Random 5 for September 11, 2022 – Weather, car, humor, September 11, King

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September 11 – I remember the day well. It was gorgeous. A perfect late summer-early fall day. The kind where you wished you didn’t have to work. I was plugging away oblivious to the drama two hours to the north when my boss came and asked if I knew what was going on. That can be a loaded question. Since it was a quiet (or so I thought) day, I said no. (Did someone quit? An argument between employees? You never know when you are in HR!) He turned the news feed on my computer. Our workplace turned into chaos shortly as all parents wanted to be with their kids. Everyone was crying. This was before everyone had cell phones especially kids. We closed so people could seek comfort with their loved ones. It ranks right there with memories of JFK’s assassination and other significant events (covid right too). RIP to all those heroes lost so long ago. Do you remember where you were?

The switch was flipped – We have cooler weather with nighttime temps dropping to the high 50s. So pleasant. With that change, I moved from outdoor projects (any not done will be there next spring) to indoor projects (which have been on hold since June). I picked up supplies for a few small ones – wallpaper for a wall, a new decorative clock (which needs painting) and supplies for a window valance. Slowly I will plug away at them making sure I enjoy the great outdoor weather too.

A new car! – The beloved husband replaced his old minivan with an SUV.  It has enough space to carry materials for his wood projects without the boxy appearance his old car had. It’s slightly smaller but the real draw was all the new safety features. His old car was starting to have quirks. You know the kind. Sometimes it does something and sometimes it doesn’t. For sure it doesn’t when you take it in to be repaired. Welcome to the ‘hood “gray bomber!”

Language please! – In my Facebook feed I get a British history lesson (mostly on the old-time royals) every day. This has nothing to do with the recent death of Queen Elizabeth. I’ve been getting these for months and almost all the events happened in the 1800s or much earlier. This week I read about the takeover of the monarchy way back. The text, which is always proper, described the ensuing chaos as a royal shit-show. I spit out my coffee laughing. Very unexpected. Maybe this information will make me a better Jeopardy contestant if the category is European monarchies. If only I remember!

Long live the king – We all knew it would happen sooner rather than later given the age of the Queen. The Brits have a new king (and a new Prime Minister). We wish them both the best. I’m enjoying the pomp and circumstance that only the British do well. It’s a great diversion from the political shit-show going on here.

So how was your week?

 

53 thoughts on “Random 5 for September 11, 2022 – Weather, car, humor, September 11, King”

  2. I remember 9/11 like it was yesterday too and when our office was dismissed only two people remained … my boss and me as our client has a MIOSHA hearing the next day in Lansing, Michigan from a scaffolding rig that went from horizontal to vertical though no one was injured. For months our client had rebelled against the fines saying he’d fight each and every one, but the day before he had a change of heart, so we were there til mid-afternoon plugging away trying to settle the stupid thing. We had a nice cool spell a week ago (when this post was written – I am a week behind), but it has morphed into hot and sticky – it was 85 today.

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      • Yes it was and when my boss drove me home, he said “we’ll take surface streets, not the expressway – it’s safer” so I thought we’d never get home that day. We had a woman painting and papering out entire house – she began the day after Labor Day. It’s a small house. We were living out of boxes and we moved furniture around every night depending on where she would be the next day. The TV was in a corner behind my mattress as we gave my bedroom suite to our next-door neighbor before the project began. All my drawers were packed into small bankers boxes. It took her a month to finish. We had a small TV with bad reception so we could not really watch the TV news.

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  3. I think you’re right about the pomp and ceremony, the following of tradition, and the ability to take a solemn occasion and not mar it with crass commercialism, or so it seems to me, is a British quality we Americans have not acquired. We could learn a few things. And I, too, really hope that the transition to the reign of King Charles III will be experienced as worthy of respect.

    My grandson’s birthday is September 11. He turned 5 this past weekend. I have struggled a bit with it being his birth date. It’s like all infamous dates–there will always be birthdays and celebrations! But prior to his birth I took the day and kept it as solemn and “thought-full” as possible. This year, like the last several, we traveled and celebrated with a happy, healthy 5-year old, as we always will. But there are those dates that will for those of us who “were there” even if that means in front of our televisions, always stop us cold when we do remember.

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    • It’s more solemn than being born on Christmas. I was a friend with a 9/11 birthday. She was born way before the event. My husband’s birthday was JFK’s assassination. He was shot on his 21st birthday and everything closed.

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  4. 9/11 rings sharp in my mind. We lived in Florida but were visiting family in Chicago on that day. Stayed at Mom’s. Thank God we had driven and not flown. I was walking our then dog, Piezon. When I got back, my husband was watching television standing up with a dazed look on his face. When I asked him what was wrong, he said, “Someone blew up the World Trade Center.” I could go on, but we all remember how emotional that day was.

    Congrats on the new SUV.

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    • You are lucky to have driven. It felt safer at the time. My stepkids were on a Disney cruise and the crew told them. Disney put them up and helped them get flights as the ones they had were cancelled. Disney did a great job. They even got food tickets and free access to DisneyWorld. Still, they wanted to get home. You feel safer at home.

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  6. Congrats on the new vehicle. I’m sure your husband will enjoy his shiny new ride and be most entertained with all the marvelous safety features.

