Have You Forgotten?

Have you forgotten? I haven't...September 11 is just around the corner. I haven't forgotten how horrible I felt that day in 2001, as I sat at my office and watched the second plane fly into the WTC. Up until that time i thought/prayed that the first plane was a cruel joke, tht someone made a horrible film...it just didn't seem like it could be real. Then we heard about the plane that hit the Pentagon. Then...could it possibly be...a fourth plane was missing. Then the stories of the horrible "last" phone calls as passengers on that plane fought the hijackers, and the plane was brought down in Shanksville, PA

I'll never forget the horror of watching people jump from the WTC skyscrapers, knowing that they didn't have a chance of making it, but choosing that over burning to death. I'll never forget the frustration of trying to find out the status of friends that I knew who workind in and near the WTC; or, the relief when I learned they were safe.

I'll never forget the bravery of those who responded...police, firemen and women, security guards, military, search dogs, and the "every" man on the street...as they first helped people out of the buildings, and then later searched for victims, and then bodies.

I'll never forget the patriotism that arose throughout the country...Flags flying everywhere, s we, as a country responded with love for our Country and our fellow man. I'll never forget how men and women responded by becoming firemen/women, police, and joining the military...doing whatever they could to help others, and suport our Nation, and then our troops as they were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan to capture those who ordered this attack, and assure that it didn't happen again.

Where did that patriotism go? A lot of things have changed, we have a new President, we've been fighting a recession, etc...but, the one thing that hasn't changed is that our Country is still sending men and women to Iraq and Afghanistan to preserve our freedom and to do as much as we can to make sure the US isn't attacked again. But, troop support is down more than ever...I haven't forgotten...have you?

Spike

I think most of the people who kow me have met Spike via the internet. He is my baby grandbird...a sassy 16 year old Cockatiel. Since he is truly an old man, his new vet wants him to have birdie yogurt every day to keep his digestion on track. I thought it was going to be hard to give it to him, but it is like birdie crack! He loves it, and begs for it every day.

He flies out of his cage and sits on my shoulder while he eats his yogurt. And, you never know where you are going to find it. In my ear, on my cheek, on my shirt. He gets too much at a time and it ends up under his beak, then he has to wipe if off somewhere. I am his own personal napkin. The worse part is when he decides to try to lick if off. And, he scolds me if I try to wipe it off first, and pretends he is going to bite me into pieces.

When he is done, he flies back into his cage and waits for his good boy treat. His new stunt is to show me his "eagle bird trick" before he goes back in. He puts his wings out and up and pretends he's an eagle! He's just too cute for words...

My desk is a mess!

Help! Can someone please tell me how to keep my desk cleaned off? Right now the paperwork on it is rapidly taking over the monitor...I'm soon going to have to do something about it. But, where do I start? I'm working on Sponsor The Troops...have some things to put on the website, have some changes that need to be made, need to update the Outlook email list and the Access database, am thinking about what we are going to do for Christmas, and thinking about our next newsletter to the troops. Oh, and I have potential new members to call and then process. I need to set up the Entertainment book account, and get info out to the members.

I'm working on the September newsletter for the Pennsylvania Women's Legislative Exchange, plus PaWLX's September newsletter. I also need to do an agenda for our meeting...yes, it is a couple of weeks away, but there is research to do. Oh, I forgot, I am also working with Marcella on the requirements for a Girl Scout Patch called Pennsylvania Government, which PaWLX is going to sponsor.

I need to make arrangements to get the pool closed, and to get Verizon Fios for internet/cable. I've got bills to pay,and banking to do but I was sorta waiting on getting changed over to Fios.

My car needs washed; and, the oil needs changed. (There's a coupon for each somewhere on my desk.)

I have cards to do for the troops, and birthday and thank you cards to get out.

Buried somewhere in this mess are stamps and paper clips, and return address labels. And, coupons so I can go shopping!

I've been car shopping, and making calls to dealers, etc.

If anyone has asked me to send them something and I haven't, please remind me!

What am I doing blogging instead of cleaning up this mess? Obviously avoiding what has to be done as long as I can!

2,996 project

The 2,996 project is a project to memorialize the 2,996 people who died on September 11, 2001. In 2006, bloggers from all across the country wrote a tribute to one of the people who died on 9/11. Most of us never knew the person we wrote about.

I wrote about Erik Hans Isbrandtsen ("Izzy"). Erick was the son of Dirk and Diana Isbrandtsen of Marblehead, Massachusetts. On September 11, 2001, he was an industrial sales trader for Cantor Fitzgerald, and was on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center when one of the hijacked planes crashed into it. He was 30 years old. A month after the attack, his parents were officially advised that Erik's remains were identified through DNA testing.

I don't know who I'll get to honor this year, but it won't matter. We always read the names of the terrorists in the newspapers, but only on the anniversary of the attack do we ever hear the names of the innocent people who were murdered that day. We need to keep their names alive! Like our Troops that have been killed in the wars since, these people are more than just a number, and they deserve to be remembered. Please stop back here on September 11, 2009 to see who I get to honor this year.

Blogging!

Well, I had no intent to start blogging again, but I wanted to make a comment about the women Marines in Afghanistan, and according to Mike I had to do it this way if I wanted my ID shown! So...here I am. I'll have to think of something worthwhile to talk about!

Check back soon!