I'll be back....

In the words of the great Governorator/Terminator Ah-nold.... I'll be back!! I really do have several things I need to update the good ol' blog with but just no time. Don't worry, you're not missing any life events.... just a few POTUS related stories, including my trip to NY for the United Nations General Assembly last week. But I am leaving tomorrow for a trip, for fun, to Moscow!! I'm so excited! As you know, I've been there briefly but this time, I'll have plenty of time to see the stuff I missed the last time when I spent a day and a half there and had 45 minutes to explore. I promise to catch you up when I return!

9/11 Tenth Anniversary

This weekend, like most Americans, I was remembering 9/11 and the horrific events of that day. I blogged about my experience a few years ago here but when I went back to read what I wrote, it seems like that just touched on the experience. Watching numerous documentary and shows this weekend just brought it all back. In fact, I hadn't been able to watch some of those images for many years after it happened. Beyond the fact that they are difficult to watch to begin with, in those early days, I saw them over and over and over and over again at work for 15 hours a day. I really couldn't escape them so it took a long time for me to get them out of my head. Back in those days, I would have to fall asleep to the TV with something completely inane as possible which included a lot of Three's Company or other mindless comedies. I couldn't go to sleep with those images of the WTC getting hit and collapsing burned into my brain.

Well seeing them again this weekend brought it all back. I watched a Dateline special, a 20/20 special, a CNN special, and the ceremony at Shanksville on Saturday. Just like ten years ago, I didn't cry. I just watched in disbelief. It's amazing that it still seems unbelievable ten years later from real life occurrences.

I appreciated the speeches from George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and Joe Biden on Saturday at the Shanksville dedication. I'm not sure even then I fully comprehended what happened in that field. God had spared me from being an eyewitness to the crash at the Pentagon by me running late to work that day. But more than that, God spared the lives of countless friends and Americans who worked in the Capitol (two blocks from my office) or the White House that day. Who knows how life would have turned out differently had that happened? I'm glad we don't have to know and I'm sooo grateful for those 40 who took United Flight 93 down in that field. I've always known the sequence of events and that they were heroes after hearing the harrowing stories of last minute phone calls, decision-making, etc. but it really struck me this year hearing it all over again and once again thanking God for His protection and for those lives given in the air that day.

I was so grateful that the 10th anniversary fell on a Sunday and that I wasn't scheduled to work. I got to experience it just like other Americans, unlike ten years ago when I was working so many long hours and hadn't had time to process any of it. I went to church which had an incredibly moving time of worship and remembrance. I was able to contain my tears, unlike ten years ago when I sat on the front pew and cried my eyes out. This year, we focused on how even in the midst of pure evil, we were able to see the hand of God. And we remembered in prayer those families who were still experiencing such deep loss from those events a decade ago.

Pastor Don talked about a hypothetical school trip one day where maybe Todd Beamer's kids were touring the Capitol or the White House and looking up and saying something like, "yes, my dad saved this place and all the people in it that day." I hope that really happened or happens one day and those kids and family members realize how many people, like me, owe a great debt to their fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunt and uncles.

On Saturday while watching the ceremony in Shanksville, Vice President Biden, who was one of those people evacuated from the Capitol that day, paid tribute to those 40 heroes as well. "My prayer for you is that 10 years later, their memory is able to bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye," Biden said. I must say that I like that statement a lot. I hope that the fact that their loved ones are true heroes have brought some comfort to them over the years.

I know that this year's time of remembrance really brought it to mind how grateful I am, not only to be an American, but to live in a place that ten years ago, these average Americans sacrificed their lives for people they didn't know. Their part is just one part of that overwhelming story from that day and at the end of the weekend, I was glad that I had seen the images once again and taken the time to remember those many lives lost that day. Of course, I had to find an episode of Three's Company or some other mindless TV in order to fall asleep! It worked!

POTUS in the Old Dominion

On Friday, I took a little road trip to one of my favorite cities in America... Richmond, Virginia! POTUS had given a big speech on Thursday night in front of a joint session of Congress and he took his message on the road to the University of Richmond! As you know, I'm a Virginian through and through and even though I'm from Roanoke, I love Richmond. It's where my mom, older sister, and my wonderful boyfriend were born! Maybe POTUS chose VA because it's politically important state. Or maybe he just loves Virginia as much as I do! I don't know but I was thrilled to pieces to get to make a visit there, at my company's expense.

POTUS gave his speech in the U of Richmond Robins Arena which I'm pretty sure I was there in the early 90s for a statewide Youth Evangelism Conference and probably heard some contemporary Christian group sing. This time, it was POTUS talking about jobs and getting people back to work.
The cool part of being there was that I got to see my friend Missy. She's the one who came with me to see Marine One taking off a few weeks ago. She's a campus minister on the campus of U of Richmond and I was excited to get to see her for a few brief moments after the speech was done!


My correspondent and I ended up staying in Richmond so we could also cover an event of the House Majority Leader Eric Cantor who represents most of Richmond and Charlottesville and places between. I was a bit of a fish out of water with this because I am so used to events being set up for POTUS and dealing with several levels of security, etc. This event was basically a congressman holding an event with his constituents. We were at a cement factory which I wish I could tell you I learned all about. But in reality, it was a backdrop and I know nothing more about making cement than I did at the beginning of the day! A really good benefit of being able to spend the day in Richmond is that Brian was going to be in town to visit his grandpa that evening so it worked out for him to pick me up and we spent the evening hanging out with his family!

Parental Unit Visit!

So as soon as I finished my work trip to Martha's Vineyard and surviving two natural disasters, the next thing on my agenda was a visit from my parents! In no way do I equate spending quality time with my parents to either work or a natural disaster! They are the absolute opposite of those things!!

While I had of course seen my parents more recently, they haven't actually been to visit me in more than a year. I blame that on the fact that I have yet to provide grandkids for them. They blame my "wacky schedule". If they planned trips to see me, I would make my "wacky schedule" work out to see them but I digress. I'm not the bitter middle child, I promise. Really, I'm not. :)

Anyway, they were driving back to SC and stopped by to see me on the way home. Because there wasn't a lot of planning, my wacky schedule did indeed get in the way and I had to work in the afternoon/evenings of their stay. But it was still a really nice visit! I had prepared dinner and it was in the crockpot so that when I got home from work and Brian came over, dinner was all ready to go! I even made an apple crisp for dessert! We had a great time just hanging out and chatting! We didn't even turn on the TV for background noise! We just enjoyed being around each other!

Once I realized they were staying until Wednesday, I figured it would be great opportunity to take my parents to work with me to see the WH and where I work. The last time I brought my parents to the WH, my mom fainted after the WH Christmas Party. But I'm happy to report that she stayed upright the entire time and there was no passing out!