September 11, 2001

I was getting ready for work on the morning of September 11, 2001. Kelly was upstairs and I was downstairs. While I was shaving, Kelly screamed down to me that an airplane had just slammed into the side of the World Trade Center in New York City. No big deal, I thought. In 1939 an airplane had crashed into the side of the Empire State Building. About ten minutes later, another airplane slammed into the side of the World Trade Center. Something was horribly wrong. For the next four hours, I would be glued to the television. My boss wasn't mad at me for coming in late to work. Matter of fact, he was late too. All of our staff was late.

Flashback to 20 years ago:

My father had taken us kids to the top of the World Trade Center when we moved to New York. I remember how high in the air we were. When nobody was looking, I tossed a handful of coins over the edge. Rumor has it that if a penny were to land on your head from 100 stories above, it will kill you. It doesn't work. There were pennies all over the sidewalk below...and, nobody was dead.

Flash-forward twenty years:

My father made a comment a couple of days ago about how scared the folks on the Observation Deck must have been. I say "Folks" as a generic term. These were children, fathers, and mothers. They were stranded on the top floor, watching these commercial airliners slam into the side of the building, knowing that they couldn't get down. They knew they were going to die. Thousands of people everyday visited the World Trade Center. There was a Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum on the top floor. I know. I've been there. It was filled with children Johnny's age. There were adults mine and Kelly's age.

I would take Kelly and Johnny to New York City in the Spring of 2007. We had a grand ole' time. We visited all of the major attractions. On our last day, we would visit the site where the World Trade Centers used to stand. There is a giant hole in the ground there now. There were many people crying outside the gates. Kelly, if I remember correctly, started crying.

I think there were a total of 6,000+ innocent people killed in the World Trade Center attacks. These weren't just people. They were people like you and me. They were children, just like our own. Remember that. I took my family to New York, knowing we were safe from any terrorist attack. The folks in 2001 took their families to New York City thinking they were safe from terrorist attacks, too. Same with all of the folks in Northern Ireland over the last thirty years. Also, the folks that took their families to Kenya, Indonesia, London, Lebanon, Jerusalem, etc., et al.

On the up-side...here are some photos from our NYC Trip:

This could have been somebody's son, killed on 9/11/01

This could have been somebody's son, killed on 9/11/01

This could have been somebody's husband and son, killed on 9/11/01

This could have been somebody's wife and son, killed on 9/11/01

This could have been somebody's son, killed on 9/11/01

This could have been somebody's wife and son, killed on 9/11/01

This could have been somebody's son, killed on 9/11/01

You could been standing here on 9/11/01

This could have been somebody's son, killed on 9/11/01

9/11 New Video @ Yahoo! Video

Your Family could have been at the top of this building

Wednesday This Week is my Monday

Well, as you all know, I managed to get away from the office for a couple of days. What a mistake. I walked in this morning, only to find a mountain of shit sitting on my desk! I have three days to catch up and Gilmer's off for the next five days. So, needless to say, this is going to be a short post.

Today's workload

Back to Idaho he Goes

I'm horribly depressed today. My father left for Idaho this morning at 5:30AM. I haven't seen my father since April of 2007 and miss him an awful lot. He's really the only person I "connect" to anymore. And, although he only was in Grand Junction for four days, I cherish every minute that we spent together during his very short visit.

I woke up this morning at 2:03AM (damn dogs) and did everything in my power not to wake him up. I had already succeeded in keeping him at my home for another night. Granted he shouldn't be driving in the dark anyway, but I managed to con him into staying another night in Grand Junction. "Honey, don't you need to wake up you Dad," my wife asked me. "Nah...he's pretty tired and could probably use the rest," I responded. I really didn't want him to leave. I've really enjoyed the time that he was in town. I have to think that my sisters agree, too.

I worry about him an awful lot. Isn't that funny? The Son worrying about the Father. He was the one that took care of me when I was younger and, here I am, worrying about his ability to drive in the dark! What a silly way to feel. However, honestly, I do worry about him. My sisters, too. Sissy Tammie (AKA: Mother Bis-natch Mother Hen) worries about his health. I'd like to think that Sisssy Kelly does too. His eye sight is quickly escaping him. He really should have flown into Denver. I thought that was the plan. He could have saved some money doing so. Plus, I would have been more than happy to provide him with a car to drive and would have driven him back to DIA.

