25 years

We all have our memories of 9/11

    The sheer horror of those images will be burned in our minds forever.

    I had stepped into the hall at Tilton and saw Miss Gates.  She told me a plane hit one of the twin towers in New York City.

    I grabbed the tv on the cart and plugged it in, keeping it out in the hallway while I tried to find a channel that I could see in those pre cable classroom days.

    What I saw looked like a scene from a disaster movie.  I had expected  small plane, not a huge jet.

    My kids asked what I was doing and I told them I was watching the news.

    Then the second plane hit.

    I left the tv on, but did not see the news about the other 2 planes until later.

    I told the kids what basically happened, and that when they got home today they should talk to their parents about what happened.

    At home, I watched the news reports, horrified, as bodies flew through the air. And with anger as the buildings collapsed.

    I called my cousin Bob because his son was working in NYC, but luckily he was not in the area of the towers.  I believe he could smell the smoke and also experienced the terror and confusion.

    It was the days that followed that were, well, odd.

    I remember kids looking up, as if to expect a plane barreling down toward the ground.

    We had a field trip to Brookfield Zoo that coming Friday.  One parent asked if I should cancel the trip in case Chicago was a target also

    I ensured her that we  were safe.  The zoo was quite a distance from downtown Chicago and at the first sign of any trouble, we would board the bus and return.

    She let her daughter go, but I know she worried the whole time.  

    I think we all did.

    And the stories I remember coming out: Passengers  texting loved ones and saying they were battling hijackers over control of the plane over Pennsylvania.   People carrying a handicapped woman down the stairs to safety.  A man singing to comfort people as they raced down the stairs. A person who ran late to work and ws not in the building.  I read a story today about a man and his wife who had tickets to the observation floor for that morning, but decided to go later. He still has the tickets.

    I also remember the feeling afterward.  The anger.  The confusion:  Why innocent people?  Why the towers?  Why?

    And eventually the hope.

    People in Greenland taking in thousands of passengers from grounded planes.  Opening their arms to complete strangers, doing their best to make them feel safe and comfortable.

    The feeling that we need to help each other,  No political debate.  No blaming.  No name calling.  A united stand for our country and our freedoms.

    Julia was offered the job in Switzerland in October.  I feared for her flying, but by the time she left  in February there had been changes in airport security

    The children in my class that day will be in the 36/37 age range today.

    I often wonder what they remember .   What do they tell their children about 9/11?

    And if they remember a time we all felt safer.

    Our world changed.  I don't think for the better.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace 

meh

 I just can't get going tonight

    I got up early to get Beth ready for her trip to the vet.  Emily took her, and Julia picked her up.  Jackie and I were getting haircuts, so I am glad the girls were able to step in for us.

    I don't understand all the medical terms for dogs, but Beth has a pretty severe condition.  She acts normal, seems normal, eats normal.......but has some "striations" on her stomach linings.  The ultra sound found that today.  The vet would like to do a biopsy, but can't because her albumen level is still below normal.

    He put her on a prednisone regime and we go back in 2 weeks for another blood draw.  He said,  based on what we know, it is a manageable condition. 

    After we picked her up from Julia's, we came home and I decided to mow our yard.   Finished at 5:30 and had to hustle to get to my museum meeting at 6.  I guess I just lost track of time while on the mower.

  We did have a visitor today.  I was in the kitchen when I saw movement on the patio.  I looked out and a huge hawk was sitting on the gutter!  I hope he was getting ground squirrels.  

     I am just sitting here.  It's about 9 and I have a load of laundry to do, a dishwasher to unload and then load with supper dishes.  I don't want to do any of it.

    It will all be there tomorrow.

    And so will I.  But I will also have to clean a bathroom!

    No rest for  the wicked, I guess.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

tour de farce

 I loved riding my bike

    I have not been on  it this year at all.  At least I don't remember being on it.

    I grew up in Chicago.  My dad sold the family car when I turned 15.  I. think he saw the future with me behind the wheel of the 51 Dodge we were driving in 1963.  It was old, but it was paid for and ran well.

    I think the only time we ever used it was going to Dewey Lake in Michigan.

    I got around by bike, foot, or bus.

    Bike to the zoo.  Bike to work.  Bike to friends' houses.  Bike to the lakefront.

    Ah....biking to the lake front.

    I had a really old Schwinn.  Thick frame, huge tires, it was like a truck. It was used by at least 4 people before I got it.  The first thing I did  was paint it black, then wrap tape around it in circles and painted it yellow.  It looked cool.  Black and yellow stripes.  The cat's meow.

    Somebody stole it.

    I was delivering papers.  I bought a new Schwinn with a basket on the front.  I biked to  the Coca Cola Bottling place on Ravenswood, biked to the store, biked to the Riverea Theater.

    Somebody stole it.

