Gaby, my new friend in Germany!
Recently, I shipped a Just Ask t-shirt to Gabriele, a new friend, who lives in Germany. I want to share her message, But first I want to say, I am impressed that someone from as far as away as Germany took time to write such a nice message and also order a JUST ASK T-SHIRT. Now! that is a cool feeling. Someone supporting what I do to bring awareness to nf. Gabriele writes…..
“Hello Reggie, I´ve written you a note just a few minutes ago- but before I got the chance to finish it, I hit the “submit-button” by accident. To make shure you receive it all, I´ll start all over again. I´ ve seen a video with you and Oprah on you tube. I found it very touching and think you are very courageous. I was born with NF too and since the right side of my face was damaged I had operations since I was 3 years old. Now I am almost 45 and ´ve been leading a normal live. My parents gave me a lot of courage on my way- thats why NF couldn´t stop me from doing anything. I have to admit that there was no chance for me to become a model but I am a few inches to short anyway 
I wish there where more people like you- letting the public know that a face isn´t a vital organ. That people like us have a brain and a heart and are liveable and loveable beings. One of my reasons to write you was that I wanted to order a “Just Ask” T-shirt. In the meantime I´ve found the link on your homepage. The other reason was that I wanted to tell you “Keep going” … well- there is still so much I would like to say, but I better write a book… A book? Why not…. I hope you had a nice x-mas and want to wish you a happy new year Gaby, from Munich Germany
January 18th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
You’re beautiful, Gaby!
January 18th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
I knew her first, you know.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Hey, she’s white! I’m white. Two whites don’t make a wong!
January 18th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
You say potato, I say patatoe, And anyway, that’s your problem, not mine, not hers. ;->
January 18th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
She wants me, I can tell.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Yeah……you have so many good qualities……oh what is wrong with me? Saying such nice things about you. Don’t believe me.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:07 am
Gaby seems like a warm, compassionate person with the personality, courage and sense of humor to do in Germany what you are doing in the States. If only more people were like Gaby!
January 19th, 2010 at 10:37 am
Lou, we kid aroud a lot, to keep things going, it can be fun most of the time. I think friends here appreciate our humor.
I’m going to send Gaby, a personal email. She is a very nice lady. I’m sure she will visit our blog. We have quite a few visits from Germany. Maybe someday I will get to visit that country.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:25 am
Gaby, welcome to the family. I have been to Munich couple times when I had lived in Germany. Nice and interesting city. I was too young then, its the place to be on Octerberfest. My sister went to college there for two years, University of Maryland.
January 19th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Hi JP, How’s it going?
January 19th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Feel like summer time here—almost. Lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s after plenty of cold temps. Since December I was able to open the balcony door to let some fresh air in.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:08 am
Muggy day here. We are expecting rain today.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:47 am
Welcome to Reggie’s blog Gaby. You wrote a very nice, from the heart, letter.
I lived in Germany (near Heilbron) for 2 years and it is a beautiful country. Best wishes.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Hey Reggie, what happened to my ski jumping sumo wrestler avatar? Did you or Lou replace it with this round green alian schmuck?
January 20th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Bart, I don’t know why your avatar changed. I don’t think it was something that Lou did. And I know for sure I did not change it. I think maybe the software was updated or something. I think.
January 20th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Bart try to log out then back in again. When I check users for the blog. It shows the ski jumping sumo.
January 20th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Yeah, I think he isn’t logged in so they give you an avatar they had laying around in the backroom so you won’t feel left out.
January 20th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Hi there
I just visited the Blog and found the recent entry about me- proudly presenting my JUST ASK SHIRT
There are lots of responses already…never thought I´ll attract that much interest….
I was thinking about printing using instructions on a shirt- but the slogan “just ask” brings to a point what I wanted to say for soooo long.
Well- its sleeping-time for most of the Germans- so I´ll say good bye and wish you all a nice afternoon
Gaby
January 20th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
I’m back now and feel much better, thank you.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
I do not see anyone on chat anymore. Is it just me that I go on when no one else is there or that no one uses it anymore?
January 20th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Welcome back, Bart. For a round green alien schmuck, you weren’t bad!
January 21st, 2010 at 11:04 am
Bart, I’m looking forward to the 27th. Maybe I’ll see Slopis too. Our first app, for what I hope to be a successful meeting. I’ll let you know who everything is going with it.
