Folly Fun
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I adore the low country area of the American Southeast. I still keep an eye out for jobs there. A few weekends ago I had a girl’s weekend with Gail and Rach at the super laid back Folly Beach. It was a perfect weekend and exactly the relaxation that I needed.
The view from our room
Folly Beach is a few miles south of Charleston, SC and it takes several hours to get there from our location, so it was late on Friday evening when we got there. We stayed at Tides at Folly Beach, which is the only hotel on the beach in the Charleston area. I am giving it a mixed review, but slightly on the negative side. The location was perfect, easy access to downtown Charleston, and of course, right on the beach. It also recently underwent a mega renovation, so all the rooms were updated and very nice. I also loved the fact that all of the rooms are beachfront, so we had a great view every morning! Now, the downsides…. 1) the service pretty much sucked. They didn’t replenish the towels by the pool, they took forever to clean the room the next day, when we needed extra towels for the bathroom, they didn’t have any and the service was consistently bad. 2) The bathtub was filthy when we got there, and I am not just talking a couple pieces of hair… but giant piles of sand and hair tossed all over the place. 3) Add in the elevator breaking down and them being rude about it, some snarky comments from bartenders and some disastrous parking and you get not my highest review. I’d say a 2.8 out of 5. Maybe a boost up to a three because the view was so perfect.
We got up early on Saturday and spent the morning by the pool. The pool overlooking the ocean- perfection. There are few things I love as much as being able to lay by the pool, listening to the ocean, feeling the breeze, reading a book and drinking a frozen alcoholic beverage. That was fabulous. We moseyed down the short main street (Center Street) to have lunch at Taco Boy. Taco Boy does not get the best recommendation from me. The food that we had was good, but very overpriced. The food was overshadowed by the most horrible service I have had in years. I mean, it was awful… couldn’t even get a simple drink refill, Rach’s beer wasn’t even cold, the waitress kept blaming it on the kitchen… but really, that is not the kitchen. So I don’t have very good reviews of the restaurant.
Our hotel room
The afternoon was strolling and shopping on Center Street, more pool time and then getting ready for an evening out. We went to downtown Charleston and meandered through the market. But it was super late, so most of the things were closing up in the market. Oh the market, it has gotten a HUGE renovation and is the most gorgeous thing ever. All sorts of beautiful woodwork, natural light and AIR CONDITIONING. It is amazing. We had a yummy dinner down town… love shrimp and hushpuppies and then caught the rest of the game by the old college football team.
Sunday saw more pool time and a visit to two wonderful low country landmarks. First, the Morris Island lighthouse. It was built in the mid to late 1800s and during high tide it is completely surrounded by water. It also leans slightly to the side as a result of the big Charleston earthquake in the 1880s! It was decommissioned many years ago, but it is lovely to look at and they are trying to preserve it. My college suitemate and her husband, Mike, had the most AMAZING picture taken of them a few years ago with the lighthouse in the back ground and I had wanted to see the light since then… I just didn’t realize it would involve a hike down the road in the heat of the day! It was beautiful to see though, so I was happy we got to go.
me in the water
Second place we tried to go was the Angel Oak, a beautiful old live oak that is hundreds of years old on John’s Island. Unfortunately, the city of Charleston kind of sucks and had the wrong times on their web site, so it was closed when we got there. Yes, apparently it is possible to close a tree in the middle of nowhere… they had a giant fence around it, so we couldn’t get close! Bummer.
The last thing we did before heading out of town was to grab lunch at East Bay Deli. It was my second time eating there, and it was amazing! They have a huge deli menu and a great salad bar. All with fresh ingredients and big portions. Gail had a yummy grilled cheese with a lot mixed cheeses on rye bread. Rach had a huge Ruben and I had a Cajun turkey sandwich… all yummy! I recommend checking it out if you are in the Charleston area!
Folly Pier
All in all the beach trip was a much needed and relaxing break. Folly was fun, the weather was perfect and I highly recommend a visit to the island if you need a break!
Morris Island Lighthouse
Wednesday Wedding Tips: You Can’t Control the Weather!
Continuing with the Wednesday Wedding Tips…. Let’s talk weather. Lessons number one, no matter how much you beg and plead and try to argue with God, you cannot control the weather. Accept this.
Okay, now… what the hell can you do about the weather? Have contingency plans, and if you are IN the wedding, do your best to hide any issues from the bride. Trust me on this. The best example I have to highlight this scenario is TT and Mattie’s wedding this past January. TT had visions of getting married in January, and just kept thinking about how adorable all of the bridesmaids would look as we posed outside with her with bright pink cheeks. Seriously, bright pink cheeks in winter are one of her fave things. Thank goodness, I don’t know if it was her thought or someone else’s, but she realized five girls standing outside the Yankee-land in January wearing only a few layers of chiffon may not have been the best idea. I am thankful for this. So, outdoor pictures in January are something to consider when planning a wedding.
The other thing to consider in a January wedding above the Mason-Dixon line… SNOW. As in a freaking snowstorm. Now, the weather forecast had been calling for sprinkles all week… none of us were really worried, we thought it would be just enough to make it pretty as the guests walked in… I mean, these people know how to drive in snow. But no. The weather changed the day of and pretty quickly. It started sleeting as we were all getting ready. That froze on the roads, then the snow started. By the time the ceremony had started at 7pm, they were shutting down the freeways because the traffic was such a disaster and people couldn’t get anywhere. And being the awesome bridesmaids that we were… we managed to keep this from the Bride. Yes, she sipped her champagne and had her hair done and got all those lovely and relaxing moments that a bride deserves…. And didn’t even notice us slipping away to call other friends to see where they were and how the roads were coming. She didn’t know the ongoing conversations with the DJ who was in traffic, or with the catering crew who were scrambling for staff. She didn’t bat an eye when we told her we were going to start a little late because there was a hold up with the grandparents. Had the damn DJ not called her cell phone instead of one of the bridesmaid when returning a call… that’s when she found out. And she took it pretty well considering. We told her all of our game plans, let her make some remaining decisions, but it all worked out perfectly in the end… and TT and Mattie have a funny story to tell about their wedding day. As I reminded her, it is good luck to have rain on a wedding day… and after all, snow is just a different form of rain!