    And it was my fault.  Yes I chained and locked it.  To a parking meter.  The friendly officer I reported it to said that was a poor choice as the thief could just lift the bike over the parking meter.  

    So I bought a used 3 speed racing bike, with narrow tires.

    It was great!  

    I could ride like the wind.  Again, I was free to go anywhere I wanted to. And pedaling was easy with 3 speeds.

    One day I was down at Montrose Harbor.  There is a huge parking lot there and lots of times people take children or friends there to practice driving.

    I was just biking around when I saw my friend's car.  We were both dating the same girl, which put a little strain on the friendship.

    He was teaching her how to drive stick. 

    They saw me and I decided to show off my bike.

    I pedaled as fast as I cold toward a curb.  Now, I had jumped curbs before.  You pull up on the front wheel and the back wheel follows.

    I was inches from the curb when I pulled up on the front wheel.

    The bike also had hand brakes.  I pulled on the hand breaks. Why?  Because I was stupid.

    The bike did not lift, but came to an abrupt stop. 

    I went over the handle bar, wondering if I would ever have kids.  The pain was severe.

    I did what Bill Cosby suggested under those circumstanced:  I grabbed my head.

    They came over and took the bike off me, I may have still been pedaling  on my back with my feet up in the air.   then asked if I was ok.

    My now falsetto voice managed to creak out. "Hunky doory.  Just let me lay her a while."

    They could not give me a ride, because it was a small car.

    I said that was ok, I would just walk it off

    And I did.  Walked all the way home.

    It was a few days before I could ride again.  And sitting for long was uncomfortable.

    I did eventually have kids.

    And I never curb jumped again.  On purpose, anyway.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

home coming

A friend took her daughter shopping for a homecoming dress

    Boy did  that trigger a memory!!

    I was a freshman at Lake View High School.   Homecoming was approaching.  I had no idea what that was about.

    After being clued in, I thought it might be fun.

    So I asked a girl to the dance and festivities.

    Now, I don't do anything a normal person would do.  I have my own unique style.

    My folks had  ordered a pizza from Biasetti;s on Ashland and Irving.  I was sent to pick it up.  That was a big thing in our household because money always seemed tight.

   Now at  age 15, it should not be a problem for me to walk 3 blocks, get the pizza, pay for it, and come home.

    I was walking down Irving Park with the pizza when I saw Mary Jane.  She was also a freshman at Lake View.  We had a couple of classes, or maybe homeroom, together and I thought she was nice.  I think her parents owned a hardware store on Ashland but I am not sure about that.  Hell, I am not sure about anything that happened past yesterday!

    So we stopped in front of a hamburger joint called the Patio and talked.

    After a few minutes of chit chat, I shifted the pizza and worked up the courage to ask her.

    So I did.  But she said no, because her father would not allow her to date until she was 16.

    Then she looked at me and asked what I had in the box, which was tucked neatly under my left arm.

    I told her pizza from Biasetti's. 

    She said I should not carry a pizza like that and I responded that I always carried it like this, trying to make it seem like I was some kind of bon vivant.

    We parted ways.  I continued home.

    When I got there, I laid the pizza on the table and my dad opened it.

    All the pizza was crammed into one side of the box.  Plus it was cold.

    "What the hell?"  were the only words out of his mouth.

    I don't recall ever being sent for pizza again.

    And I never asked Mary Jane out when she turned 16.

    But it all came back to me when a friend said she took her daughter shopping for a homecoming dress.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

olio

 A lot of different things today

    Jackie got me up at 7:30 so she could use the bathroom.

    Our alarm goes off at 7;45.  When it goes off, I put on pants, open the garage door, and do little things, like get out her clothes, put her towels out, and wait for the morning help.

    But today. there was about 30 minutes before our morning help arrived.  So I lay on the bed with Beth and turned off the alarm.

    The next thing I know is someone is poking me.

    I fell asleep.  Jackie called, but I was sleeping on my good ear so I did not hear the phone.  Not only that, but our morning help was late.  It was 8:30!

    I am not supposed to sleep on my good ear!  I am supposed to have a phone next to my good ear!

    Neither happened.

    About 11 the doorbell rang and 2 of our neighbors' children were at the door with a pan of snack mix!  I did not have my hearing aids in, so I may have missed some of the conversation.  But Jackie rolled over to join the talk and we had quite  a nice little visit. 

    Another neighbor had a Labor Day party for the kids.  He had a hay rack and hay bales and they took a hayride round the neighborhood.  A good time was had by all.

    We turned on the Cubs game, but could not see or hear anything!  All the other channels came in fine, but not Marquee.  I tried the online chat and that was totally worthless.    We ended up streaming it on the computer, which makes no sense.  Could not see it on the TV, but could on the computer.  Plus our neighbor watched it without any problem.  Weird.

    And yes, the game did frustrate us.  

    I got. rid of 4 bags of grass clippings, but I still have huge pile in the back.  I may resort to burning it, but burning grass has such a terrible smell.

