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Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts

I Remember...

Like many of you, I want to share where I was on 9/11.

Even ten years later, I remember the day like it was yesterday.  I was the Office Coordinator in the financial district of Boston.  That morning, I got in early, turned on the TV to the "Today Show", and called the O.C. in the NYC office.  You see...that morning I was having second thoughts about being there instead of her.  I had been given the opportunity to be temporarily placed in our Manhattan office, and had turned it down in favor of staying close to my family.  The timing just didn't feel right.

So, I called her to chat while we both waited for staff to roll into both of our offices.  We said our "good-byes" just past 8 AM.  I should have turned the TV off at that point.  But I didn't. 

When news flashed that a plane had flown into the North Tower, programming went live to the World Trade Center.  I watched live while a second plane flew into the South Tower.  In a matter of minutes, the world as I knew it was shattered.

We quickly learned that both of those planes came from Boston.  MY airport.  The place where I felt SAFE to travel.  I was horrified.  And, as fighter jets flew overhead, our office was evacuated & we were all sent with the masses to go home and be with our families. 

I will never forget the feeling of being packed into the subway that day.  You just couldn't help but hug the people that surrounded you.  It didn't matter that they were strangers.  It didn't matter that you may never see that person again.  You gave comfort and received comfort from those around you.

I was one of the last people that my friend ever spoke to.  That frightened me for a long time.  I felt guilty that it was her, not me. Now, I just hope that our joking gave her a little peace.


I also want to share with you how that day changed me.  And how it didn't.

In most ways, I'm still the same person I always was.  I learned to trust my gut more.  Something told me not to take that job; told me not to turn off the TV that day.

I tell people that I love them more.  I used to be better about it...but I still will randomly tell people that matter to me that I love them.  You never want people to wonder how you feel about them.  :-)

Like the majority of Americans, I feel so much more patriotic than I did before that day. There a renewed dedication to God and country that swept over so many of us.  Life became so much more about us instead of it being about me.

I didn't shy away from flying.  Three weeks after that fateful day, I got on a plane at Logan and flew to a family reunion in San Antonio.  I was in England when we formally declared war.  When it's my time...it's my time.  I refuse to stop living my life because someone else doesn't agree with the freedoms that Americans are afforded.

Over the years, I've known quite a few people who have practiced the Muslim religion.  Even that day, I knew it had absolutely nothing to do with them, and everything to do with a handful of absolute lunatics.



I'm linking my post with Andrea over at My Chihuahua Bites.  If you feel like sharing your story, I'd love to read it.

(((HUGS)))
Like many of you, I want to share where I was on 9/11.

Even ten years later, I remember the day like it was yesterday.  I was the Office Coordinator in the financial district of Boston.  That morning, I got in early, turned on the TV to the "Today Show", and called the O.C. in the NYC office.  You see...that morning I was having second thoughts about being there instead of her.  I had been given the opportunity to be temporarily placed in our Manhattan office, and had turned it down in favor of staying close to my family.  The timing just didn't feel right.

So, I called her to chat while we both waited for staff to roll into both of our offices.  We said our "good-byes" just past 8 AM.  I should have turned the TV off at that point.  But I didn't. 

When news flashed that a plane had flown into the North Tower, programming went live to the World Trade Center.  I watched live while a second plane flew into the South Tower.  In a matter of minutes, the world as I knew it was shattered.

We quickly learned that both of those planes came from Boston.  MY airport.  The place where I felt SAFE to travel.  I was horrified.  And, as fighter jets flew overhead, our office was evacuated & we were all sent with the masses to go home and be with our families. 

I will never forget the feeling of being packed into the subway that day.  You just couldn't help but hug the people that surrounded you.  It didn't matter that they were strangers.  It didn't matter that you may never see that person again.  You gave comfort and received comfort from those around you.

I was one of the last people that my friend ever spoke to.  That frightened me for a long time.  I felt guilty that it was her, not me. Now, I just hope that our joking gave her a little peace.


I also want to share with you how that day changed me.  And how it didn't.

In most ways, I'm still the same person I always was.  I learned to trust my gut more.  Something told me not to take that job; told me not to turn off the TV that day.

I tell people that I love them more.  I used to be better about it...but I still will randomly tell people that matter to me that I love them.  You never want people to wonder how you feel about them.  :-)

Like the majority of Americans, I feel so much more patriotic than I did before that day. There a renewed dedication to God and country that swept over so many of us.  Life became so much more about us instead of it being about me.

