is my most commented post ever. 103 as of this writing. (My American Idol Finale post, still holds the record for most views, at 3,252.) A special shout out to Victor & Sam, who first recommended Oreo’s story to their vast audience. I tried to respond to everyone, but if I missed you, I’m sorry.
Mostly though, I’d like to thank Jin, from whom I received the following email:
Carey Anthony
To Oreo and Oreo’s father, Carey.
From: Jin
Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 1:37 AM
To: Carey
I’m really touched by the tribute you made to Oreo. I’m sorry I didn’t get to comment earlier and beat out 120938120938109238 people from commenting but I’m just absolutely amazed at such a wonderful life you have given Oreo and the freedom he has. He does posses human like things about him. He’s still alive believe it or not. In your heart and mind. Remember rainbow bridge? Rusty and Oreo would probably be playing there along with my pet Dusty. They’ll be waiting there for us :)
I made this for you and oreo ( as you can see its totally ugly compared to the super fancy drawings your friend Dan draws of Oreo, but hey this is for Oreo. )
Cheers! You’re an amazing person Carey!
This brought tears to my eyes, which I guess is fair, judging from how many people told me they cried at Oreo’s story. Thank you Jin. This means a lot to me. I will treasure it.
Since Halloween officially starts in 15 minutes, I braved the crazy Halloween store tonight and bought the final touches for my costume. The place was a ZOO!!!
You’ll have to wait to see what it is. I’ll give you a hint. It has something to do with politics and it’s not human. Any guesses??
Speaking of Halloween (and dogs), last night was dog night at the pumpkin patch, so I took Roscoe, accompanied by Ann, Jorge and little Arielle. A good time was had by all:
On the way home, there was a No on Proposition 8 rally on Santa Monica Boulevard:
I had a disturbing conversation with someone yesterday who basically told me they still cannot believe America will elect a black president. “How could they?” This person still thinks McCain can win. This person is one of the most intelligent people I know, and clearly one of the most racist. How can someone so smart be so woefully misinformed? It’s like the Jesus freaks who think “Yes on 8” will “protect” marriage. Protect it from what?? I’m so tired of arguing with ignorance. A week from right now, I guess we’ll know. It can’t come soon enough. Both Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert summed it up perfectly last night. These are both worth watching until the end if you haven’t seen them.
…it brought back memories of what happened to my dog Oreo, over 20 years ago, when he walked 45 miles and ended up on the front page of the Chicago Tribune!
In August of 1987, Oreo and I moved to Chicago, which was 200 miles north of where I went to college. The very first Friday night we lived in our new house, Oreo somehow
pawed the door open in the middle of the night and ran out to play with
another dog. I vaguely remember hearing him leave, but was too tired to get up.
After all, Oreo ALWAYS came back home. He was the dog who went to every class in college with me and waited outside every building. He had never been on a leash. What I forgot however, was that
there had been a major flood in Chicago that week. Oreo was in new
surroundings and couldn’t find his scent back to our new house. He knew
that home was “south” so he started walking. By noon that day (roughly
8 hours), Oreo had walked 45 miles to Oakbrook, Illinois. He stopped
off at the Western Open Golf Tournament, where a Chicago Tribune
photographer snapped this photo, which appeared on the front page of
the paper’s Sports section that Sunday. Seeing this unfold, a woman named Lola Proulx (who I am friends with to this day), bought 8 hot dogs and earned Oreo’s
trust by feeding him. She was able to get him to the Humane Society,
and they traced his tags back to our former home, where I had already
called with my new contact information. I went to pick Oreo up the
following Monday, 60 miles south of where he first started his journey.
From that day forward he was scared to death of trains, which led me to
believe he had a very close call with a train on his journey south. He
went on to live 9 more wonderful years, and even survived an
assassination attempt by a local campus keystone cop, and a close call
with a herd of massive elk. He appeared on the second season of
Friends, and made other front page headlines throughout his 12 year
storied life. He traveled with me through 30 of the 50 states, and was a friend to everyone who met him! All of these are stories for another entry though. I’ll write one soon. My cousin Lisa even named her dog after Oreo!