January 22nd, 2010 at 9:44 am
Is that when you go on your annual pilgrimage to Washington?
January 22nd, 2010 at 9:46 am
Oops, there’s the green alien schmuck again.
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:03 pm
When you are in Washington, I need you to drop by at 1600 Penn. Ave., and see our President. Just drop in on one of his parties, other people have done it…..
January 22nd, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Yeah, you probably won’t even be noticed. You don’t want to call attention to yourself so it is probably best not to wear your Just Ask shirt.
Wait, maybe you should wear your Just Ask shirt! Just think of the publicity. You get to talk to reporters, go on talk shows, go before Congress, etc.
January 22nd, 2010 at 8:53 pm
LOL! Yea even with having nf and a just ask shirt, I won’t be notice until after I get back to Houston. Who needs a press agent.
January 23rd, 2010 at 9:23 am
dear Reggie
It is not surprising you receive letter and frienship from Germany. You are our NF ambassador. Anywhere in the world people with our disease know you. I watch your blog and we can see a map who informs us how many visitors you have in any country!!! Kind regards Lulu and Francis
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Reggie truly is NF’s Ambassador to the World.
January 23rd, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Nothing more I would enjor more, then to travel the world talking about nf.
January 25th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Good Morning world.
January 25th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Good morning Reggie. When do you go to Washington with the Texas NF contingent?
January 25th, 2010 at 10:57 am
Feb 7th and return on Feb 10th. I’m not sure if Susan will go this year.
January 25th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
I will pay closer attention to the news at that time, in the event you decide to crash a party. Have a safe and a productive trip. I was going to ask, do you need a tag-a-long photographer? I been busy this past week, had 3 seperate photo shoots for my church, finally completed last night and turned in all the photos (cds) this morning.
January 25th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
I’m not going to even think about going places, I’m not suppose to go. Don’t want to make that kind of news. Would be great to get a invite.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
When I was 3 or 4 years old, at that time I was walking in a leg brace. My mom and dad took me on a White House tour. Walking in a leg brace must have tired me out and each time I would see a chair, one was President Lincoln rocking-chair, it was behind the rope, I would go under the rope to sit in the chair. Of course, that would set off alarms. According to mom I did this several times and kept setting off alarms. I may still be on some type of list, even after 50 years.
January 26th, 2010 at 8:44 am
I would think so. You know, you can’t just go around sitting on, just any chair. You never know where it’s been.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:12 am
I was only 3 or 4, what did I know? Nothing.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:15 am
You did just what any 3 or 4 year old would have done. I’m sure I would have sat in as many as I could.
January 26th, 2010 at 11:19 am
Great story John.
Heard on the news last week there is some 8 year old kid on the terrorist watch list. Has to do with his name.
January 28th, 2010 at 8:19 am
Good Morning all. Bart, I saw Dr. Slopis yesterday. Everything went very well. And I think we will have good results in the study. When I get information, I will post a new blog about it.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:42 am
John, Do you remember the NF Event. Sparkles and Spares? If so do you have photos in your flickr page. Would be great to see some from that time. Let me know. Maybe I’ll just go take a look. Reggie.
January 28th, 2010 at 11:50 am
Darn kids and their sitting.
Back in MY day we didn’t have chairs!
We stood for hours and didn’t complain!
January 28th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
lol. Whats up Bev?
January 28th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
The sky, who’s been telling you different?
January 28th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Hey Reggie, glad things went well with the doc. And I look forward to hearing more about the trial. I was not there today- am reviewing grants for the DOD–not NF but pediatric brain tumors. NF did come up in the proposals though since the two are closely related. Reggie do you know how much the Army is giving for NF research this year. I hope it is up from last year, only $8M. We need a lot more.
Hey Gaby, are you still there? Would love to hear if there are clinics and research and support services for those with NF in Germany. Or even some pictures from the Octoberfest!
January 28th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Reggie, sending some pictures of sparkes and spurs of what I have, plus couple of Dining Out in Dallas, the first one that you came to, and couple others..some of these goes back to Bob Hopkins days.
January 28th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
I miss Bob.
January 29th, 2010 at 7:51 am
Yeah, I miss him as well. Bob is one of my facebook friends. You should look him Bart.
January 29th, 2010 at 9:53 am
Hey Gaby,
Welcome to the blog!!!! Maybe now we can finally have some intelligent conversation instead of listening to Reggie’s senseless utterings.