    Tomorrow I am going to tackle a mountain of cardboard and my new bird feeder.  I figure I have most of the day to do that, and I may get one done.

    Also tomorrow, I am going to take Jackie out to the porch and surprise her with the mums.

    Beth is having good days. I walked her out to the back of the yard and she froze when she saw my bison.  She approached it very tentatively and after sniffing it, backed away.   I may take her out there again so she can see it is not going to do anything.

    The weather was great.......and I hope everyone took advantage of that and had a happy Labor Day.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Broken promises

I went back on my word today

    I said I would not mow my yard on a Sunday, because Sunday was a day of rest.  And quiet.

    Well, I mowed.  And mowed.  And  mowed.

    Yard done.  Lot done.  I'm done.  

    I have christened the lot "Folly."  Part of me is thinking buying it was a mistake, but the other part of me says I don't have to put up with construction noise or neighbors who are not as great as the ones I have.

    While I was mowing, a bicyclist rode by and stopped in the driveway.

    It took me a minute to recognize friend Wendy, who rode out from town and stopped when she saw me  mowing.

    We had a nice. talk about riding, vacations and all other good things.

    In a sense it made me sad, because I used to be able to do what she is doing.  And no, she does not have an e-bike.  She pedals, which is the purpose of a bike.  

    I have not even taken my bike down this year.  I had said I would ride in August, but didn't.  Then I said September, and haven't.  There is still some time though, so maybe it will happen.

    For the first time this summer, I ate on the back patio!  It has always been too hot before, but tonight it was perfect. In fact, I was a little chilled by the time I was done.

    Emily got me some buttered chicken Saturday, but I ate so much at Costco I wasn't hungry.  So I had it today and I think I have enough for 2 more meals!  They sure gave me a lot of food.  I wonder if I can freeze it?   I am not sure about 3 nights of buttered chicken.  The nice breeze kept the bugs away, except for on aggressive fly that kept landing on my arm. 

    And I got the corn blanched and stripped from the cob.  It is now down in the freezer.  Next up will be carrots, but not for a while.

    Finally, I have a red tomato!!  I have no idea what I did wrong with them this year.  Too much rain?  Not enough water?  Too much sun?  Shade?  Is it the soil?

    All I know is the tomatoes were a flop.

    Beth had a pretty good day.  She has a semi solid BM working now.   The is progress, although pretty disgusting too.

    Happy Labor Day

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

what a day

 This was a very strange day

    First off, I went car shopping.  Sort of.

    Julia and Emily went with because I do strange things sometimes.

    Today, for example, I found out my Paramount Plus subscription was automatically  renewed for $139 for the year.  Well, I am a Walmart whatever member and I get Paramount Plus for free.

    So I talked to a nice young man who cancelled my subscription.  He then offered it to me for $59 a year and pointed out the major differences. 

    I opted for the free offer.

    I attempted to call back after thinking about it and get the $59 offer.  But I got a different rep and she said there was no cheaper rate available, just the $139.    Here's the rub:  I only watch Twilight Zone on Paramount Plus!!!!!  I was thinking Peacock.

    So, we hit a car dealership in Rockford and I explained my situation.  I said I wanted a car that had the capability to have an after market swing out seat installed.  The salesman had no idea if the car we looked at could do what we wanted.

    Julia, or Emily, saw an article that said the car did.  But the seat manufacturer does not list the car as compatible.  I can't buy a car unless the seat can be adapted.

    I did ask the guy if we bought the car and the seat doesn't fit, could we return it for a refund?

    Car sales don't work that way.  He may still be laughing

    Afterward, Julia wanted to go to Costco.

    I have not been in a Costco for years.

    I encountered a very nice lady from Australia who was sampling the Nespresso macing.  I had an espresso, and she added some caramel machaitta flavoring and it was out of the world!

    I was tempted to buy the machine.  But in all honesty, I would never use it.  I prefer going out for coffee and talking to people.

    I think I only missed 2 food sampling stations in the store!  Coffee, wafer cookies,  sliced steak, lunchmeat, brownie bits, (which were amazing) a chicken filled won ton like item and more........and then I topped it all off with a $1.50 hot dog and drink!

    I am not sure how the espresso and the Coke will help me sleep.  2 Cokes, actually.  Emily had a drink from somewhere and it was not what she ordered, so I finished that.

    And I spent more than Julia.  My impulses were out of control!

    After I got home and rested, I went into town for gas to finish mowing.  Unfortunately, I got back at 7 and it didn't make sense to go out for 20 minutes.

    So I shucked corn.

    Tomorrow I will blanche it and take it off the cob and freeze it for winter use.

    Just like peoneers in the olden days.  Except, they did not have freezers.  Or sweet corn.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

When Emily was flying home, she saw Wrigley!

A sign?

My hot dog......10 p.m. and I am still burping!!