Speaking of Lisa, take a look at this outfit she bought Tommy & Andy for Halloween! Sadly, they didn’t like it, so she returned it. I still don’t have a costume for next week. Any ideas??
I went to their house for dinner tonight. They had the yard all decorated for Halloween!
It’s hard to get into the Halloween spirit when the temperature outside is 92° F (34° C), but little Hannah made it a little easier. Even though there are palm trees in the background instead of brightly colored red and yellow leaves, there’s still something autumnal about a kid in a pumpkin patch.
An Obama pumpkin. The Sarah Palin ones were completely empty inside.
I went out to lunch today alone. There were 2 people sitting next to me within earshot, and they were talking about the election. Specifically they were talking about a Proposition 8, a measure on the ballot here in California that would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry, essentially defining marriage only between a man and a woman.
The two people I was eavesdropping on were coworkers, both in uniform, for a cleaning company. The man, was trying to explain to the woman that one of the arguments conservatives were making in favor of Prop. 8 was wrong. Specifically, that if the measure passes, first graders would be taught about gay marriage. He was actually articulating it quite well. Maybe he read this article in the LA Times on Saturday:
Prop. 8 battle rages over whether gay marriage would be taught in schools
Proponents
say defeat of the measure would lead to such lessons. Foes cry
fear-mongering and say there’s no mention of marriage in the ballot
item. The reality is complicated.
By Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
9:23 PM PDT, October 18, 2008
It
was supposed to be a 90-minute excursion, a noontime field trip for a
group of San Francisco charter school students and their parents to see
the kids’ lesbian teacher marry her partner in a wedding performed by
Mayor Gavin Newsom.
But after the event was reported in the San Francisco Chronicle and
picked up by cable television and the Internet, the first-graders at
Creative Arts Charter School found themselves at the center of the
hottest battle in the campaign over gay marriage: the question of
whether failure to pass Proposition 8 would result in widespread
classroom discussions of same-sex unions.
Supporters of the constitutional amendment, under which marriage would
be defined as only between a man and a woman, contend that if
Proposition 8 does not pass, gay marriage will be taught in public
schools. “We are already seeing that happen,” said Frank Schubert,
campaign manager for Yes on 8.
The opposing side insists that this is fear-mongering and notes that
there is no mention of schools or curriculum in the language of the
proposition.”They just made something up in order to scare people and change the
subject,” said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center
for Lesbian Rights.
To buttress their case, Proposition 8 supporters point to a legal
decision out of Massachusetts, where same-sex couples have been able to
wed since 2004. After a second-grade teacher in Lexington read a book
to her students that included two princes marrying, the parents of a
child in the class sued the school district.
The parents, devout Christians who oppose gay marriage, contended that
the teacher had read the book to her class “for the express purpose of
indoctrinating them into the concept that homosexuality and marriage
between same-sex partners is moral.” This, they said, intruded on their
“right to direct the moral upbringing of their own children.”
A federal court dismissed the case, finding it without merit, and
earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of
the dismissal, letting the lower court’s ruling stand.The child’s parents will be featured in a new Proposition 8 ad that will begin airing this week.
The new ‘Yes on 8′ ad on the left, the new ‘No on 8′ ad on the right.
School districts and the California Department of Education, meanwhile,
are getting a steady stream of calls from the media and parents wanting
to know whether gay marriage will be taught in schools if Proposition 8
is defeated.
The answer, it turns out, is slightly more complicated than can be
captured in the 30-second television advertisements put out by both
sides. There is nothing in the state education code that requires schools to
teach anything about marriage. Even the decision about whether to offer
comprehensive sex education is left up to individual school districts.
What state law does require is that districts that offer sex education
“teach respect for marriage and committed relationships.” Districts have taken different approaches. The Los Angeles Unified School District offers ninth-graders a “Life
Skills” class that deals with a variety of issues, including personal
identity and relationships. A district spokeswoman said marriage is not
a specific part of that curriculum but could come up as part of
classroom discussion.
In Fresno, meanwhile, district policy is that teachers do not address
the subject of gay marriage in the classroom; students who ask about it
are told to raise the issue with their families, according to district
officials.