The sleet hitting the ground before the snow came later that day
Other weather concerns…. Heat. When the Bestie got married in June, it was ninety something degrees (in the North) by 1pm when we were heading to grab some Subway for lunch. Outdoor pictures had to be canceled, because no one wants to see a bridal party in pictures with their makeup sweating off of them! She made a good call there…. And had the backup plan of a pretty mantel and lovely mirror inside for pictures. I had the back of plan to fan her as the day went on with whatever fan I could make… wedding programs double nicely for fans as an FYI.
Note the temp on the far right... this was the last part of May!
As for the big one in the South… hurricanes. All I can tell you is be smart… don’t plan a wedding on the coast between August and mid-September, or a honeymoon on a cruise ship, you are just asking for trouble.
And remember… you can’t control the weather. But you can control the back up plans and how you react to it! Plan ahead and be prepared folks!
Translation Tuesday: Grits
Ah, Grits. Three meanings and both a part of life in the South.
Definition One- Grits, the food. A staple in the daily world of southern cuisine. It is fine ground up corn, mixed with salt, pepper and added to boiling water and makes a porridge type mixture. It looks like cream of wheat to me, but it doesn’t taste remotely similar. Many people eat it for breakfast, with eggs and toast. But it is also served with shrimp as a main dish for dinner. There are a number of mills across the South that still make them, so they can be bought locally, which is always a great thing. And as much as I love most Southern food, I am not a fan of grits. Just don’t like the flavor.
Definition Two- An acronym, G.R.I.T.S. Girls Raised In The South. There are a number of t-shirts, hats and other items with this for sale across the South, and they are generally pretty cute. I wasn’t raised here though, so I don’t own anything with that saying. I do think it is adorable though!
This image is from http://www.gritsinc.com/
Definition Three- A Saying, “Kiss My Grits”. Pretty much means, you can kiss my butt if you expect me to do that, you are perfectly capable of doing it yourself. Kiss my grits sounds so much nicer! It is also cute on a t-shirt 🙂
Wednesday Wedding Tips: Being a Bridesmaid is Expensive!
Weddings are expensive; I think most people know that. Actually, the average cost of a wedding in America is around $24,000… according to a quick search on Google. That is about what it cost me for two years of graduate school. While weddings can be very pricey for the bride, groom and their families; they are also expensive for the people who are in them as I learned in the wedding madness of last year.
Oh the weddings of 2010… I was actually IN or I coordinated four weddings last year. Those four weddings included: five bridal showers, four bachelorette parties, three rehearsal dinners and four weddings. Three weddings were held at home in the Fort, one was held here in the South and an additional South reception was held for one of the Fort weddings.
This lovely dress was a reasonable $115
I saved all of my receipts and four weddings cost me over $4,800. Yes, go ahead and gasp… I did after I totaled it all up. That is NOT including gas money for the extensive driving that I did to get to said showers and weddings (but it does include airfare for one round-trip flight). It also does not include money I spent on food while I was out of town and away from my apartment for long weekends or entire weeks and it does not include funds that I was reimbursed for. It also does not include ATM withdraws and receipts that I couldn’t find… so I am guessing this actual figure is somewhere over $5,000. The dress, alterations for the dress, hair-styling and make-up for the day, salon pampering afternoons, wedding and shower gifts, airfare, hotel stays, food for showers, the list goes on.
Gift bags I created for a shower
All four of these weddings were for people that I love, so I didn’t really hesitate to spend the money, because I wanted whatever it was to be lovely for each of them. But it was still a lot of money. So, from the very bottom of my heart, thank you my newlywed friends for never making me get dyed to match shoes or handbags… I for one appreciate the consideration to my wallet! To anyone else planning a wedding soon… keep the cost in mind for your bridal party, they will remember and appreciate it!
Translation Tuesday: Coke
Translation Tuesday… Coke. As in Coca-Cola. Also known as my most favorite beverage… even if it will rot my teeth.
Coke was created in Georgia in the 1800s and now the mega company that is Coca-Cola is based there. They even have a museum about the company where you can taste different variations of Coke from all over the world.
So what does this have to do with translation of slang in the South? Well, down here EVERY soft drink is a coke or a diet coke. The restaurant may only serve Pepsi, or RC cola, or even some odd generic brand… but everyone calls it Coke. That is what you order when you go out… “I’ll have a coke, please.”
While there are other beverages that people can order that are not cola drinks, and plenty of people do, when it comes to ordering a cola-based beverage, the only thing you have to say is, “I’ll have a Coke.” And it may be a Pepsi that they bring you, but that still doesn’t change the way we order down here.
I Just Don’t Get The Trains
I remember, way back when I was a freshmen, writing a paper for my English 101 class on the differences between the North and the South. I had been here for about two months and it was weighing on my mind. If I remember correctly I wrote about three things: manners, antennas on pickup trucks and trains. While I am sure I will cover all three at some point in this blog, tonight I want to talk about trains.
Now, I should point out that we don’t really do public transportation well down here. A few buses in my city, but bless their hearts, the people that run that system can’t even seem to keep it afloat. No, many things are done well in the South, but public transportation is not one of them. So when I say trains, I am not talking about the passenger variety, but the CSX and other companies hauling variety.
Trains, while I am sure they do a great service of hauling crap and keeping it off a semi-truck (and off the freeway), piss me off. A LOT. Last weekend, in a period of 36 hours, I managed to get stopped by trains blocking the road FOUR TIMES. And it was the same major road each time (for those of you that know me, the road that runs down towards the stadium from downtown). Four times in a day and a half I got stuck, wasting gas and twiddling my thumbs sitting waiting for the damn thing to move. Now, occasionally I can see it in time and take a side road around it, but you have to be lucky in your choice of road. Why? Because the trains have a tendency to block multiple roads. I guess my big complaint with the whole thing is why are there not more bridges and such to go over trains or have them go over? I have lost track of the number meetings I have been late to over the years because I was stuck waiting on a damn train to move its slow self out of the way. FURTHERMORE, why do they stop in the middle of the damn road? I find it less irritating (slightly) if they are moving at least when they block the intersection. If the damn thing is just sitting there my blood pressure goes through the roof.