Although I loved the time we spent together (especially the fishing), I saw something that made me realize what a wonderful father he really is. Not with myself, but my own son! Let me explain...

My son and I were tossing the football around in the front yard and I was starting to get pretty frustrated that he wouldn't get under the ball to catch it. "Watch the ball and get under it," I would tell Johnny over and over again. I know my father saw my frustration. He immediately came over and tossed the ball with Johnny. Dad started from about a foot away and slowly moved back, tossing the ball as he backed away. Johnny would catch the ball and throw it back to Grandpa. I can vaguely remember my father doing this with me. That's pretty sad that it has taken me 35 years to realize my father was actually a wonderful father! Sure...I'll never forget getting my ass kicked for silly things, but maybe you have to be an adult to realize such little things.

Here's my conversation with Johnny on our way to school:

Johnny: Daddy? Why did Grandpa leave so early?

Daddy: So he could avoid the traffic on the bridge. Are you going to miss Grandpa?

Johnny: No.

Daddy: No?

Johnny: No...I'll see him again soon. He's going to teach me to fish on the river, so I can come with you guys next time.

My father taught me to fish.

I'm going take a nap. I haven't slept well for days. Here are a few photos that I forgot I had in my computer.

We love you and already miss you, Dad

Austin on Tee-Box #2 at Adobe National

What a nice Swing! Just look at his feet...perfect placement!

Valentine's Dinner, 2008

Nuggie at the Nuggets' Game

Great Seats! For the right price, I'll give you my contact's number.

Chef Johnny on Pizza Night

New Emerson, Class of 2007-08

He loves Sushi!

Scientist Johnny at the Science Fair

Easter Sunday, 2008

A cold one before the game

Popcorn lovin' kids

Sissy Kelly, Johnny and Uncle Dirk lookin' all Jacked-up

Great Grandma Wampler and Johnny

Nice form

The Buddy Boyz at the Science Fair

Baby Zoe with Mommy

Grandpa Terry with Zoe

The World's Greatest Uncle!

The World's Bitchiest Auntie!
They're Jap Twins!

Mommy and Johnny after 18 holes

New Emerson, Graduation Day

Uncle Jim, Jap Tammie, and Cody

5'8" Jim, 4'8" Dad, and 10'9" Cody

Dad and Sissy Kelly

Dirk, Chink Baby, Dad, and Chink Mommy

Now, That's Amazing

Sunday Fishing with Dad

Dad and I spent the day fishing the East Portal of the Black Canyon National Park. I've been fishing here with my father all of my life. It's probably the most beautiful place I know of. Dad has been gone for a year and four months, so it was nice to hit the water with my fishing partner.

Great stretch of water for trout

The fishing here used to be great. Over the last twelve years, because of the over-fishing, it's not as good as it used to be. Nowadays, if you catch 2 fish, you're doing pretty good. Needless to say, we had a great day of fishing. I think we landed a total of 7 or 8. I caught eight trout (1 rainbow, 2 brownies). Dad, I do believe caught 4 or 5. Catch and release, baby!


This is the first fish I landed...Nice Rainbow


This fish was 20" in length

It was still pretty cold when we arrived. My thermometer only registered 46 degrees. It was easily 5-10 degrees colder on the river. It was so cold that I had to put my jacket on.

By 10:30AM, the temperature had risen 15-20 degrees. I had to shed the jacket.

Holy Shit! I look so old in this pic!

Dad didn't catch anything on this cast, but he did manage to catch a few nice fish. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison River is listed as Gold Medal Waters. There is no bait fishing allowed down there, so you must use either flies or lures. Because you are not able to keep any Rainbow Trout, the fish can get quite big. In April of 1984, I would catch the largest fish that I've ever caught down here (30" Rainbow). I can remember how much the fish scared me. I was only eleven years old.

"One Last Cast"

Dad's 18" Rainbow