Hilary McLean, spokeswoman for Jack O’Connell, the state superintendent
of public instruction, said she was unaware of any district that had
changed its curriculum as a result of the California Supreme Court’s
May ruling allowing same-sex marriage.
Still, recognizing how politically potent the issue is, the Yes on 8
campaign has made it the center of its television advertising campaign. “Mom, guess what I learned in school today?” a little girl says in one spot. “I learned how a prince married a prince.”
As the girl’s mother makes a horrified face, a voice says: “Think it
can’t happen? It’s already happened. . . . Teaching about gay marriage
will happen unless we pass Proposition 8.” In response, the No on 8 side put out an ad called “Proponents of Proposition 8 Are Using Lies to Scare You.” As television screens flicker Big Brother-like in the background, a voice says: “Prop. 8 will not affect teaching in schools.”
To counter that, the Yes on 8 side issued a blast e-mail last week
titled, “Who Is Really Lying,” which accused the No on 8 side of
wanting gay marriage to be taught “at the youngest possible age.” In San Francisco, Newsom said he didn’t know the schoolchildren would
be attending their teacher’s wedding, and a spokesman for the mayor
said he does not endorse the idea of children leaving school to go to
weddings — no matter who is getting married. “First-graders should be in class during the day,” said Nathan Ballard, communications director for Newsom.
I myself have never been a huge proponent of gay “marriage” per se. I’m more concerned with equal rights, and could personally care less whether same sex couples call it a marriage or a civil union. That said, if Prop. 8 does pass, it would set back years of advances in gay rights.
The fact that blue collar workers are discussing this at lunch I think is positive. Even my own family here in California has questions about this issue, and they’re far from being homophobic. The fear tactics in use here though are really quite absurd. Gay marriage won’t be taught in schools. And even if it were, reading a book about two princes marrying, will not make a child gay. You can’t make a child gay. That’s not how it works. And by the ninth grade, kids these days certainly have this stuff figured out. Unfortunately, I feared all along that this issue would be damaging in a presidential election year. This article by Farhad Manjoo on slate.com confirms my worst fears. Here are a few excerpts.
Obama vs. McCain vs. Gay Marriage In California, the presidential race is taking a back seat to gay marriage.
By Farhad Manjoo Posted Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008, at 4:00 PM ET
No one doubts that Barack Obama will win California by a double-digit margin
this year. In some northern counties, he may well hit 90 percent. Yet
politics in this nonswing blue state still defy prediction.
California’s 2008 ballot is a thicket of closely contested, closely
watched social issues. And on some of the biggest questions, blue
voters—in one case, the very same voters that Obama is counting on—look
ready to swing red.
Among other state initiatives, Californians will vote on a measure to
ban gay marriage; to require parental notification for abortions for
minors; and to institute a program of rehabilitation, rather than
incarceration, for nonviolent drug offenders. Even the beasts have a
stake in the election: Proposition 2
requires that cows, pigs, chickens, and other farm animals “be allowed,
for the majority of the day, to fully extend their limbs or wings, lie
down, stand up and turn around.” (The New York Times has come out in favor of the measure, while a number of local papers, including the Los Angeles Times, oppose it on grounds that it’ll damage the state’s huge agriculture industry.) In surveys, a large majority of voters say they’ll pull the lever in the animals’ favor.
But on the question of whether human beings will be allowed to lie down
and extend their limbs with whomever they please, Californians are much
more uncertain. In 2000, residents voted overwhelmingly
to ban same-sex marriage. The state Supreme Court struck down that
initiative this spring, saying such a ban required a change to the
state constitution, and gay couples up and down the coast have been
marrying ever since. Now comes Proposition 8, which would enshrine a
ban on same-sex marriage into the California Constitution.
Early polls
showed the measure tanking. Liberals were buoyed: Not only were they
going to win the White House; they would also see their neighbors
repudiate the 2000 vote and embrace an unmistakably libertine (if not
strictly “liberal”) social policy. But over the last month, proponents
of Proposition 8 have pulled in more campaign cash (40 percent of it from Mormons) and launched an aggressive TV ad campaign. Now the anti-gay-marriage measure looks likely to pass. Says Yvette Martinez, political director of No on 8: “I think maybe we got a little complacent.”