I didn't shy away from flying.  Three weeks after that fateful day, I got on a plane at Logan and flew to a family reunion in San Antonio.  I was in England when we formally declared war.  When it's my time...it's my time.  I refuse to stop living my life because someone else doesn't agree with the freedoms that Americans are afforded.

Over the years, I've known quite a few people who have practiced the Muslim religion.  Even that day, I knew it had absolutely nothing to do with them, and everything to do with a handful of absolute lunatics.



I'm linking my post with Andrea over at My Chihuahua Bites.  If you feel like sharing your story, I'd love to read it.

(((HUGS)))
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

You Asked; I Answered - Part I

There aren't tons of questions (If you have something ask - there's still time!!), but I could write a novel about absolutely nothing and I don't want to bore you all to tears.

I'm starting with Jane's questions.  She was, by far, the most prolific source of questions.

1. What is the name of the fabulous place with the amazing chocolate covered apples and chocolate covered oreos?
Thinking about those apples, are ya?!?!  Last year I sent Jane chocolate covered apples and oreos from Sticky Fingers Gourmet Apples.  They do some sinful things with apples! Forget your diet, an apple as your meal, what do you mean this apple weighs two pounds sinful! 

Darn you, Jane!  I'm now feel the need to calculate how long I can go without ordering from them!  :-)  Their Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and their Double chocolate apples are my favorites.

2. How is the house coming ... do we stay or do we go now?
Oh, we stay!  Thursday was an amazingly busy day...and I'm-a stayin'!  Funny story actually.  I called my Realtor Wednesday morning when I got to work, just to let her know I felt like something wasn't quite right and I was considering not signing another house extension.  An hour later she calls and says that my short sale was approved.  An hour later she calls again and lets me know that in the next 24 hours I need to sign a new P&S, a few legal documents and oh...wire $2,000 to an escrow account.  To make my day uber productive, I also spent some quality time with my insurance agent to discuss a home owner's policy & had lunch with Kirstren, Heather and her sister!

The money was a shocker.  My Realtor wasn't expecting it either! I've already done my mandatory deposit - months ago.  As it turns out, a large-federally-bailed-out mortgage company decided to use a 3rd party vendor to determine whether to agree to my short sale or not.  And, I get to foot the bill for this vendor.  The rest of the bill is due at closing... in addition to all my other closing costs. 

But it will all be worth it when it's over!  All this crud at least earns me my real estate license, right!?!?!

3. What is your ALL TIME favorite book?
My favorite ever book is a children's book -  Dr. Suess' Sleep Book.  Oh, the irony!  I'm an insomniac and my favorite book is about sleep!!

4. What is the worst book you've ever read?
I'm a reader...and once I get started on a book, I finish - NO MATTER WHAT!  Because of that, I've read some really cruddy ones, which I'm a little hesitant to say by name because during my December book post, a few authors actually sent me emails thanking me for reading their books.

But...I will say that Nicci French has had some major suckage in their past few books.  Despite being married - I think that writing team need to break up and write their own books.  I'd bet good money that they'd be immensely more readable!  And, thus concludes my turn at being a meanie.

5. Do you ever sleep?
I sleep.  Just not well.  It's highly unusual that I sleep for more than two hours at a time... or more than 4 hours a night.  Because of this, I don't do many trips with people who are light sleepers or don't understand insomnia.  I feel like I'm such a disruption to their lives!  However, I've developed the life skill of staying extremely still in the event that overnight travel with others occurs.

This one comes from Jennifer...

6. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
Can I tell you how hard it is to answer this question?  I've been so many places that I could envision living! A few of those places are Myrtle Beach, SC; San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; Virginia Beach, VA & Washington, DC.  I'm a very adaptable person - but one of the big parts of my life is water.  I absolutely, positively can NOT live more than an hour from the beach.  It sounds utterly ridiculous - but I wouldn't be able to stay in a land-locked state for more than a year.  The beach is my happy place.  I need the sand beneath my feet, the smell of salt air, the activity of seagulls swooping around and the sound of the tide rolling in and out.

And the last question of this post comes from Julie!

7. Have you always lived on the east coast? If not where else have you lived?
I have always lived on the east coast - in fact I've spent my life living in only two different cities/towns south of Boston.  (And even after buying the new house - that fact will still be true!) 

With that said, I've gotten to spend big blocks of time in lots of other places.  My dad's family all settled in the west after my grandpa retired from the Coast Guard.  Because of that, I got to spent countless summers and holidays in San Diego (CA), Albuquerque, Roswell, Taos (NM), El Paso (TX), Las Vegas & Laughlin (NV). I've gotten to be a California beach bum, pick pecans on a big farm and sit on a mountainside & be able to visually distinguish what street lights are American and which are Mexican. (In case you were wondering - the streetlight in Mexico give a green hue.)

