"The more I grow, the less I know ..."

Hi.

First of all, to reply to Sister Kay's comment from my last entry (8 months ago) ... A Dyson vac is AWESOME. That's all I can say. And it costs as much as most awesome things cost. I want the purple one, just in case you're shopping later.

Same ole, same ole going on around here. Except Jimmy is home this week. Right now, he's "checking" my work on the taxes upstairs. Which means that my "background music" is the sound of his grumbling and mumbling, with the occasional "I'll be DAMNED!" thrown in for good measure. Ahhh.

Here's a quiz thing (I love quiz things) I saw on Robyn's journal:

Do I Remember

When John F. Kennedy was shot (Nov. 22, 1963) No, I was four years old. And considering the fact that my parents never even told me I was going to have a baby sister (when I was SEVEN years old), I'm fairly certain they never shared this tragedy with me.

When Mt. St. Helens blew (May 18, 1980) Only vaguely. I was in my fifth month of pregnancy, and we lived in a tiny little town north of Columbus, GA. I remember watching the news reports, but not much else.

When the space shuttle Challenger exploded (January 28, 1986) Definitely. I was at home that morning, with the TV on for company. The regular programs were interrupted to show the launching, since this flight was so newsworthy ... a "regular citizen" was part of the crew. I remember the cameras kept focusing on the faces of her parents as the launch got underway. It's the face of her mother, as she sees the explosion in the sky, that I will always remember.

When the 7.1 earthquake hit San Francisco (October 17, 1989) I don't remember this as clearly as I should. I do remember the news reports of the overpasses and bridges crumbling.

When the Berlin Wall fell (November 9, 1989) I was amazed.

When the Gulf War began (January 16, 1991) I had two children in elementary school, and I was busy, busy, busy with my volunteer work. It seemed like something very far away, and I felt safe in my world. Until a friend at the kids' school (the assistant principal) told me that her own son was over there fighting. That was the exact moment I had a personal realization of just what war means.

When OJ Simpson was chased in his white Bronco (June 17, 1994) This happened only a few months after my father's death. I was in Columbus, with the kids, at my mother's house. We had been working hard for days to get ready for a yard sale, and we had sort of collapsed in front of the TV that night. I wasn't really sure what was going on at the time, but it wasn't long before EVERYBODY knew.

When the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed (April 19, 1995) Again, one of those days that the TV was on to keep me company around here. I watched the news all day, and cried.

When Princess Di was killed (August 31, 1997) Oh, how I loved Princess Di. It was late on a Saturday night, and I was deep into an insane AOL addiction. Which means I was awake, online, and sloshing around in a wine bottle. I remember running back and forth to the TV in my bedroom to hear the latest on the car crash. And then the reports came that she was dead. It was surreal. A few days later, I cried my heart out as her funeral was broadcast on TV. The sight of her sons walking behind her coffin ... all the flowers that were tossed at her passing hearse ... Elton's song "England's Rose" ... going on seven years later, it's still one of the saddest things I can think of.

When Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire on their classmates at Columbine High School (April 20, 1999) Horrifying. My own two children were in high school. I watched as the story unfolded, crying for the parents ... and the kids.

When Bush was first announced President (November 7, 2000) I was sad that something that seemed so messed up could happen in a country as "orderly and organized" as the USA.

When the 6.8 earthquake hit Nisqually, WA (February 28, 2001) Well, I feel terrible. I don't remember this at all.

When terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center (September 11, 2001) Of course. I was driving in my car to a job interview, and the radio announced that a "small plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center" ... at the time, I thought it was an accident. By the time my interview was over, the second plane had crashed ... and the reports were clear that this was no accident. No small plane either. I rushed home to the TV, where I watched the rest of the day. Hell, I watched TV for days afterward. Jimmy called me from work that day ... he was at some seminar somewhere and they had no access to a TV. He called to find out just what was happening. I remember saying, "Oh my God, the building is collapsing, and there are still people in there." I remember Emilie calling me that night, and telling me she was scared. I remember the skies with no airplanes for days. I remember not being able to wrap my head around the number of people who were trapped in those buildings. I remember the faces of the people running through the streets of New York. Oh yeah, I remember. :(