Approaching Train
Now another point of concern, as we know, I work on a college campus. The trains crisscross town all over the place, but there are a number of tracks surrounding the campus. I know we have had students die on these before… wouldn’t it make sense to try and get them to not run near campus? No matter how many times I warn my freshmen not to cut under them to try and get to a classroom building or the bar/restaurant area near campus, I am pretty sure they do it anyway. It is just another disaster waiting to happen.
The one thing that I have gotten use to over the years is the whistle blowing at all hours of the day and night. I remember being little and visiting at my Nana’s and freaking out every night when a train whistle blew near her condo. Now, I can hang out at the pool over there and not even look up from my magazine when I hear one. My new grad students are trying to get used to the whistles now, I suppose it doesn’t help when I tell them it took me about four years to get used to it… they are only here for two.
yes, because we stop to take pictures of trains...
Now, if we go back to that paper I wrote freshmen year, I had a theory about the trains. As an 18 year old I was convinced that the reason they were all over the place here was because of the Civil War. You see, one many reasons noted for why the South lost the Civil War was because the lack of industry and infrastructure in the South… railroads included. So my theory was the South invested in trains to be prepared in case the North ever invaded again. Just sayin’.
My Hope For The Next Ten Years
Ten years later, and I still cry. There are some images that I just can’t watch… and it has been a decade. I covered in an earlier blog where I was and what I was doing. We know so much all these years later, how they managed to carry it out, how many people fought to save lives, how many lives were lost… but also how wonderful and full those lives were. We know a lot ten years later. We have traveled a long road as a country to get to today, and it has often been a rocky road. When I look at where we are today and all that we have behind us, it makes me wish for better. So on this tenth anniversary, here is what I hope and pray to see in all of us in the next ten years.
- Be KIND to one another. This is my overarching and deepest hope; can we please just treat one another with a little more kindness? Do we need to wish one another harm, or tell someone they are worthless? Be bigger than the other person calling names. Smile at one another once in a while! And you know what; it is called the golden rule for a reason! Treat others as we would like to be treated. Let’s get back to that.
- Give Blood. Really, simple thing here… go give blood once in a while if you are able. There are people all over the place who are in need of blood donations, especially when there is a disaster. How helpful would it be if we donated blood more often than when there was a disaster going on? It doesn’t take long… and you get a sticker and free cookies!
- Don’t Fight. Please see item number one… don’t fight is tied to be kind, but it is getting its own bullet. I am so sick of seeing people get into fights at athletic events with fans from the other team. Same thing can be said for our politicians… they may not be throwing punches at one another, but this verbal back and forth name calling is awful. STOP FIGHTING WITH ONE ANOTHER. Please, let’s work together to cheer one another on. To enjoy the love of the sport we are watching, to work towards compromise to build something better than we have.
- Help one another. You remember that movie Pay It Forward from years ago? Or even those commercials from Liberty Mutual? The idea that you see someone do something nice, or someone does something nice so you do for someone else. Imagine if we ALL actually did that? Seriously, stop for a moment and think about that. If we could all take five seconds and give back. Hold the door open for someone, pick up the clothing that has fallen off the rack, let someone into the lane they or trying to get into. They are little things that can help make someone else’s day better. After those small things, imagine if we took another little step in that direction… give up a Saturday and help clean up a park, spend an evening helping serve food at a local shelter. There are so many ways we can give back… let’s make time to do it, and do it often.
- Learn from one another. From religion, to slang words, to our families’ favorite recipes… we all have so much to learn from one another, to understand. Can we please take a moment to ask a question in a polite way, and be given an honest answer? Let’s please not judge one another for not knowing something, and lets appreciate the courage it takes to ask a question when we don’t know what the response will be.
- Own your actions and words. This is simple… take ownership for what you say and do. Recognize the power that you as an individual have in this world to cause harm or do good. Own up to your mistakes, we all make them.
- Thank our soldiers. They are out there every day fighting for each of us to live the lives we do in our own ways. They leave their families behind and put their lives on the line for them every single day, the very least we can do is say thank you to them. When was the last time you actually thanked someone in the military? I haven’t done it nearly enough, and that needs to change.
- And remember their families. Did you read the statement above? Thanks also needs to be given to the families left at home… they are carrying a great burden that I wonder how many of us stop and think about on a daily basis. When I hear a report on the news about the latest casualty in Afghanistan, my thought process is a whole of a lot different than some who has a loved one over there… and I feel that we need to be aware of that more.
- Respect Our Leaders. I don’t like all of the decisions that the President makes. I didn’t like all of the decisions the one before him made, or the one before him. But at the end of the day I firmly believe that whoever the President is, that they are a good and honorable person and are trying to make the best decisions they can. I know I sure as hell wouldn’t want that job. I am not asking anyone to agree with every decision or even the majority of decisions that person makes… or even our other leaders in the House or Senate, but please let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and at the very least show them a little respect. Is it necessary for the average citizen to be wishing them dead or saying blatantly untrue or downright mean things about them? NO, it is not. It is possible to disagree in a civil manner… can we move back towards that middle of the continuum in discourse instead of the malicious way we are now?
Finally, I love these two little girls, LiLi and MG more than anything in the world. And I would love them to grow up in a perfect world, but I know that won’t happen. But can’t we all try to make it a kinder and more caring world for them than it seems to be at the moment? Can we each please try to do one nice thing once a day for someone else? My deepest hope is that in another ten years…. When LiLi is ten and MG is eighteen that is a little bit happier place. Can we please all agree to try? That’s my request for all of us. And now, no more 9/11 talk for me! Back to our regularly scheduled blog programming tomorrow!
MG at the beach
Most precious baby ever
Ten Years, My how I have changed…
As we approach the anniversary I have to acknowledge how the attacks of 9/11 have changed me, and I have to admit they have had a significant impact on me… more than I knew at the time.