And that speaks nothing of all the cool stuff I've gotten to do on the East Coast!!


Round two of your questions are coming soon!

There aren't tons of questions (If you have something ask - there's still time!!), but I could write a novel about absolutely nothing and I don't want to bore you all to tears.

I'm starting with Jane's questions.  She was, by far, the most prolific source of questions.

1. What is the name of the fabulous place with the amazing chocolate covered apples and chocolate covered oreos?
Thinking about those apples, are ya?!?!  Last year I sent Jane chocolate covered apples and oreos from Sticky Fingers Gourmet Apples.  They do some sinful things with apples! Forget your diet, an apple as your meal, what do you mean this apple weighs two pounds sinful! 

Darn you, Jane!  I'm now feel the need to calculate how long I can go without ordering from them!  :-)  Their Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and their Double chocolate apples are my favorites.

2. How is the house coming ... do we stay or do we go now?
Oh, we stay!  Thursday was an amazingly busy day...and I'm-a stayin'!  Funny story actually.  I called my Realtor Wednesday morning when I got to work, just to let her know I felt like something wasn't quite right and I was considering not signing another house extension.  An hour later she calls and says that my short sale was approved.  An hour later she calls again and lets me know that in the next 24 hours I need to sign a new P&S, a few legal documents and oh...wire $2,000 to an escrow account.  To make my day uber productive, I also spent some quality time with my insurance agent to discuss a home owner's policy & had lunch with Kirstren, Heather and her sister!

The money was a shocker.  My Realtor wasn't expecting it either! I've already done my mandatory deposit - months ago.  As it turns out, a large-federally-bailed-out mortgage company decided to use a 3rd party vendor to determine whether to agree to my short sale or not.  And, I get to foot the bill for this vendor.  The rest of the bill is due at closing... in addition to all my other closing costs. 

But it will all be worth it when it's over!  All this crud at least earns me my real estate license, right!?!?!

3. What is your ALL TIME favorite book?
My favorite ever book is a children's book -  Dr. Suess' Sleep Book.  Oh, the irony!  I'm an insomniac and my favorite book is about sleep!!

4. What is the worst book you've ever read?
I'm a reader...and once I get started on a book, I finish - NO MATTER WHAT!  Because of that, I've read some really cruddy ones, which I'm a little hesitant to say by name because during my December book post, a few authors actually sent me emails thanking me for reading their books.

But...I will say that Nicci French has had some major suckage in their past few books.  Despite being married - I think that writing team need to break up and write their own books.  I'd bet good money that they'd be immensely more readable!  And, thus concludes my turn at being a meanie.

5. Do you ever sleep?
I sleep.  Just not well.  It's highly unusual that I sleep for more than two hours at a time... or more than 4 hours a night.  Because of this, I don't do many trips with people who are light sleepers or don't understand insomnia.  I feel like I'm such a disruption to their lives!  However, I've developed the life skill of staying extremely still in the event that overnight travel with others occurs.

This one comes from Jennifer...

6. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
Can I tell you how hard it is to answer this question?  I've been so many places that I could envision living! A few of those places are Myrtle Beach, SC; San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; Virginia Beach, VA & Washington, DC.  I'm a very adaptable person - but one of the big parts of my life is water.  I absolutely, positively can NOT live more than an hour from the beach.  It sounds utterly ridiculous - but I wouldn't be able to stay in a land-locked state for more than a year.  The beach is my happy place.  I need the sand beneath my feet, the smell of salt air, the activity of seagulls swooping around and the sound of the tide rolling in and out.

And the last question of this post comes from Julie!

7. Have you always lived on the east coast? If not where else have you lived?
I have always lived on the east coast - in fact I've spent my life living in only two different cities/towns south of Boston.  (And even after buying the new house - that fact will still be true!) 

With that said, I've gotten to spend big blocks of time in lots of other places.  My dad's family all settled in the west after my grandpa retired from the Coast Guard.  Because of that, I got to spent countless summers and holidays in San Diego (CA), Albuquerque, Roswell, Taos (NM), El Paso (TX), Las Vegas & Laughlin (NV). I've gotten to be a California beach bum, pick pecans on a big farm and sit on a mountainside & be able to visually distinguish what street lights are American and which are Mexican. (In case you were wondering - the streetlight in Mexico give a green hue.)

And that speaks nothing of all the cool stuff I've gotten to do on the East Coast!!


Round two of your questions are coming soon!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad