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Hello my name is Leigh Ann...
1991 I graduated from high school, Nampa High School to be exact...at
17 went on to college at NNC, Nampa Idaho. Went for only two tri-mesters. Loved all my friends, but could not stand the legalism...I
got about 10 fines for missing chapel....oops! In September of 1992 went on to Olivet Nazarene University...in good ol Kankakee,
Illinois just south of Chicago...this was one shell shock of cultural proportions.
At Olivet I studied art...Graphics,
Art History and Communications...with a minor in oil painting...I still can recall the smell of my personal studio space.
The smell of paint thinner in a room with hermetically sealed windows. The gesso, and the wood cuttings for our own frames...Oh,
to have the studio in my place now. My most favorite teacher at Olivet was Dr. Royal...he set me apart and really focused
on me. He pushed my creativity and my gift, art.
IN October 15, 1999 this was the day my dad had a kidney transplant
at the University of Utah, my Aunt Janie gave of herself to be apart of this miracle. This was one of the hardest times of
my life. Having to come to the realization of a dying father. After about a month, his anti rejection drugs caused some major
weird symptoms, almost mimicking Parkinson's. The doctors had not seen this type of reaction before. Prednisone was the major
culprit. But dad to this day has not had one complication with his Kidney, thank God. For me during this time in late 1999
into 2000, was a hard time, it was just Nikki and my mom and myself running the stations. Three radio stations. I felt a lot
of pressure to keep things afloat, while my dad was in the hospital. And totally out of reality. We managed to do quite well,
we swallowed our pride, and did the best job we could.
I also started dating Chris on November of 1999. October 20,
2000 Chris and I got married at the Cathedral of the Rockies in downtown Boise. I must admit that I had the best wedding a
girl could ever have. Everything went as planned in three months by me and I did have some help with my mom and Nikki (my
maid of honor.) and it was incredible. My friends came from New Hampshire, Boston, Los Angeles, Oregon and Washington to be
there. The dancing was great, the food was good. The Limo ride....And I got to dance with my Dad, I had the best day of my
life.
September 11, 2001 came around our lives changed. Chris, was working for G.E. as a Engineer, so he had to go
to NYC the next week. Looking back I think he may have gone through some post-traumatic stress. Our relationship was no longer
the same, he was gone for weeks at a time. I did get to spend some considerable time in NYC, but the tension of the work from
the Twin Towers became too much. Even I witnessed the smells of fire and decay, the dirt and ash on the windows and streets
in lower Manhattan. The miles of memorials of loved ones gone, the somber faces and the horror of might be to come. All of
it just stuck in your mind. I can still see everything like it was.
Our marriage fell to pieces...my dream died. If
I wanted flowers, I would have to buy them for myself. Not much more I can say about this without getting overly emotional
grrr.
But now is a new day...I'm working at KDZY 98.3 FM, in McCall Idaho, apart of my families "Family Radio Network"
of stations. I really am not fond of the situation here in McCall it has been one interesting move. It is snowy, and cold.
I live about 75 feet from the 49th parallel. But I have hope all is going to change...It's all good!
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