– Late in that summer Gail, Sara, Michelle and I had started to talk about doing a big trip to Europe the next summer. We were so excited, we were going to see Europe and be young and carefree. Then 9/11 happened. We had so many conversations that fall… we couldn’t go, someone could kill us, our planes could be shot down, our trains blown up… there were so many fears, so very many fears. We talked about the Caribbean, or even Florida, something closer to home. This debate went on for months. Finally, we decided… screw the terrorists, if we didn’t GO, that would be letting the assholes win. We booked our flights that January, and in May 2002 we jetted off to Europe. We went to spite every one of those bastards in the best way our 19 and 20 year-old selves could, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have fears in the back of my mind.
Screw the terrorists, we are following through on our plans and going to Europe!
– I have always been afraid to fly, I had never like it before 9/11 and I hate it even more after the attacks. I logically know however that we have much tighter security now, but I still pray before I walk on a plane.
– I can’t believe I am going to admit this, but a part of me racially profiles now. Just for a split second I have those horrible thoughts. When I am in an airport, I look at people from the Middle East and wonder if they are terrorists. As soon as I have this thought, I mentally slap myself. Literally, I have a mental argument with myself that I am being horrible person and they not every person from the Middle East is a terrorist. Think of YOUR friends who are from the Middle East. Think of the terrorists who are homegrown, snap out of it. And I do, but I hate that I even have those thoughts, I am so sorry to all of those people that I do. That is one way 9/11 has changed me and not for the better.
– On the same token, minus those brief and horrible thoughts I have at airports, I am so much more open to other cultures and ideas. I try to learn about new people and understand where they are coming from, their backgrounds and points of view… I try to be more open, and I try to challenge others to be as well. I try, I make a valiant and good faith effort to do so… I try to be more open, caring and understanding.
– I pay attention to my surrounding a lot more. I look for the emergency exits when I am at a concert venue, I know how to get out of an office, I know where to duck if I need to duck… a part of this was exacerbated by the Virginia Tech shootings (I do work on a college campus) but it started with 9/11.
– I am not just aware of my surroundings, but I pay a whole hell of a lot more to what is happening in the world. What the threat levels are, what the major news stories are, but what the smaller ones are as well. I don’t want to be surprised or have never heard of someone/ group if something ever happens again.
– I appreciate my country and my freedom a whole hell of a lot more. I realize that people have fought and died for me to live the life that I do, and I love my life. And I am so very grateful for the people who fought for me to live it.
I am sure there are other ways that I have changed as a result of that day, but that is what I can think of at the moment. I still can’t believe it has been ten years.
What Has Changed Since That Day?
The world seemed to fall apart that day. Really, it did fall apart that day. In the ten years since, we have put it back together, but the majority of that train of thought is for another day. The blog on this Friday is to examine what has changed since that day, and it is a lot.
- Airport security, it is one of the changes that has been huge over the last ten years. It is also what I think has been one of the most visible changes, but also the one that has kept evolving. It seems there is always a new story on the news about the latest change. You have to have a boarding pass to get back to the terminal now. Only liquids that are less than a certain # of ounces, and they all must be together in a clear bag. No mace, nothing with a sharp edge that could be a weapons are allowed. You have to take your shoes off going through the line. Heck, they have even invented these full body scanners that take practically a full x-ray of you. We have sky marshals on flights And you know what, I don’t mind any of that. While I think the staff working need to be respectful and nice, I don’t mind if it takes me longer to get through security so that I can be safe on a plane from a terrorists.
- War. A little more than a month after the attacks we were in a war with the Taliban government in Afghanistan. While we have knocked that group down at first, and helped elected a new democratic government, that group is not gone and the war still wages. We went to war in Iraq as a result of heightened tensions after 9/11. While that war has ended, some of troops still remain. I remember a year after 9/11 and in the several immediate years that followed writing letters, emails and instant messages at times, but many snail mail letters to family members or friends who were stationed in those war zones. About a year ago I actually lost a friend I had known years ago back in the Fort, he was killed in Afghanistan in 2010. Last I heard, we had lost well over 5,000 soldiers in these ten years of war. How many families have been impacted by that? Or even on a larger scale of war and being overseas… how many families have weathered that storm as their loved ones have fought to protect?
- Anthrax. I didn’t know what Anthrax was before the fall of 2001, but now I know it is a chemical weapon basically. Terrorist… whether foreign or homegrown, seem to like to put it in the mail. It is a white powder and is a poison, so you don’t know you are opening poison when you open your mail. Sneaky bastards. But now a lot of people who sort mail wear gloves to help protect them… I don’t think you saw people wearing purple latex gloves as they sorted mail in a pre 9/11 world.
- Department of Homeland Security. US Department created to help secure and protect our nation at home after the attacks. Immigration is also lumped in there now, but I know them for two things. 1) They started that color-coding threat alert system that is now defunct. It always seemed to stay at orange because we are always in a heightened level of security. I actually kind of liked it, but it seemed to confuse a lot of people, so they scraped it. 2) This is the department that seems to give out a lot of money in grants or awards to local government to help strengthen security, and I guess that makes sense. But yep, that is what I know about the department!
- Sharing of Information. There seems to be a more general sharing of information between groups that coordinate security. Even as a little old civilian I can see this. The head of the Dept. of Defense is the former head of the CIA. When we hire someone at work we have to go through an online system to verify that they are an actual US citizen, and when you do that their actual passport or some other picture of them pops up on the screen… they have to get that stuff somewhere. We also know that a number of potential attacks have been halted before they happened, and part of that is everyone from the local police to the FBI actually trying (I doubt it always works) to work together.
- Heighted security in general. It is not just airports where we are more aware of security. In high profile buildings and sites, there are restricted areas inside and outside of the buildings. You can’t turn down certain streets or get to close to buildings… all over the country. At college football games you go through security at times, heck even at Disney World. There is just more security everywhere and it is part of life now.
