Monday, June 30, 2014

It wasn’t all bad

For Anuson Poolsawat, customer satisfaction always comes first. The Alaskan restaurant owner had already done Mike Laiti and his friend a favor by staying open late. When the two called from the highway to cancel their takeout order after a closed bridge halted their drive, Poolsawat shrugged off the hassle. “He called and said, ‘Not a problem, I’ll come cross the waters,’” said Laiti. “‘Should I bring a boat?’” After a 25-mile drive, Poolsawat forded a cold, waist-deep creek carrying cartons of Thai barbecue ribs and fried rice over his head. “He’s just a good guy,” said Laiti. “Definitely a goofball.”


Don Miyada was just a month shy of graduating in 1942 when he was pulled from school and sent to an internment camp in Arizona along with 17,000 other Japanese-Americans. Miyada received his diploma in the mail, but he always regretted missing the ceremony. Last week, the 89-year-old Californian donned a cap and gown and joined Newport Harbor High School’s graduating class, where he received a standing ovation. “It’s their time to graduate and their time of honor,” he said. “I’m happy they invited me to be one of them.”

Two years after Nathan and Erin Braun’s golden retriever wandered away from their campsite in California’s Tahoe National Forest, the beloved dog has been reunited with her family. Earlier this month, a camper spotted Murphy and notified the Brauns. After searching the area unsuccessfully, they left behind some clothing and Murphy’s old bed, hoping the scents would attract her. Within a week, the campground manager found Murphy curled up on her owners’ belongings. “As you can imagine,” said the family, “we are completely amazed with the miracle of her surviving this long.”

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