Song of the day:
Always remember…
Every year when September 11 arrives - well, every year since 2001 - it’s impossible not to think about where I was, what I was doing, what I felt.
I can see my old apartment;
I can see the old TV where I watched the second plane hit and the first tower fall;
I can hear the radio in my car announcing that the second tower had fallen;
I can see my old office and my former boss telling us we had to go home;
I can see the people mindlessly wandering the aisles of the grocery store not knowing what the rest of our lives would hold;
I can hear the voices of my parents on the phone as we assured each other we were okay.
It’s all right there even though it’s been 23 years. In many ways it seems like it’s been a lot longer than that. In other ways it feels like it was last year. As with most years since then, I saw a lot of posts of remembrance today. They were moving and heartbreaking, as they always are. I thought back on visiting the 9/11 museum and memorial in New York last year and looked back at the photos I took while reliving those horrible moments.
“Never Forget” is something many say when it comes to 9/11, and they’re right. We should never forget the horror of that day or the way our country came together for a brief moment. But we also need to remember those we lost, those who gave their lives to save others, those who ran in when others were trying to desperately to get out, the families of those who said goodbye to their loved ones in the morning and never saw them again. We need to remember those who banded together to try to take back one of the planes; those who kept their cool when told to divert their planes to other airports without knowing exactly what was happening; those who sheltered, clothed, fed and supported the thousands upon thousands of people who didn’t end up where they thought they would that day.
Never forget, and always remember.
A few updates from retirement…
We’re still getting things situated in the house - okay, mostly my stuff because The Mother had already done her part before I got here - and it’s feeling more like a complete house. There’s still more to do, but we got a few things on the walls, I got my desk built with the help of my stepsister Patty, and we bought some additional bookshelves for my office (still gotta build those). We also bought a bed for the guest room (being delivered soon so pics of that later). So it’s getting there, slowly but surely.
Oh, we also got a swanky new bandana for Benjamin J. Perez, III.
A few other things…
We got our COVID and flu shots this week, and I highly encourage all of you to do the same. COVID is hitting people hard right now, and trust me, you do NOT want it. You don’t want the flu either, so get the shots. And of course, wear a mask when you’re out and about.
Saw a few movies in the theatre:
My Penguin Friend - We loved this! I randomly saw the preview for this, and it was so, so good. It’s a true story, so if you like penguins and humanity, this one’s for you.
You Gotta Believe - Another good (and true) story. This one is about little league baseball and family and friendship. If you like those things then you should check this one out.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - Loved it! The Mother didn’t see this one with me, but it was chock-full of nostalgia and goodness. Michael Keaton is absolute perfection, as is the rest of the cast. Highly recommend.
Also saw a few movies at home - some that The Mother had never seen before:
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope - Felt right to watch this one after James Earl Jones passed. Still fantastic after all these years. And yes, The Mother had seen this one before.
Coming to America - Again, because of James Earl Jones. This was a first viewing for The Mother, and she loved it. It’s still so good! She’s also never seen Trading Places which we obviously have to watch now so that the one scene in this movie makes sense.
Last Holiday and Just Wright (a tour of Queen Latifah movies, if you will) - The Mother hadn’t seen these either, and she enjoyed them. They are among my favorites, so I’m always happy to watch them.
I think there were a few others, but I honestly can’t remember.
In addition to all of that, we have started to watch the TV show Ghosts, and it is excellent! We’d both been wanting to watch it for the last couple of years, but it only streamed on Paramount+ which we didn’t have. Until last week when I decided to get it…primarily so we could watch this show. Worth it!
We didn’t watch the debate yesterday, but I’ve read a lot about it and seen a number of clips. That was…wow. I honestly don’t see how it’s even a choice, but this is still a close race. Please make sure you’re registered to vote, and that your friends and relatives and co-workers and neighbors are registered, too. And then make sure everyone votes!
The Mother and I are going to start writing our swing state postcards next week, and we’ve been wearing our Kamala shirts around town, and we got swanky new magnetic bumper stickers for our cars. We are spreading the word however we can because we refuse to let what happened in 2016 happen again. We just can’t.
Anyway…I think that’s about it for now. Hope you’re doing well and enjoying the week.
Video of the day:
We lost an incredible actor and human this week when James Earl Jones left this earth. He was always a favorite and will be greatly missed.