- Building design. They are building a new skyscraper in lower Manhattan, it will be the tallest building in the US when it is finished. From all of the stories they have shown, they have really re-examined how to build these buildings to make them more secure. Instead of the metal support beams being on the outside, it is a structure in the center of the building. They build level by level now, not so much a giant frame. Also, the glass on the outside is a new type of glass that is supposed to help against disasters (I clearly was only partly tuning in when that was on the news this morning).
- Loss of privacy. We have had to crack down on terrorists after 9/11 and that has clearly lead to a loss of privacy for a lot of Americans. The government having names on a list of potenail terrorists, just based on their names. They can listen in on phone calls without a warrants, they can track finances, they can even know what books are checked out at the library. I can honestly say I don’t know HOW I feel about this. I hate how people who aren’t doing anything wrong are watched or judged, but how to do you balance that with trying to stop those who want to hurt us? That is a tough situation that I don’t have the answer for.
So, September 11th has changed our way of living in many ways. These are just a few of the ones that I had thought about as we are approaching this anniversary. What are yours?
How Could It Happen?
So, how could it happen? How could the most powerful country in the world be attacked on our own soil? And do very violently? What do we know ten years later?
Sadly, we know that 2,977 people died that day… 411 of them were emergency workers who rushed to the scene that day to HELP. We know that this had been a plan years in the making by people who absolutely hated America. HATE US. We know that we had lots of holes in our security, and I think we were rather oblivious (as a whole) to what was going on in the world around us.
From the books, articles, news shows, documentaries and lectures I’ve heard, it seems like this was building for a long time, decades. Bin Laden was the black sheep son of a Saudi multi-millionaire, and had a lot of his own money as he went to Afghanistan and helped the Afghans fight against the Soviets in the 1980s. Funny thing is, we helped the Afghans fight the Soviets too… anyone seen Charlie Wilson’s War? You have to wonder if things would have been different if we had stay involved, and not let the infighting in that country take over… if we had helped with an infrastructure, would it had held off terrorist groups having the ability to roam as freely as they began to over the years. Who knows, I think that is one of many ‘what if’ that are out there now. It is because of our bases in Saudi Arabia, our involvement in the first Iraq War, the fact that we were the liberators of Kuwait and not his terrorists, and our ongoing involvement in Israel that he had such a hatred of us. We know that his hatred, combined with lots of money, drew others to him who also hated the US, and a network was born, pretty much doling out money to terrorists who wanted to try to hurt us.
We know that there were serious holes in our defense, security and communication systems. Analysts were aware from the “chatter” happening out there that something big was happening soon. They even warned the major airports to be on alert for danger. But because one agency knew one thing and another knew something else they were prevented at the time… some by policy, some by agency/ company culture, from sharing. We also know that we had many potential opportunities before this happened to take out Bin Laden, and various other players, but because of near misses or potential of collateral damages, it never happened. We, the US, with our desire to harm as few as possible, didn’t want to risk collateral damage. Once again proving that we do have a soul, unlike the terrorist who see no uniform, where every citizen from baby to senior, is someone on the front line. In that, we learned that all of our conventional notions of “war” and front lines from years past were outdated and no longer accurate… the front lines are now all around us.
We learned that learned tighter security in our airports, and all around really, was needed. How they were able to get box cutters and mace and other weapons on board still is crazy to think about. We learned we need to be more aware and observant of what shoes the person next to us were wearing and what might be in them, but also of the neighbors around us or the people taking flight lessons. The 19 terrorists who boarded those planes lived among us for months leading up to the attacks, what would have happened if we had just paid a bit more attention?
For me, I also think that we learned that we can be pretty oblivious as a whole to what is going on outside of our own little bubbles. We get so focused on our day to day lives… the serious things and the flippant things, that we didn’t always take time to see what was happening day to day with other people…. From our next door neighbors on our streets our country. We know now that we need to be more connected, more engaged with each other.
Of course, this is all in hindsight and these are all the things that went wrong leading up to it, at least in my view, these are things that if one thing had changed along the way it may not have been. But even then, that wouldn’t change the fact that there are always going to be people out there who want to hurt us and will stop at nothing to achieve that…. But we have learned from all of this, and hopefully have learned how to try our best to prevent it. Yet, we also learned that we have heroes all around us, who are willing to stand up and fight. The passengers of Flight 93 were the first in a long series of heroes to teach us that.
But that is just my opinion.
It was a whole new ballgame, but did we learn how to play?
Gail introduced me to Rick Reilly when we were in college, and I have been in love ever since! He is an author and has a column in Sports Illustrated and has put out a number of books. He is so good, I even have my Dad hooked on reading his stuff! He has a couple pieces that are my all-time favorites and this one below is one of them. It’s A Whole New Ballgame ran two to three weeks after the September 11th attacks and it sums up how so much of the country felt at the time. The part that makes me sad ten years later is how we as American society didn’t really live up to the potential before us when it comes to supporting one another. There was a story on the news earlier this week about how the NFL (or some group) is going to start cracking down on fans that get into fights or brawls in the stadium during football games… why are we fighting each other? So I look at this article as a beautiful idea of what we could have done, and I hope that maybe we do get to treating each other like that, with kindness and support, more in the future….
It’s a Whole New Ballgame
Rick Reilly, The Life of Reilly
Posted: Wednesday September 26, 2001 6:47 PM
I guess this is where I’m supposed to say that sports are pointless now, as useless as a doily on an aircraft carrier. But that’s not how I feel. Actually, I think that sports can be more important than ever in gluing us back together.
Let’s hope, now that sports are in perspective, we keep them there. No more of those celebration riots or naming your kid Sosa or breaking up with your fiancée over the infield-fly rule. Sports can be smaller now, purer, the dessert cart on the menu of life, not the whole meal.
We’re all in this together, so let’s hope taunting becomes extinct. And booing and clipboard-smashing and head-hunting. Let’s hope the terrorists’ attacks will put an end to the look-at-me chest thumps after a two-yard gain. Pal, unless you went up a flaming skyscraper when the rest of the world was coming down, we don’t want to hear about it.
Let’s hope television stations start showing the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner again. They can run another Crazy Eddie Stereorama Blowout ad some other time. Also, is it too much to ask our athletes to stop scratching, spitting and jogging in place during the anthem?
Let’s hope Upper Deck comes out with a line of fireman and policeman trading cards. O.K., I’ll give you two Mark McGwires and a Roger Clemens for one Father Judge, deal?
Let’s hope professional athletes learn something from six-year-old soccer players and shake hands with one another after games, win or lose. Hell, make a human tunnel if you want. Orange slices for everybody.
Let’s hope the first golf commentator to call a putt “courageous” gets his mousse taken away for a month.
Let’s hope Soldier Field stays Soldier Field, instead of becoming Samsung Stadium or Volkswagen Presents Soldier Field. Philadelphia is planning to build a new baseball park. Instead of another Pepsi Place or Conglomerate.com Stadium, how about Freedom Park?
Now that the World Series could run into November, when it’s going to be colder than the smile on a DMV clerk, how about we finally move the games back to the afternoon, so our kids can watch them? Another thing: I don’t care how baseball does it — whether the players have to settle for one less Benz or the owners for one less Lear — but let’s skip the strike this time around. Baseball has a duty to play.
It’s hard to believe these words are coming out of my mouth, but it’d be sweet if we could have another Subway Series, just for the sheer joy it would bring New Yorkers. I’m a changed man. I love Yankees fans now. Please, put a hair in my soup. Grunt directions at me. Sell me rings that turn my fingers green. I know who you really are underneath. By the way, you think John Rocker knows now, too?
Whatever madness has overcome our athletes, let’s hope it’s permanent. In the worst of times they’ve suddenly been at their best, helping in soup lines, lugging water bottles, visiting hospitals. It’s so nice to see them at blood drives, fund-raisers and free autograph sessions instead of at Gold Club arraignments. Keep it up, fellas, and we’re going to have to see some I.D.
Let’s hope Michael Jordan brings the goose bumps with him again. And this time, may he bring his social conscience. He’s been invisible through all this. Right now people are depressed, out of work and skittish. This comeback is no longer just about him. It’s about the joy and unity he can bring. We need him out front, leading and unafraid.
Let’s hope everybody starts pulling hard for Army, Air Force and Navy. They’ve got a huge road game coming up.
Let’s hope we all go out to the ballyards more than ever. Yeah, our fanny packs will be checked and the bomb dogs will smell us, and there will be no-fly zones above stadiums, but don’t be intimidated. The ballyards are America’s stage now.
Somewhere, in some little bunker, the phlegmwad that started all this will be turning on his little TV, wanting to see a country full of smoke and rubble and tears. Let’s give him packed stadiums full of cheers and hugs and song.
Then let’s find the son of a bitch and run the Grambling band over him a few thousand times.
Issue Date: Oct. 1, 2001
You can find the article online here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/magazine/life_of_reilly/news/2001/09/26/life_of_reilly/
And we did get that little phlegmwad 🙂
Notes from that day in September
I have a tendency to hold onto things, especially letters/ notes/ emails. I saved a number of e-mails and notes from the time period surrounding September 11, 2001 between myself and my friends and family. Below are a few I had pasted into my journal from several of my friend and family. I have a number of others, including ones that I sent to people, but they are all packed away in the attic at my Dad’s house. I actually made a good faith effort to go over there this afternoon and dig them out, but they had a minor (and by minor, I mean major) leak in the roof this summer, so there is major construction going on and I couldn’t find a damn thing. So, you only get the smattering I had pasted in my journal. I have typed them exactly as they were written; I have only changed the initials or names at the end. Just another look back to how my circle reacted to that day.
Side note: Gail, who the hell was Kenny?
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Tuesday, September 11, 2001, around noon
Guys…you all know it takes a lot to shake me and not much that happens outside the realm of my world affects me or upsets me, but I just watched a plane fly into the World Trade Center and I keep seeing the towers crumbling to the ground, over and over, and I am in total and complete shock. I don’t even know what to say. It just shook me and made me realize how crazy everything in this world has become and it upset me.
The main purpose of this email, however, was to let you all know that I love you so much and each and every one of you mean so much to me. All this really really scares me and I hope that all of you are safe and okay and just know that I sincerely love all of you with all my heart and I will hopefully see you all in the Fort in a few weeks…although I may be driving home instead of flying.
(Kenny- BE SAFE!)
I love you!
Gail
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Tuesday, September 11, 2001, 12:20pm
you fool- of course we’re okay.. we’re in KENTUCKY..although i’m convinced they’re headed after us next.. why? Kentucky Fried Chicken of course.. duh! they’re obviously jealous of our ability to fry delicious chicken.. and because we’re ignorant hillbillies.. dammit- i don’t care, they’ll never get the secret recipe
-AG
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Tuesday, September 11, 2001, 9:40pm
We in America will overcome this. We will get on with our lives. We will hurt, we will be more careful for a while, but we are too conditioned for individual freedom to let terrorists make us break the mold.
I’m amazed at this point how many from the Towers got out. And so glad I didn’t join my co-worker Charles at the press preview of our Sept. PBS show last night in NY. He is stuck there indefinitely, but fine.
Here’s a note Buddy sent me and I am sharing it with you and your suitemates. I’ll see you before Christmas, surely!!! Sent your dad a birthday message today.
Love, Grandma Pat
May today there be peace within you.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
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Wednesday, September 12, 2001, 1:10AM
We went live tonight for the first time this year.
We weren’t supposed to. We weren’t even ready. But with all that happened, with the world trade center collapsing… we did it. Today I became a journalist. A real one.
We threw a show together in three hours. It was shear chaos.
I had watched the footage this morning in utter shock. My roommate and I held each other, glued to the tv. Preston from across the hall busted into our room this morning at 9 and told us to turn on the tv (keith had tried to come down earlier, but no one was awake at 7:30 like he was). We watched in horror. The whole world did.
