Remembered

Today the flags flew at half-mast across America to remember the lives lost 9 years ago. Has it been 9 years already??? I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was the day after Tanya had left to return to SA after living with us for a year. When I woke up on September 11th my eyes were puffy and swollen from crying the night before.

We were getting ready for work when I turned the TV on to catch the news. That's when we heard the first plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center Towers. There was confusion and disbelief in the newsroom and we wondered out aloud about how a plane could go so badly off course as to hit a massive tower in the middle of Manhattan.

When the second plane hit moments later, I remember the very serious expression on Charles Gibson's face (Good Morning America's news anchor) when he reported that he believed the USA was under terrorist attack. I immediately phoned Dad in South Africa and told him what had happened. He didn't believe me but soon CNN was broadcasting the news and he and Mom were also following in disbelief the events unfolding in New York City.

Warren and I couldn't decide if we should go into work or not. Airports, train stations, subways and other public transportation had been shut down. We made the decision to go anyway so I took Jordan to the day care center. I remember a staff member had brought in a TV and the office staff were watching the scene in New York. Dozens of stunned parents shuffled in with their kids and shuffled back out again. Everyone seemed to be in shock.

I had the radio on all the way to work and I ran into the building to log onto the internet and follow the news. By then a plane had crashed into the Pentagon and one had crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

Travelport had the TVs turned on in the communication room and most of us stood around and watched the news. When the towers came down, most of us cried and stood huddled in shock and when our managers told us to go home, we all walked dazed to our cars.

There was talk about terrorists targeting soft targets like schools, hospitals and day care centers and I sped to get Jordan, grabbed him from his class, raced home and stayed on the sofa in our TV room with the TV on until way past midnight.

I'll never forget that day.

Taken in November 1997 when we visited NYC for Warren's 30th. We'd been up to the top of one of the WTC buildings earlier and they stood behind me, high in the sky and proud against the Manhattan skyline.

In Boulder on Labor Day

The lovely town of Boulder is always fun to go to. Over the Labor Day weekend they have a market where everyone and their Japanese cousins sell their goods. Some sell junk (the bad kind) and other sell really nice things. There are food vendors, artists, wannabe artists and those looking to make a buck or two by doing things like face painting or selling you a massive zucchini to paint like a race car and race down a homemade plank of wood (all for the cheap price of $9 per zucchini!). We drifted around the market and then to Pearl Street which is a pedestrian walkway with stores on either side. Its really pretty and there are usually a lot of families around plus students from the local university (this place reminds me a little of Stellenbosch) and weirdos who claim they are artists.

This harp-playing weirdo actually played well but when he spoke to people, I thought he was retarded. Then he laughed at his audience and spoke normally, confusing and irritating most of them. It kind of explains why he looks as though he's a few espresso pumps short of latte.

Jordan found a store store (he has a radar for toy stores) and enjoyed practicing on a plastic wheelless carpet skateboard.

This car HAS to be one of those jumping ones...it has to be!

We got to the market before it started humming with people and searched for Funnel Cake (pancake batter drizzled in oil to make a large patty with powered sugar thrown on top) which we'd promised the boys but we couldn't find a vendor selling the cakes. We also promised they could do some bungy trampolining and they enjoyed that.

While at the market we saw a fire cloud and heard people say that a fire had broken out along the foothills. The firetrucks whizzing by confirmed this and we heard later on the news that 92 homes were destroyed by the fire. The cause is suspected to be due to a car running into a propane tank that ruptured and caused the fire. A very sad situation for so many people living in the area. Driving out of downtown we went through a neighborhood and saw this antelope in someone's yard and we think he/she came down from the mountain to get away from the fire. It looked very lost.

On the way home we drove the back route through Golden and it was very pretty - autumn is definitely on its way in because a lot of the grasses have died and the cool nip in the air is another sign that it won't be long before we're in long sleeves and jeans again. I love autumn...with it comes pumpkin spiced lattes (not as bad as they sound) and cinnamon dolce lattes and zucchini bread (very tasty) and hot apple pie with dripping cream!

Fall...you are welcome! Just don't let Winter follow you too closely!