Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?

On September 11, 2001 I was 25 years old. I was living alone in a 1-bedroom apartment in a new city, newly single, about 8 months into a new career. I was taking on the world. I had no idea how that world was about to change.

That morning I was at home in my Linden Hills apartment. I planned to be late for work that day because I was going to vote in the primary, so I was home at a time I would have otherwise been in my car driving. I turned on the TV to catch some morning news, unaware that one plane had already hit the WTC. I was glued to the footage. A few moments later, I watched in horror as the second plane hit. I couldn't believe what I was seeing; that it was real. I went in to work that day, because I wasn't sure what else to do. I remember televisions being set up so we could stay updated on what was happening.

I had flown to Washington, D.C. a couple of weeks earlier to visit my long-distance boyfriend. We actually broke up on the trip - I had come to the painful realization that both of us were meant to be in different parts of the country, and it was futile to keep going. I recall sitting in the airport with him before I boarded my plane; this was one of the last times that anyone but passengers would be allowed past security.  I remember being a bit frantic trying to reach him on September 11, because his brother worked at the Pentagon (found out the next day that everyone was OK).


There are a few events in life when you remember exactly where you were, what you were doing. I can count a few in my lifetime: the Challenger disaster; the day the first African-American President was elected; the evening the I-35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis. However, September 11, 2001 will be burned into my memory not only because of the terrible images and the pain it brought so many; but because of the ways all of our lives have changed and will never be the same. Ten years my wish is that we never forget, but that we have the strength to forgive, and the patience to get us there.

Where were you then, and where are you today?

Me in NYC (Ellis Island) April 2000.

In this photo: Michelle.

What Happened to Thanksgiving?

I was in the grocery store today and discovered they had Christmas cookies already made and packaged up. Considering the shelf-life of a store bakery cookie is probably a week or so, what are people thinking? Will folks actually buy blatantly decorated red and green, Christmas tree-shaped cookies at this time of year?

Friday night we were at Lowe's, and they already have a forest of artificial trees, lights and a myriad of decorations. Not to mention all of the Christmas candy that filled the aisles at Target as soon as Halloween was over. There is a local radio station that is already playing Christmas tunes 24/7.

While Christmas is a wonderful, joyous holiday that I look forward to each year, I think Thanksgiving gets a bad rap. It's a great day, filled with family and food and taking the time to think about what we're thankful for. Can't we pause long enough to enjoy it, without jumping ahead to Christmas? Maybe if we slowed down, we'd enjoy both Thanksgiving and Christmas even more.

November 28th, all bets are off and the decorations can come out. But for now, I'm not looking past the 27th. I'm very much looking forward to sharing a table with family and giving thanks for all I have been blessed with this year.

I Love the Smell of an Election in the Autumn

As Labor Day nears, I can't help but think about what the fall season brings. The evenings are already growing cooler, and the kids are going back to school. College football started today, and fantasy football leagues all across America are setting up for the pro season. Soon the leaves will turn brilliant colors, fall from the trees, and the season will officially change.

Over the past week or so I have also been thinking a lot about another change that is on the horizon, one which will be ignited by the world of politics. A presidential election always brings much excitement for me, because it makes people start talking about issues, and forces them to think about what's important to them. I hate the campaign ads, but I love the political banter and the education that takes place among the masses. People start to care. The election is a catalyst for passionate debates and hopeful optimism. It's what America is about; this freedom to speak our minds, to exercise our democratic rights and choose who we think is best.

My political alliances for 2008 have already been formed, and have only been reinforced by recent political activities (likely more on that later). This week the Republicans come to St. Paul, and rest assured I will be watching them very closely.

I welcome this fall with open arms.

Ho, Ho, Ho, Who Wouldn't Go?

This is totally ridiculous. First they don't want us to say "Merry Christmas" and now they don't want Santa to say "ho, ho, ho." They think it's scary for children, and derogatory to women, because "ho" is slang for something else.

Kids don't know that. If they do, they have troubles that extend far past the yuletide. If they are scared by a fat man in a red suit saying "ho, ho, ho" won't they still be scared of a fat man in a red suit saying "ha, ha, ha?"

What will be next? Will Hostess re-name Ho-Hos? Ha-Has doesn't have the same ring.

Fallen Giant

This afternoon I visited the site of the I-35W bridge collapse, or at least viewed it from as close as was permittable. The 10th Street bridge, which parallels where the 35 bridge used to be, was recently opened.

I really had no desire to go down there until about a week ago...but I think I really needed to see it to believe it. Also, from a professional standpoint, this bridge and the process to rebuild it is a catalyst for many changes in my industry (I hope). To see it now will only make it more satisfying and interesting when it stands once again.

It's quite the site to see (photos here). They are in the middle of the clearing operations, so there's a fair amount of activity down there. It's still quite a mess though, and still difficult to fathom what once was there...just fell down. The bridge fell down. Unbelievable.

Mindboggle

The collapse of the bridge has sent everyone into a bit of a tailspin…it's been a crazy, melancholy day. Through it all, I’m happy to report that all of our local family and friends are fine, and all of our co-workers accounted for. I thank everyone again for your calls of concern; your outreach and sensitivity have been amazing.

As you have all probably heard, the recovery efforts continue with some difficulty. There are still 20-30 people that have not been found. The scene is absolutely horrific, like something out of a big budget movie. I only caught a glimpse of the big...hole...in person, and it made my stomach turn. I know there have been a ton of photos in the media, but two co-workers of mine were in vicinity of the bridge about 20 minutes after it happened, and captured some other photos that are pretty intense. It looks like something out of a disaster movie…I cannot imagine what it would have been like to be sitting there in rush hour, trying to get home, or perhaps heading to the Twins game, and having the bridge fall out from under you.

Makes you think about not taking things for granted, eh?

Being a transportation professional, this also has me thinking a lot about what I do, and politics, and many other things...more thoughts to come, but for tonight…it’s just good to be home. We are safe and we feel so loved, and we pray that the recovery efforts are 100% successful, so all of these families may have the closure they desire and deserve.

Peace

Thoughts and prayers to students and all at Virginia Tech and the town of Blacksburg. Such a senseless act leaving so much pain in its wake...may you somehow find peace.

Regarding State of the Union

So...I just spent the last 90 minutes of my life watching the State of the Union and the Democrat's response via Jim Webb (D-VA). Actually, I find this sort of thing very interesting, especially this year, in light of the fact that Congress is now controlled by the Democrats for the first time in Bush's 2 terms. In addition, it was glorious hearing our President, as he said for the first time, the words "Madame Speaker." You go, Nancy Pelosi!

The tension was pretty palpable, even via television. Not only is Congress now controlled by the Democrats for the first time in Bush's presidency, but there were 10 people in the room who have officially declared that think they have a good shot at becoming the next president. All those people packed in that relatively small chamber, representing interests of their party but also personal interests...very conscious that the camera may be on them at any moment, that their facial expressions must be stoic, that they must clap at the appropriate times and sit on their hands during others. I have to think that this was the hardest for Dick Cheney and Nancy Pelosi, who were seated behind the President and therefore on-camera most of the time. I did catch Dick Cheney with what looked like a "yeah right" look and a wink to someone in the front row after Bush announced his plan to reduce gasoline usage in the U.S. by 20% in 10 years.

So what of the speech? It was rather benign. Bush did not exhibit much fire, with the exception of the last part of the Iraq portion of his speech, and the end when he recognized American heroes such as Dikembe Mutumbo (who stood a solid 2.5 feet taller than Laura Bush), the founder of Baby Einstein, an Iraqi war hero, and the guy who pulled someone from the subway tracks in NYC. The bulk of the speech covered economic reform, education, healthcare, immigration policy, energy, homeland security, and foreign policy. The biggest portion was of course, spent discussing Iraq, with a long-winded explanation of all of the "good" things that have been done, and how badly U.S. support is needed. Then of course the meat of the entire address - Bush's plan to deploy 20,000 more troops to Iraq.

This is the issue to watch. Will Democrats (and some Republicans) have the cajones to cut off future funding for the war? Will an alternative solution be proposed, or just a resolution opposing Bush's plan? We shall see. This is truly a crossroads, an interesting time in America's politics. Bush's final 2 years in office will hopefully be very different from the preceding 6. They really have to be.

All in all, I thought Bush spoke fairly well (no small feat), though like many political speeches on both sides of the party, he spoke in broad, sweeping statements that couldn't help but garner applause on both sides of the aisle. Applause came from the Democrats on his mention of immigration reform and energy/global warming, thoughts that had many Republicans sitting still, stoically staring ahead, hands in their laps. His energy ideas were promising, though I'm sure brought on by again, a Democratic Congress.

Bush was tentative, a recognition of a divided government. He spoke very carefully to avoid too many awkward moments. He smells it, he knows it. The Democrats are in da house, literally. Let's hope they do us proud and stick to their guns. The people have spoken, and we want change.

Thinking About Airports

So I'm home sick today, sitting here in the recliner with a Kleenex stuffed up one side of my nose, drifting in and out of sleep between coughs. I just caught something during my TV channel-flipping that I felt compelled to share.

Airports are considering the idea of putting advertising in the bins at security checkpoints. These are the plastic bins that you put your shoes, laptop, jacket in before you go through the metal detector. I can't fault the airports for trying to find new sources of revenue, but this is ridiculous. We have advertising on bathroom stall doors, on the back of grocery receipts...we are inundated with this crap. Can't I just stare into gray nothingness in the 2 seconds before I toss my shoes in the bin?! The line is already slow enough.

On another note, I also saw something on the news lastnight that made a lot of sense...airports are testing out a kind of "speedpass" lane for security checkpoints. Frequent fliers can purchase a pass for $100, and then each time they fly they insert their card into a special machine, step on a platform that checks their shoes, etc., and scans their retina or fingerprint to confirm identity. This gets them through the line faster, but also decreases the traffic in the "regular" lane. Just like managing congestion on a highway. The system is being tested in a few airports in the U.S. I predict it will be coming to an airport near you very soon!

All this thinking has me tired again. Time for another cold medicine induced coma. Peace.

Please Vote Today!

Your vote counts. Minnesotans, please remember to VOTE YES for the constitutional amendment to direct all motor vehicle sales tax revenue where it belongs...to transportation!

North Woods Camping

Brett and I both took last Friday off and pulled the boat up to Lake Vermilion to do some fishing and camping. Our friends Bobbie and Lowell also pulled their boat up to camp with us. We took our time driving up, and arrived at a boat launch on the east side of the lake (not far from Tower, MN) later in the afternoon. We loaded everything up in the boat, because you see folks, we were camping on an island!














Brett and Lowell have been coming up here for years, and last year Brett and I camped on what they call "the big island." It's really not that big, maybe 3/4 of an acre. This year the big island was occupied (first come, first served) so we headed to "the little island" which is slightly smaller but can still easily fit 3-4 tents. We only had 2, so it was perfect.

As you might guess, this is a more primitive campsite, but there is a fire pit and some rough "tables" constructed between trees. There is also a um...latrine...and I use that word loosely. Bobbie actually brough toilet seat covers to put on it!



But you can't beat the view at Lake Vermilion. It is just a beautiful lake, and the leaves are starting to turn up there, so every once in awhile we'd see a burst of bright orange, red or yellow along the shoreline. There are lots of birds - we saw 3 mature bald eagles and one youngster. One of the adults flew right over the boat. You can't beat the view of that stark white head and tail against the bright blue sky! But of course my favorite by far are the loons. They are wonderful birds with a unique call that can be heard echoing across the water. I especially love the sound of them at night. Speaking of sounds - in the later afternoon/early evening we heard a wolf! We heard one last year too, and went to the International Wolf Center in Ely to confirm what we heard. Such a eerie, but cool sound. Of course one of the benefits of camping on an island is that you don't have to worry too much about bears, wolves, and other wildlife that are lurking along the forested shores.

The other critters we were coveting were of course, the fish. We took Brett's boat out for awhile on Saturday morning/early afternoon, and didn't have much luck except for a smallmouth bass. He did teach me some different methods of fishing, like drifting and trolling. I also baited my first leech. We came back to camp and took a little nap, snacked and went back out around 4:30. Brett caught another smallmouth, but we really didn't have good luck until around 7:30, close to sunset. I was trolling and got something on the line - my first walleye! I was pretty excited. Shortly after that I caught a good-sized perch. Brett wasn't fishing at this time, so that's why I got all the glory - of course I couldn't do it without him, because he nets the fish and takes it off the hook! I tried again but got caught on some rocks and lost our last Shad Rap. The fish didn't like the other lures so well. It was getting dark so we went in. We photo-documented my walleye before turning the fish loose. Not enough of a catch to really go to the trouble of preparing them to eat. Bobbie and Lowell caught a few, but no keepers for them either.

We had a nice, relaxing time and enjoyed some good conversation around the campfire. All in all it was a good trip, but a little chilly! It got cold out on the water at times, but in the sun it wasn't too bad. Nighttime was the worst - it was in the 30s! - but we came prepared with sleeping bags and a lot of blankets. Good times, and we'll definitely be back!



Remembering 9/11

After returning from Lake Vermilion last Sunday, I turned around and left early Monday morning for a work trip to Chicago (talk about a change of scenery)! It was, quite frankly, a little weird flying on 9/11, at the same time of day the terrorist attacks occurred exactly 5 years ago.

So how is flying different these days? I flew to Washington DC about 3 weeks before the actual 9/11 events, and I have flown on average 2-3 times a year since. It's probably changed in a lot of ways we don't necessary see (i.e. they say there are many more air marshalls engaged now than there were then). But there are also obvious changes. Five years ago a loved one or friend could also greet me as I stepped off the plane. Now I catch up with them in baggage claim or the outdoor pick-up area. And of course now there are greater restrictions on what we can and cannot carry on a plane. Five years ago I could carry scissors, nail clippers, etc. Not so now. Five years ago I didn't always have to take my shoes off before going through security. Now I'm required to take them off every time. Five years ago I could carry on a single bag for an overnight work trip. Now I have to check that bag because it contains hair gel, lotion, and other products that are considered a potential threat because they could house bomb-making materials.

I'm not complaining. Granted, it is a bit of a pain to not have some of those items on the plane, and there is more of a chance of my luggage getting lost now, but checking and picking up a bag only takes a few minutes. I haven't really encountered any long lines for security - airports have staffed up and it doesn't take too long. But there's always that chance of a long line tugging in the back of my mind, so I'm often at the airport plenty early (which actually, I like to be anyway).

Consequently, I made it to Chicago and back again safely. But it is true that the way we travel is changed forever. We will always be reacting to the next event and attempting to avoid such a tragedy again. As I walked out on Navy Pier in Chicago with a group of people on Monday night, I looked back at the Chicago skyline and saw a tall office building lit up with an American flag and the date "9/11." We remember, and we won't be forgetting anytime soon.