At 11 I had to do what God calls me to do. I had to block it out and be hard. I went down to the station. Only three of us were there- and we did the only thing we could do. We began to stack a show. I got on the phone, getting info on closings. Then I edited footage off the CNN feed. People began to petter in. At 2 Noelle and I left and went around campus getting interviews with students and faculty… talking to the international center and a faculty member whose son was doing an internship in washington (the son survived). We got back to the station at 3. I edited for an hour. By then everyone had arrived. After I edited I wrote stories. They told me I was going live from the newsroom as the reporter (i didn’t anchor—Ryan Lykins and Lauren Hanson did). At 4:30 I had to do Ryans makeup. At 5 I finally got a chance to eat something. AT 5:10 I did my makeup. At 5:20 we had breaking news (the rest of the station was in a rundown meeting) and I had to quickly write an update on the Afghanistan bombing that happened in Kabull. At 5:45 I went to the bathroom and got a tip about rising gas prices in the area from a girl in the restroom. I ran back to the newsroom and got on the phone. I barely had time to write down my information about the gas prices before I had to hit my mark in the live shot. I gave updates on closings around the region and then told our gas prices exclusive. I wasn’t nervous. I was calm and collected for once in my life. Thank god. A 6:30 the show was over. We did rather well—considering. At 7 I went to a prayer vigil and prayed. I got home at 8.
It wasn’t until I got on my phone with my mom that I let this all sink in. I cried for a long time. Girls, this scares me. It scares the heck out of me. I’m scared for this nation, for the victims, for my friends and family, and for myself. My whole life is going to be spent covering tragedy and there is NO WAY I can get out of it. You can’t deny god. He calls me to do this… and I know this, but I am so scared. Can I handle this? I don’t know. I don’t know about anything anymore.
I love all of you. Please know this.
SG
A Journal Entry: September 11, 2001
Part of my thought this week is to remember what lead to that day, but also what happened and where we are now, at least from my perspective. Below is what I had written in my diary that day. A sophomore in college, a beautiful September day where the only thing I had on my to-do list was to call and wish my Dad a happy 49th birthday. I re-typed exactly what I wrote and made no edits, except to use Gail’s pen name of Gail instead of her real name… any of you who know me, know who I lived with sophomore year. I REALLY wanted to make edits, because there were some things not written well, but I refrained. It is interesting to re-read that volume, it was full of so many things that happened… the first summer home after college and adjusting to being in the North again, the loss of our friend Ian from high school, classes and settling into sophomore year. The entry before this one talked about how much fun the weekend was and what fun Gail and I were having with our friends… it gave no inkling of what was to come, of how the world we knew as innocent little college students was about to be upended. But I guess none of us really knew what was going to come…. So here is some insight into my sophomore brain on that sad day…. I wrote this that day, but mostly in the evening, so probably between 8pm and midnight, so we knew slightly more information that we had at 11am or 1pm or even 6pm… it was such a chaotic day.
Tuesday, September 11th, 2001
9/11/01 (911)
Terror Tuesday
Dear Diary,
This is another day that will live in infamy. Oh my God. We’ve been attacked. The USA has been attacked by terrorists. Two hijacked jetliners crashed into the World Trade Center Buildings. There were gaping holes in them with all kinds of black smoke and fire. About an hour after each were hit- they fell. The 110 stories of both buildings collapsed at separate times, just collapsed one floor on top of floor.
OH MY GOD!!!
There are 50,000 people who also work there. There is no estimate yet on the number of collapsed or injured.
Then another hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon. Our center of federal security and defense! This is insane! How did this happen? All of the channels- TV & radio- have the news on. Even MTV, TBS, TNT, TLC… it is all news.
Oh my God!
In the hijacking of four planes, 266 people were killed. Two American Airlines and two United. How appropriate that they use US named ones. The fourth plane crashed north of Pittsburgh. I think it might have been headed to Chicago. Some say it might have been aiming for another Washington area site. All were flights bound for the west coast, so they were full of fuel. Those SOBs planned this out. Oh my God!!
President Bush was in Sarasota Florida, reading to school children when he found out. He has been flown to Louisiana and then to Nebraska. It isn’t safe to send the President to D.C. the first family and all of the other important people have been moved to secure locations.
How did this happen? How did hijackers manage to get on these planes? Why did someone do this to us? What did we do?
Planes have been grounded all across the nation. People are giving blood everywhere.
A third building in NYC has just collapsed from the fire and flying stuff damage. 60 stories tall.
They think Osama bin Laden is behind it. He was behind the USS Cole, ’93 WTC, Kenya and Tanzania embassy bombings. He is a Saudi Arabian terrorist who is a millionaire, religious fanatic. He is being harbored in Afghanistan, or so it is thought. He will pay. We will not stand for this act of terrorism. Nor will we stand for countries who harbor terrorists. We will have pay back.
Wall Street has been closed. The US Border has been closed everywhere. Major League Baseball have been suspended. All military bases and personnel have been put on high alert.
I woke up this morning to my alarm clock going off and the radio talking about the World Trade Center. In the back of my head I was thinking, “ why are they talking about something that happened back in 1993?” When it went off for the second time I heard something a plane into it. I jumped up and turned the TV on. CBS and Peter Jennings were reporting what had happened. I was shocked. I just stood there and watched. I called Dad at work, I wanted to wish him a happy birthday. What a birthday. I talked with him again this evening. He is so upset. Completely shaken.
Oh my God!
I ran over to see if Christine knew- she did. I took the quickest shower of my life, so I could get back to the TV. I got dressed and watched the tv. Around 10:30am I watched the second tower fall to the ground. LIVE! “Oh my God!” That was basically all I kept saying. I will forever remember standing there in front of the TV in my white tank top, getting ready to fasten my black and white wrap skirt. Christine came in and we stood there and watched.
Oh my God!!!
Gail came in after that. Her teacher made her class leave- she didn’t really know what had happened. She had this shocked look on her face as she came in and stood by me and just watched. Her keys left in door her backpack holding it open where she had dropped it in a daze when I said “ I just watched the world trade center fall down.”