There’s an interesting demographic wrinkle to the debate over Proposition 8. Obama has come out against the measure—but
his supporters are another matter. The Democrat is expected to bring a
surge of black and Latino voters to the polls on Election Day. This spells trouble for gay marriage; in some surveys
(PDF), minority voters have expressed much greater support for banning
same-sex marriage than have whites. Chip White, a spokesman for the pro-Proposition 8 campaign,
stopped short of saying that Obama’s presence on the ballot will help
the measure. But he did point out that the campaign plans a big push in
minority communities, especially through churches and other religious
networks. “Traditional marriage initiatives have historically been
supported by African-Americans,” he says. “We think this one will be no
different.”
Late last month, the Proposition 8 campaign hit on what seems to be its
most effective argument against gay marriage: that if the court’s
ruling stands, kindergartners will be “indoctrinated” into the gay
lifestyle. They’ve pushed the message in a couple of goofily creative TV ads
now blanketing the airwaves. The more outrageous spot features a girl
who comes home from school to show her mother a book her teacher has
given her—King & King,
a fairy tale about a young prince who doesn’t show much interest in
getting together with a princess. “I learned how a prince can marry a
prince and I can marry a princess!” the girl in the ad tells her
mother. An announcer declares that under California law, schools are
required to teach kids about marriage, and that even if parents object,
“teaching children about gay marriage will happen here unless we pass
Proposition 8.” The Proposition 8 slogan: “Protect Our Children.
Restore Marriage.”.
The first time I saw these ads, I thought Proposition 8 was sunk: Is
this the best the anti-gay marriage side can muster? An obviously
tangential “Think of the children!” campaign? What’s more, the ad is misleading: Although state law offers health-education guidelines for school districts to follow, it does not mandate a curriculum, and it explicitly allows
parents to pull children out of any health classes they may find
objectionable. In the summer, when the Proposition 8 campaign attempted
to add language about schools teaching gay marriage on the statewide
ballot pamphlet, a Sacramento Court found the claim “false and misleading.”…
From afar, California is often seen as a liberal haven. Sure, Bill Clinton won the state by 14 points
in 1992, and ever since, the state’s electoral horde—55 votes, 20
percent of the threshold necessary to win the White House—have been a
lock for Democrats. Yet between 1952 and 1988, the Golden State burned bright red,
voting for a Democratic presidential candidate only once (Lyndon
Johnson in 1964). Nixon and Reagan—homestate boys—won handily, and in
1988, George H.W. Bush eked out a respectable margin.
And voters here have a history of passing conservative ballot
initiatives. Yes, we’ve legalized medical marijuana and funded stem
cell research; but we have also severely restricted property taxes, denied medical services to illegal immigrants, prohibited affirmative action at public universities, and forced sex offenders to wear GPS tracking devices.
Californians have twice rejected measures to require minors to inform
their parents before seeking abortions, but polls suggest that the
proposal will pass this year….
Fact: Not one word in Prop 8 mentions education, and no child can be
forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about
health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it, and
the Yes on 8 campaign knows they are lying. Sacramento Superior Court
Judge Timothy Frawley has already ruled that this claim by Prop 8
proponents is “false and misleading.” The Orange County Register,
traditionally one of the most conservative newspapers in the state, says this claim is false. So do lawyers for the California Department of Education. Spread the word!
I finally went to the doctor and got some antibiotics for this upper respiratory infection. Hopefully they will start working soon. In the meantime, I’m just resting and taking it easy. On the way to pick up my prescription today I met a chihuahua named “Beast”. LOL, he was a far cry from the Beast I first wrote about in my very first blog entry ever. He was a real gentle giant:
Insurance companies are the bane of my existence lately. I forgot to tell you guys that my car was in the shop again a few weeks ago. Honda of Hollywood took care of it and picked up the rental bill, but this continues to be a nightmare. The girl who hit me had Safeco as her insurance company and they’ve gone up to $1500 to settle my injuries, but I’ve got a couple of years to decide what to do and I still need to find a decent lawyer. I’m also fighting with Aetna, my health insurance company, over confusing verbiage on their archaic website that I use to order my asthma inhalers. The inhalers were late. Not good timing, especially since I developed a lung infection last week, exacerbated by the temperature shifts we had here last weekend. The fires that are burning 20 miles north of here aren’t helping my lungs either. Hopefully the fires won’t get as bad as last year. And finally, as I was writing this post I got an email from my property management company regarding another home I own and rent out. The tenants weren’t paying their rent and were evicted, but it looks like they took some souvenirs with them. Namely, the refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer and living room carpet!!!! Now I have another insurance company to call tomorrow! As the global economy continues to worsen, I only hope that three weeks from tomorrow will signal a shift in a government that is no longer of the people, by the people and for the people, and President Obama will usher in a new era where corporate greed is punished and America can start to rebuild its tattered reputation. At any rate, things could be a lot worse. I’m pretty good at getting what I want, and this too shall pass!
Claim # 484504363007
3 messages
From: TWITCHELL, STEPHANIE L
Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 11:11 AM
To:
Carey Anthony
Carey,
I would like to follow up with you in
regards to my offer of $1,300 . Please contact me as soon as possible
to discuss settlement.
For your protection, the State of
California has a two-year Statute of Limitations for bodily injury
claims. This means you must either settle your claim or file a lawsuit
within two years of the date of your accident in order to protect your
right to recover damages.
Thank you
Stephanie Twitchell
Claims
From: Carey Anthony
Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 12:39 PM
To:
“TWITCHELL, STEPHANIE L”
Stephanie,
That offer is not even close to what I’m entitled for this nightmare. I don’t think I will ever be the same. Oh, and my car was just BACK in the shop AGAIN (for the 3rd time, after the
four months it took to repair!!!). You and I both know the car should
have been totaled. Corporate greed prevented that, and now look how
much you’re company is spending.
I’m expecting an offer of $10,000 and I’m told I should consult
with an attorney. I have every second of this nightmare documented and
the pain and suffering it has caused me is immeasurable.
From: TWITCHELL, STEPHANIE L
Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 12:49 PM
To:
Carey Anthony
Thank you for your response.
At this time I would like to make a final offer in the amount
of $1,500. I understand that this has been a hard experience for you,
but please be advised that we are making this offer based on no treatment that
could be documented. Without efficient documentation (records/bills) i am
not able to extend any further offers.
I
have seen the documentation for your injury and again I am sorry for any pain
this loss has caused you.
As for your vehicle, that is a separate portion of your
claim. This settlement is for your injury only.
Please get back to me after reviewing my final offer.
If you do obtain an attorney, please have them contact me directly
as we will no longer be able to correspond with you and will only speak with the
attorney. Please also be advised that with attorney representation, my
offer will remain the same.
Thank you,
Stephanie Twitchell
Claims
—–Original Message—– From: Aetna Member Services Sent: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 08:57:41 -0400 (EDT) To: Carey Anthony
Subject: Re: Re: Aetna RxHD Contact Us
Dear Carey:
Thank you for using the Aetna Rx Home Delivery Website.
In regards to the question that you posted, “Reserved Inventory” is an internal term that is used to let us know that we have enough inventory
to supply your order. For example, if your order calls for 90 pills to be dispensed and we have 3000 pills on hand, it will say “Reserved Inventory” to let us know that 90 of the 3000 pills that we have on hand
are reserved especially for you. This is just a way to keep count of the supply that we have on hand.
If you have questions, you can reach Aetna Rx Home Delivery by logging on to www.aetnanavigator.com or www.aetna.com/aetnarxhomedelivery. The
“Contact Us” form provides greater security of your personal data than if you reply by e-mail.
Sincerely, Marline St Aetna Rx Home Delivery Internet Response Team 14194944
From: Carey Anthony
To: Aetna Member Services
That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve
ever heard. Why the heck do I care how many pills you have on hand??
I ordered asthma inhalers. This is absurd and it’s downright confusing to customers. Please remove
this inane information from your website immediately. I don’t need
corporate America causing me more problems than they already have.
Carey Anthony
Burglary
1 messages
From: Karyn
Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 5:34 PM
To:
Carey Anthony
Hi Carey,
I had the contract painters go by on Friday
to get me pictures and a bid for painting. I received the pictures today
and they told me the refrigerator, stove, washer and dryer and living room
carpet had been stolen.
I tried to phone today to make a police
report but the police officer said you needed to phone them tomorrow as the
owner of record. The contact information is: Sergeant Spencer
her number is XXX-297-1160. She will be in the office from 9am to 4:30pm
our time.
I explained that the previous tenants could
be possible suspects since we had to evict them. It looks like they bent
the garage door to gain entry. You will need to call Srgt Spencer and then
your insurance company.
We evicted the tenant on September 11,
2008. It was brought to our attention this past Friday 10/10/08. Do
not delay in phoning your insurance. You will need to give the insurance
adjuster authorization to speak with me to coordinate a time to view the
premises and any photos I have.
“Standing on the most southwesterly point of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Point Vicente Lighthouse has long been one of this area’s jewels. To the landsman, the lighthouse is scenic delight and continual attraction to sightseers, tourists, photographers and painters. To the mariner, the lighthouse is an aid to navigation which marks the northern end of the Catalina Channel on the Pacific coast. It helps him plot his position and warns him to avoid the rocky shoals which surround the nearby shore and, in a heavy fog, its horn will warn him if he gets too close to the dangerous shore”
Yesterday, after work, Amos picked me up his fancy Porche and we drove 32 miles to Palos Verdes to watch the sun set at one of Los Angeles’ hidden treasures. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. All but the last one were taken by my little Canon SD850 Point & Shoot. Amos took the last one with his Canon EOS 40D. You can see his amazing photos on his Flickr.
This is my new wallpaper…if anyone wants the full size version (sans watermark), message me your email.
Me, using Amos’ camera.
Yikes!
I laugh in the face of danger!
We’ll have to go back when there are a few more clouds, but this was beautiful!
Claudio & Ryan’s new home is a few steps closer to earning the coveted “Fornia” moniker. Thanks to Bassam getting the wireless network working, blogging can now be done from there! (An important step towards Fornia accreditation…I refuse to be tethered.) And Sunday night, it was transformed into a Brazilian steakhouse (churrascaria). Ryan worked all day to get the spa in working order and the kids had a blast. The evening was capped with the all the children telling Uncle Carey jokes by the fire pit. As the video attests, hilarity ensued!
Claudio’s brother Cris and his wife Valesca are visiting with their two kids Victor & Isabella, so we drove up to Santa Barbara to meet up with Eva (who just returned from Bine’s wedding) and Bassam. It was a rare rainy day in Southern California, and at first the kids were a little hesitant on the beach. But soon, the clouds dissipated and it ended up being a gorgeous day!
Little child, be not afraid The rain pounds harsh against the glass Like an unwanted stranger There is no danger I am here tonight
Little child Be not afraid Though thunder explodes And lightning flash Illuminates your tearstained face I am here tonight
And someday you’ll know That nature is so This same rain that draws you near me Falls on rivers and land And forests and sand Makes the beautiful world that you see In the morning
Little child Be not afraid The storm clouds mask your beloved moon And its candlelight beams Still keep pleasant dreams I am here tonight
Little child Be not afraid The wind makes creatures of our trees And the branches to hands They’re not real, understand And I am here tonight
And someday you’ll know That nature is so This same rain that draws you near me Falls on rivers and land And forest and sand Makes the beautiful world that you see In the morning
For you know, once even I Was a little child And I was afraid But a gentle someone always came To dry all my tears Trade sweet sleep for fears And to give a kiss goodnight
Well, now I am grown And these days have shown Rain’s a part of how life goes But it’s dark and it’s late So I’ll hold you and wait ’til your frightened eyes do close
And I hope that you’ll know That nature is so This same rain that draws you near me Falls on rivers and land And forests and sand Makes the beautiful world that you see In the morning
Everything’s fine in the morning The rain will be gone in the morning But I’ll still be here in the morning
First of all, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read and comment on my last post. It’s really nice to know that Oreo’s story touched so many people. He was larger than life, and it’s amazing to think that more than 10 years after his death, he can still affect people in such a profound way. 
paying their rent and were evicted, but it looks like they took some souvenirs with them. Namely, 
