just be ...

John and Joe.

There are no words. 

God Bless, America.

Remembered.

 

I said I wasnt going to 'remember' this day, September 11th.  It was a horrible day in US history, a horrible day for thousands of families.  My heart sank that day and it some essence has never really returned to its normal state. 

I'll never forget this day.  I was working downtown, and heard as I was walking to the office, out on the streets of Chicago that the Worlds Trade Center was attacked. 

I arrived in the office, and it was a ghost town as everyone was upstairs in the cafeteria watching the news on the 13" tv stuffed in the corner.  And it was silent.  This is where I started feeling my heart sink. 

The company said that we could leave if we felt we needed to.  My boss and I got on the next train out of town.  Walking through the train station, seeing all the conductors 'pushing' people to their trains so they can get the trains out of the station, and the fear on all the faces, my heart hit my stomach. 

This is when I started to cry.  What was happening to my country? Is this a world war and will I have to hoard toilet paper? 

Today, looking at this picture with fondness that was taken on a trip to NYC with my step-mother in 1986, I remember being on the top of the Empire State Building looking at those buildings thinking 'Geez those are big!'.  Now today, I look at this picture with even more fondness.  This picture has meaning to me now.  This picture is normally on my fridge, right in the middle, so I remember each and every life lost that day and how the world changed that day. 

God Bless, America.

Quiet week.

I guess spending time painting the trim and doors in the nursery, working late and visiting a friend in the hospital, kept me away from posting.  Though these items were ordinary 'life' things, they are still a part of my life. 

Though I did do one thing.  I voted in the Illinois state election primary.  Big year for Illinois, since after our previous governor ruined Illinois.  He who is now appearing on The Celebrity Apprentice.  Moron.  My conversation at the polling place went something like this:

Election Judge: Republican or Democrat?

Me: Neither, I just want to vote for the library referendum.

Election Judge: Ok, great, here you are (hands me the ballot)

(Scanning the ballot I see only one question, to approve or not approve the new revised library referendum.)
Me: Is this it?  Just this one question?

Election Judge: Yes

Me: Ok! This is going to be easy! Quick!

Literally I filled in the Yes circle, and went to the ballot machine.  My vote was added to the already 159 votes.  I walked away in under 3 minutes!

And on Wednesday I found out the referendum passed.  This will give my local library the chance to remain open, in fact restore to normal operating hours (they were reduced by half early in 2009), and they'll even get the renovations needed for their facility.  YAY!  The one time where my vote really counted! 

Sadness.

 
**photo from MSN.com

This week the its been all about Haiti in the news, on the radio, in the newspapers.  This is what breaks my heart.  The kids.  The 'now-orphaned' kids.  What is going to happen to them?  Where are they going to go?  I want to bring this little boy to my house, give him a bed with clean sheets and all the cereal he wants to eat.  I want to give him love and know that he will not see such devastation again.  He can be a kid while being a kid, something that has been ripped right out from underneath him. 

It seems like Haiti is almost helpless.  No matter what donation, or what relief organization, can do, just doesnt seem like it would be enough.  Tiger Woods, Mr. Flander-er himself, donated $3M.  Alyssa Milano, tv actress, donated $50,000.  The Jolie-Pitts, $1M.  Me?  None, as of yet.  I have a hard time believing that the $3M that Tiger Woods gives the Red Cross cannot get some help in there, so how can my $10 make it in there?  

Maybe the money gets caught up in the operational costs of the organization, or tax laws keep it 'in holding' for so many days.  What exactly is this money doing for the Haitians?  Buying food, water, medical care??  I would like to think so.  However, when watching the news or reading online, it has taken a while to get the stuff to Haiti.  Now there are looters and gangs hording supplies.  Do they not care about their common Haitian?  Share people.  Share.

In time, I'll decide how I want to donate.  I hope that my prayers for these people, especially for the kids are working, bringing them faith and an ounce of hope.   And maybe not tomorrow, but soon, the smiles will return to the faces of the Haitians. 

Veteran's Day.

I never really thought of my family as a military family.  Probably because I didnt have a parent in the military.  Though today, with it being Veteran's Day, I realize that we are a military family. 

It all started with my grandfather, a WW2 veteran.  Then it would be my dad attending military college.  My step-father was in the Air Force for some time.  And it moves on to my oldest sister marrying a man in the Army and my middle sister marrying a man in the Air Force.  My sister-in-law's father was a veteran of the Korean war (i think, i could be wrong..but he was in some war!). 

Currently my brother-in-law who is part of the Air Force is serving our country in Kuwait.  I can safely speak for the entire family that we are extremely proud of Geno, and are SO looking forward to his return. 

I had stopped by my mother's tonight to help her with her new picture scanner toy ... and I go into the entertainment center to grab a photo to use while learning this new toy.  It just happened to be this photo. (I literally grabbed the first photo at my fingertips)  How appropriate, my grandfather, or as the family calls him, Pop-pop, in his Army uniform shirt and hat.  He was SO proud. 

Happy Veteran's Day Pop-pop!
 
*circa 1994

What's it like?

Ever wonder what its like to be the President of the United States of America?  Ever wonder what its like to be president and travel to counties only heard of in the news?  Me too. 

Thank you sister Sharon for sending this to me.  It was the very first email I opened Wednesday and made me feel appreciative of our nation.  It kept away the work naggies (you know the little annoying things at work ... yes, i make up words) for most of the day. 

Earth Hour 2009

Tonight is the Earth Hour 2009 event.  Turn off your lights for one hour, 8:30 - 9:30p.  And that is exactly what I've done.  There are no lights on in my house.  I am sitting here in bed, in the dark, typing this, talking about Earth Hour. 

The point of this event is to show the world that we choose Planet Earth over Global Warming.  And the point of that is to make an influence at the Global Climate Change Conference. 

So I signed up as a participant.  I was asked to blog, tweet (twitter) and picture my participation.  And I can say I've done it all.  Though you cant tell because of the flash, I am sitting in the dark.  

 

-39.8%

that is what the loss in my 401k stated earlier this week.  one word.  ouch. 

as usual did some surfing on how to handle this and recover from it eventually.  during the surf i found this website, walletpop.  looks as if its another finance savy website.  probably contains the same as all the others.  but this one is prettier.  and i like the fact that there is a story on people leaving their designer brand latte and slumming it at the likes of dunkin d, mcdonalds.  good for them.  

also read the article on where to put your money now.  has some good ideas, low risk ones to boot, on what to do in the interim.