I went to GINT 360 after that. I wanted to hear what Dr. Fowler had to say about what was happening. He wasn’t there, but I think that had been pre-planned because of our substitute. The class was abuzz with what had happened. We had a sub- the former Governor of South Carolina and former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. His name was John C. West. For the first forty-five minutes he talked about what he knew of the Bin Laden family. It was interesting. After he talked about that, I couldn’t stand it anymore and I ran back to my room. I joined Gail in Christine and Ginny’s room with them to watch the news some more. Gail was very upset because she Todd called and he might have to go to Charlotte and go somewhere. Then we went to grab lunchand came back to watch more of NBC.
At least 200 firemen and policemen have been lost in the rubble. They did just find two police officers in the rubble! ALIVE! Good!
Bush made a speech at 1pm and 8:30pm. We will not take this. We will survive and go on. People will pay for this!
We’ve left our room to drive to Circle K and get a special edition of The State. Then we went ro get gas b/c prices are going to skyrocket. Then we went to Todd’s for forty-five minutes. There we watched more news. Senator Hillary Clinton gave an interview, as did former Secretary of State Madeline Albright. They gave great interviews, supported Bush, and said many things that Americans were desperate to hear. Then a lot of Senate and House of Rep members gave a press conference. They all (all parties) stood together in one place in the face of this nightmare. Then they broke into “God Bless America.”
So many people are dead. The US is going through a wake up call about our defenses. This is a turning page in the history of America.
We are War. War with Terrorism.
This will develop literally into a war. There will be retaliation and there will be soldiers going off to fight for us. Oh my God! This is such a different time period. So much has changed from the last major war.
Oh my God!!
I’ve got to try and sleep. This has been an awful day. Dear God, please watch over us and protect us.
Ten Years.
When I started writing this, I thought I was going to post it on my personal blog, but I am opting to do the series on this one instead. I am going to cover a couple of topics in these, and I know any of us who were old enough will always remember where we were, but I challenge each of you to think about what we have learned and where we have come… part of that starts with knowing where we started. So, that is part of what this week will look at. Back to all thing Southern and whatnot next week!
Wow, I can’t believe that it has been 10 years since the attacks of September 11th. I think I may do a series of blogs as we get closer. I have been going through my journal from that time period, the infamous “White Volume,” and there are so many things in there that might be interesting to share. Mainly e-mails from that day that had been saved that highlights the emotions of that day.
The other night I watched a special on the National Geographic Chanel with President George W. Bush. I read about the interview before I saw the show, and the producer commented about what an open and honest interview it was. He said that Bush came to the two day interview with no notes and no handlers and they literally just talked to a man on what his recollections were of that terrible day. In this case though, the man happened to be the President of the United States at the time. He talked about the moment he heard the news in that classroom in Florida, and how he had to remain calm in front of children and cameras (which I think makes sense). He commented on how it was like watching a silent movie unfold, as he could see the press in the back of the room get the news of the attack in New York and to see their reactions. Bush was not my most favorite President, but I will never fault him for the way he reacted to 9/11 that day and in the weeks that immediately followed, I can’t imagine that job on that day.
Time has definitely blurred the sharpness of that day for me. I still feel the overall impact, but I realize I have pushed some of the very painful things out of my mind. So that when 9/11 comes up in conversation in a class or even on the news, I don’t immediately think about the images of people jumping from buildings, or the image of that plane flying into the tower, or the collapse. I think about how someone launched a war on us, and people losing their lives and how it changed my world. My emotions just aren’t as sharp when I think of it as life in a post-9/11 world. But being closer to the anniversary there have been TV shows and magazines and books in abundance. It is seeing these shows, which I choose to watch at times, that it all comes rushing back. And it is a flood. I will be honest, I was slightly unprepared as to how emotional it would be ten years later to watch the actual footage. In the last week, I have literally had wet eyes or deep cries and a lot of goose bumps every time something comes on. It is not just a quick 15 second clip they are showing, but ongoing footage and interviews from that day, those moments. And it was awful then, it is still gut-wrenching all these years later. I can’t fault them for showing it, I mean, I am opting to watch it. I think we need to remember (that is a topic for another day) and I think that emotion needs to be felt. But man is it tough.
Ten years. I will never forget that day and all that it represents now.
10 Rules for College Football Fans!
Oh football season, I am so happy that you are back! To be more specific, welcome back COLLEGE football! Finally, gameday is HERE and my team will be taking the field for their first game in just a few minutes. Alas, the first game is an away game, so I will be catching the game on TV. The team is going to have a great season, and I am looking forward to it finally starting!
So, as we kick off the season, I wanted to share this gem that was featured in the current edition of one of my favorite publications, Southern Living magazine. Now, SL has had some ups and downs over the last few years in my opinion… a number of editor changes, redesigns of the magazine, sections added and taken away. Since this new guy took over, I have really been a fan (for the most part, still not loving that it is now so blatantly targeted at women, instead of general Southerners, but I will forgive that). He has had several great notes to readers on the Editor’s Page, but this one from September takes the cake…. LOVE IT!
The Top Ten Commandments of College Football Fandom
- Thou shalt wear team colors. But think twice before adorning yourself with body paint—you don’t want to be the Internet photo that goes viral.
- Thou shalt know—and sing—your team’s fight song from beginning to end. Sure, you can “watermelon watermelon” your way through the alma mater, but not memorizing the fight song is a fan failure. As a side note, for THIS ConvertedSoutherner, we all know the alma mater at my school and it is sung at games!
- Thou shalt keep your language clean (unless, of course, the quarterback fumbles on fourth and goal).
- Thou shalt support the coach. Even when his calls are questionable.
- Thou shalt be respectful to visiting teams. Remember: Southern ladies and gentlemen never boo.
- Thou shalt set up a tailgate no fewer than three hours before kickoff (six if it’s a night game). Table linens and matching huggers encouraged, but not required.
- Thou shalt theme your tailgate food around the visiting rival. Gator bites, anyone?
- Thou shalt stay through the fourth quarter—rain or shine. That’s what ponchos are for, y’all.
- Thou shalt respect the solemnity of Game Day by planning weddings, births, and other life events around the football schedule.
- Thou shalt not covet other teams’ bowl games, national championships, or Heisman Trophy wins. There’s always next year.
(Southern Living Magazine. September 2011. Page 8.)
convertedsoutherner 