9/10/2007 My September 11, 2001 That morning, my husband and I were watching a vhs tape of the race from the weekend. My friend called and asked what was going on at the Twin Towers. I turned on the news. I ran to my daughter's bedroom window. I saw a huge stream of smoke coming from one of the towers. My daughter was in school and my son (1) was home with me. As I watched the news, I saw the second plane hit. A second later, my house shook. I didn't know what to do or where to go. I didn't know if I should get my daughter or if it was safer inside her brick school. Should I run and get milk, eggs and bread? This can't be an attack, can it? Maybe I should go to the bank and get as much cash as I can. No, no, no I can't go anywhere. I have to sit and watch this unfold. Oh my god! Was John (fireman) working today? I hope Mike (fireman) isn't working today. Did Jeanette (WTC) go into work today? I haven't talked to Ingrid (WTC) in awhile, I wonder if she still works there. Uncle John's new girlfriend, I wonder what floor she is on... I hope everyone got out, please God, please let them get out. OH MY GOD!! The tower fell, the tower fell!! Honey, you can't go into work! I know you are emergency, can't they get someone else? I need you here....I love you. Call me, keep in touch with me. (kiss, hug) Goodbye. Waiting for my daughter to get out of school, crying, standing alone, unable to talk. What's that sound? A jet fighter?! Are they attacking again?! Come on, where are the children? Let's go, hurry up, get in the car...what happened mommy? Why did the towers come down? Who did that? Why? Why? Why? I love you. I love you too mommy. Six hours later, the phone would not stop ringing (all day the phones were out, too busy). Have you heard from this one? No, have you talked to that one? No, all the cell phones are dead. Did you get Julie from school? Yes, but the principal's husband is a firefighter and she hasn't heard from him. Mrs. Smith's husband is a cop and she hasn't heard from him either. We can't go over any bridges. The fighter jets are flying so low, its so loud. Everyone stay in your homes. Call me if you need anything. They aren't sending him there, are they? Make sure he wears a mask. I can't sleep, I hope everyone comes out of this ok. Is everything packed? I hope the bridges are open...can't sleep, c a n ' t s l e e p . . . (close eyes).
The only, ONLY person that was a ray of light that day was Mayor Guiliani. Without that man, I don't know where this city would be. He talked to us, he calmed us, he kept us informed. I have never seen another politician like him.
6/11/2006 Reruns What ever happened to re-runs? You know, those TV shows that run during the year and should be repeated during the summer, in case you missed one.
I really miss watching the repeats, especially of shows that are know longer with us. Do I have to wait until 'Will & Grace' is on Nick @ Nite before I can catch the series ender that I missed?? Do I have to buy the DVD of 'Grey's Anatomy' to see the one where Addy's 'other man' came to town?
I think its ridiculous. A couple of new shows...ok, but to replace hit shows with crappy reality farces is stupid and I, for one, will not be watching.
Thank god I am able to afford cable and DVR. I can only assume that the people who can't are driven mad!!
I believe in homework. With that said, I don't understand why some teachers feel the need to give 2 or 3 hours of it every night. Nowadays, kids are into all sorts of after-school activites.
My daughter is in 5th grade, a year when , if she doesn't pass a state-wide test, she will be left back. I am not saying she is dumb, but if she doesn't 'get' the work soon she will be repeating this grade.
Last year it was stressed to me that she do her homework on her own. After 2 months of fighting and screaming, we accomplished this great feat. Now the first week back to school, I had to sign homework and she tried to do it on her own but there I was fighting with her about what 9x4 was.
I am lost about what to do here. Every night she has a math sheet, 1/2 hour of reading, 1 hour of writing, and maybe writing 5 words 5x each. Typing this now it doesn't seem like much but we get home from school at 3:30. I usually give them a 'downtime' period of about half an hour. At 4 its homework/screaming time!
'I hate you!', 'I don't care!', 'Whatever, Mom!', 'You're not helping me!! (You're not doing it for me)' are just some of the things I hear on a daily basis.
Yesterday was the first meeting of Girl Scouts. She did the words 5x each and did the first page (of six) for math. I had to go to a PTA meeting and got a babysitter who I instructed that Julie MUST finish her homework before bed. I got home at 9:30 and Julie was in bed. I was impressed. The babysitter told me that she finished her homework and that she had ripped out the wrong math pages by mistake and didn't want to do them and get in trouble. HA!@! What teacher do you know that would be mad at you for doing EXTRA homework...anyway, I knew that my daughter had gotten over on the babysitter.
This morning was another huge fight because now I told her I wasn't signing her math homework which counts as a missing homework. 'I am NOT going to school!!' was her screaming reply to this.
I can't take much more of this, especially when I will be going back to work soon...
Tony Stewart, for those who don't know, is my favorite race car driver. I met him yesterday and he signed some cars and his book. It took me 5 hours to drive down to Mechanicsville, VA, and, of course 5 to get back.($125.00 in gas by the way)
A long drive but definitely worth it!! He looked just as he does on TV. He was personable and witty. He joked about taking out Jeff Gordon the next time they race. His whole family was there, talking to his fans as though we were old friends of the family. There was an auction of autographed items and all the money was going to charity. Even though he was tired from a late night of poker and visiting injured veterans in the hospital, he was there with his fans with a big smile.
My husband was the best!! He is a Jeff Gordon fan ( I don't know why) and he came with me and never complained about anything...I don't know if I would do the same for him. I don't think I'd be able to sit there and clap every time they mentioned how great Jeff is/was.
Well, its that time of year again! I am so excited about the kids going back to school. My son starts kindergarten full-time, and that means back to work for me.
I am not sure how to feel about this. I would like to get out of the house and speak to some semi-intelligent adults, but I don't like not being readily available in case of emergencies. I know I always felt a little safer knowing someone was at home in case I needed them.
I am only going back part-time for now, I have to work my way back into the routine. It has been almost 5 years since I last brought home a paycheck. I hope my brain hasn't melted since then.
I think everyone needs time alone, I know I do. I think it is important because it gives you time to think about, whatever you want. I am alone this weekend, kids and my husband are away til Sunday and I feel like a gigantic weight has been lifted. I don't have to be somewhere, do anything. I can do whatever I want.
I used to think about being on my own and doing nothing...then came family, laundry, work, school, what's for dinner...and it seems I am never alone. I actually thought about stuff this weekend, it was a strange feeling. I read a book and talked on the phone and played play station, all with no kids bothering me. It was GREAT!!
You have heard that before, a million times, I am sure. You don't really think something will happen to you, it's always someone else, in another town. Someone older than you, someone younger. No one will be on the road at 4am and when you live 4 blocks from where the party is, how can you possibly get hurt driving home in basically a straight line??
It just so happens a close friend of mine has been injured in a drunk driving accident. He was driving home and slammed into a parked car at 30mph with no headlights on and no seatbelt. His head almost went entirely through the windshield and his chest was crushed by the steering wheel. It was a hard hit. My brother witnessed it happen. How? He was following him home to make sure he got there ok. I am not sure how he could have prevented this accident from a seperate car, but I guess when you have been drinking also, dumb things make sense.
My friend is going to be ok, thank god, and I hope this is a wake-up call to him and his family. My brother feels so guilty about what happened. 'I should have taken his keys away. I should have driven him home myself,' he says. Driven him home yourself?? What are these people thinking??
The saddest story I have heard is about a family in Long Island, I think, that was coming home from a family members wedding in a limo. A teenage drunk driver slammed head-on into the limo killing the driver instantly and the flower girl from the wedding was decapitated. All her mother could do was take her daughter's head and wait by the curb, cuddling her daughter's head, and wait for help to arrive. Can you imagine that? I can't.
When you are young, you think you can't get hurt. I know, I was there once. Drunk driving is not cool. Someone will get hurt, eventually. I am just happy my friend didn't hurt anyone.
I just hope this story gets through to anyone who has ever driven drunk.
I can't believe the crappy weather we are having this summer. It seems like it is either cold, rainy, or cloudy. I have only gone in my pool once this season. Of course when it is beautiful out, I have somewhere to go. I hope I get to enjoy the rest of the summer...and I hope you do too!!
