Remembering 9 11 and The Week that Was - September 11

Flag on the Merrimac Ferry.
7/2/2016 dwm photo

We were in an Eau Claire Title Office to sign paperwork to refinance our home in Augusta when the person helping us had to make a call.

When she hung up, she turned and said two planes had flown into the World Trade Center that morning. 

Back home we watched the news.  I received updates from our mutual funds company with suggestions on how to respond to customer calls.  The boys played middle-school football that night in Altoona.  

In 2001, news didn't travel as fast as today, so the game went as scheduled, but by its end we heard gas prices were rising like a rocket and fears skyrocketing along with them.

The next few days it was as if the world stopped turning.  All planes were grounded.  Our home in Augusta was east of Minneapolis so we were accustomed to seeing contrails of jets left across the sky.  The absence of those lines of smoke made an impression on me.

As we watched the rescue operation in New York and Washington hoping for survivors it felt like our country was coming together.  Our church was packed for a special prayer service.  We prayed for family members serving in the military and all those on the front lines in the face of danger.

Twenty years later it still feels like a fresh blow.  The 2,977 who died that day are joined by hundreds, if not thousands of others who died as a result of illness or injury caused by September 11.  We should never forget, we must not forget.

There are several events where I'll always remember where I was when I heard the news: Challenger Disaster, Siege in Waco, and the attack on the U.S. Capitol.  

The phrase, "new normal" was into vogue in 2001, but looking back that unprecedented attack forever changed every one and nearly every thing in the United States.

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This week started with a rainy and cool day Saturday.  Nothing was planned and that's exactly what I did other than work on upcoming presentations on covered bridges and lighthouses.

Sunday after church and reading the paper, I updated the video tours of bridges and lighthouses they will go live on YouTube Thursday.

Jace Peterson at the plate in the bottom of the
first as shade creeps toward home.
9/6/2021 dwm photo

 We attended our first Brewer game in person Labor Day.  I bought seats in what I expected would be in the shade.  The temperature was nice, but in the direct sun it was hot.  

 We retreated into the shade until the game started.  For a while we were paying more attention to the shade as it crawled our way.  We were comfortable by the end of the second inning.

 The Crew won in the bottom of the ninth the day before as a grand slam home run erased a three-run lead and made it a Milwaukee victory.  There is no momentum in baseball.  Milwaukee was shut-out by Philadelphia 12 - 0.

Bernie Brewer & friend. 9/6/2021 (dwm)

It was great to be back in what's now called American Family Field (formerly Miller Park).  We saw two folks we knew after we walked through the Team Store known as Bernie and Barrel Man.  They don't talk much but are pretty friendly and make you feel at home.

We had our first bratwurst with secret stadium sauce since 2019 while waiting for first pitch.  It was just like I remember.

On the way out I ran into a guy who lamented about such a good team looking as bad as this team, mentioning the Brewers had lost all seven times he was in the stands.  I suggested he needed to stop coming to Am Fam Field.

In spite of the loss, Milwaukee was still 11 games in front of the second place team in the division with 24 games remaining (before Tuesday's game).  The Brewers only appeared in one World Series (losing in 7 games to the St Louis Cardinals in 1982) and are a small-market team in a league where the big money usually wins.

They may not win it all, but I'm confident this team has what it takes to go all the way.

Wednesday I hosted the first Foundation Pizza Party since February 2020.  It's a small get-together with residents on Oakwood's Prairie Ridge campus who share the same floor or building.  For our three newest apartment buildings parties were planned for spring 2020, but Covid-19 wiped them out.  

It was a nice evening.  I met new people, and everyone went home full of pizza.

Thursday was probably one of the final three or four rickshaw rides I'll give this year depending on October weather.  It was perfect day to ride which perhaps was the reason four residents enjoyed their first ride around campus on the front of the bike.

The final day of the week was busy considering the calendar seemed reasonable.  I spoke to a Senior Group in the morning talking about covered bridges; met a former colleague for lunch; then had a donor visit in the afternoon.  In between those items there were letters to write, data to input, and plans to prepare for next week.

And with that, it was time for the weekend and a new week!