    Yes, 9-11…lest we forget. I was working downtown in Denver’s “World Trade Center’ and we had no idea what was going on and they closed the entire buildings and sent us home. I remember walking from the bus stop to my house and thinking my gosh, it was such a beautiful day and how could this happen. I reached out to my parents to make sure they were ok. Little did we know it was like the opening of the gates of hell for so much then.

    Enjoy getting ready for indoor projects. I’m hoping I can get caught up to start tackling some sewing projects that have been postponed all summer. I’m so over the whole summer garden thing but do plan to make sundried tomatoes out of my overabundance of the little red gems. It’s hard to keep up as they ripen so this should make for a nice way to end the season.

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  7. Shit show indeed, and one that doesn’t seem to have a sell-by date at that. I recall 9-11 like it was yesterday, as I guess most people do. It took my agency hours to officially close, though most of us left on our own accord. As we left the building, we could see the smoke from the Pentagon in the distance. I wish I had the same switch down here — it’s still hot! Congrats to the Beloved on the new car. Snazzy! – Marty

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  8. I was holding a cup of coffee in the kitchen about ready to head out for sales calls when the first one hit – call my husband to the small Kitchen TV, then the second.
    Grabbed the phone as I knew daughter was in car headed to airport for NYC interview. She had just seen the roadblock in front of her airport – didn’t know why.
    “Why” is still there. What humans will do to others they don’t even knows pretty inhuman…and keeps happening over centuries…slow learners, humans
    The world needs pomp and pageantry more than it knows.
    Wall paper and material – your projects always brighten up everything. (Ah, hope of cooler weather – enjoy it for me as I wait for aaa arrival here some day! Oh, cat least the tank tops are put up)

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    • Seems like we were all huddled around a TV somewhere. Watching the Ukraine war unfold, I’m reminded all the time at man’s inhumanity to man. What’s the point? Power? Perhaps those leaders have too much testosterone. My vet is willing to neuter them.

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  9. I was at work as well. We had a TV in the waiting room for our patients, which became a paralyzing pit stop for the entire floor as the events unfolded.
    The Brits certainly know how to do it. I’m enjoying everything Queen until it’s over.
    Safe travels with your new wheels!

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  10. I have clearer memories of where I was when I heard about JFK. I was walking up the stairs at the Liberal Arts Bldg. at Seattle Univ. and some girl coming down asked me if I’d heard. For the next few days, we all sat around in our dorms, crying. With 9/11, I was home alone, so all my memories are about what I saw on TV.

    Nice SUV. I hope your husband enjoys it.
    c
    Our weather is getting cooler, too, which would be nice if we didn’t have a forest fire on this side of the our mts. The air quality is so bad that for a few days, we’re advised to stay inside and keep our windows closed.

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  11. I was 6 months pregnant and was supposed to go to a Mommies of Toddlers get together. My daughter was 2 years old and playing happily. I decided that I really didn’t feel like going out and turned on Regis and Kathie Lee 5 minutes before the planes struck. The show was interrupted and I was glued to the tv, watching in horror. I remember rubbing my belly telling my baby to stay inside of me cause the world was going crazy!

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  12. Yes, it’s a day you remember just like JFK. The Brits do do pomp and circumstance well. Classy. Enjoy the new car. I’ve been working like a dog with the fall weather trying to get all those to-do-tasks done. I figure I’ll be a year older next year and will appreciate them being done. 🙂 I’ve been doing ‘some’ sewing but not a lot. Good luck with your projects.

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  13. I was working in the UK operations centre of an American Bank that day. It was dreadful and everyone present was affected.
    Indeed we have a new King, which feels extremely strange as Queen Elizabeth has been our monarch all my life. As for our new PM, the jury’s out…………..

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  14. Britain does pomp and circumstances better than any other country. I, too, am finding it a pleasant distraction from this country’s shitshow. I just wish people would lighten up on Megan Markle, she’s a princess, get over it.

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  15. I was at home curled up in my chair with the Z Cat when Charlie Gibson from Good Morning America cut in to show those first shocking pictures and we weren’t sure what was going on yet. Pretty clear it was an attack after the second plane. I was glued to TV all day long as everything
    unfolded. Incredibly sad and shocked… so sad. We had friends at the Pentagon and all we could do was wait.

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    • I had lived in north Jersey previously where a lot of people commuted to NYC to the trade towers. Many neighbors worked there but only one was lost. I worried about my next door neighbor but he wasn’t working that day. I didn’t find out until a month later.

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  16. I was also at work when the planes hit the towers on Sept 11. Everyone was glued to the news unfolding on their computers. Several of our staff were in the US for a conference and now stuck there (they eventually rented some cars and drove back to Canada). We were all shocked, stunned, and saddened at what was happening with our neighbours. Not much work was accomplished that day.

    Deb

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  17. I was asleep in Los Angeles when I got the call from a friend. We are both from the DC area and freaked out over the Pentagon as well as the Towers. She kept insisting the planes were packed with explosives and I kept telling her there was no way and no need.

    Being right did not make me feel one bit better that horrible day.

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  18. Here’s where I was:

    Reality Dawned

    When Elizabeth became queen, she was tutored (in part) by Winston Churchill who had LOTS of experience being in the public eye (or shit storm). In contrast, Charles has been able to watch him mom handling shit storms for 70 years. He’ll be able to tutor the new PM.

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  19. I remember being at work on that fateful 9/11. The whole building, full of people, was so shocked…I’m pretty sure no work got done that day. The leadership team was scheduled to leave on a multi-day work retreat…we didn’t go.

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