A Day in the City

The day after the parade was Monday, Memorial Day, and Ryan and I decided not to battle traffic on 95 so we weren't leaving until Tuesday. We tossed a few ideas around, but I really wanted to go into the City. It had been way too long since my last trip and we never really had the chance to go together. We went to Coney Island last summer, but as for the City itself, not so much. So we spent the morning saying goodbye to my mom and dad and brother as they got on the road and then hung around with Babci and Poppy until lunch time. Then we got on the train to head to New York City.

My cousin Jill lives in the City now as she is attending law school there. She offered to meet us when our train got in and to hang out with us and help us get around. It has been a few years since I have been there so I happily took her up on her offer! Our first stop....

Chipotle. I am dead serious. There are no Chipotles in eastern North Carolina and we have been craving it like crazy! In Alexandria we went there quite a bit and it had been well over a year since our last burrito. I always get the burrito bowls and a grapefruit Izze... oh it was heavenly.

Some of the sights we saw from afar, like the Empire State building, but others we really wanted to go to as neither of us had done them before. One was the World Trade Center Memorial. We took the subway to the area but the line for tickets was HUGE. We were sadly about to cut our losses when a guy reaches over to hand Ryan something. Like a good city boy (well, not really, but he lived in DC long enough) he said "No thanks" without looking. The old man then growled at us, "Son, take the free tickets!" We look and the man handed us three tickets to the Memorial for 5pm. He explained he couldn't go and would be coming back tomorrow and he had three tickets to get rid of. Looking at him he was obviously a veteran and I am convinced he recognized Ryan as one as well (the haircut tends to be a dead give away!). We were so touched and thanked him profusely... we could now go to the Memorial.

We did have some time to kill so we decided to walk to the Brooklyn Bridge, another big must see for me as I had never been! We went through a nice park and then watched some pretty awesome street performers before heading to the Bridge itself.

It was crowded! Oh man was it crowded. And warm... it finally hit the 70s and in all honesty it was the perfect day to be walking out in New York City. Even though the Bridge was packed we still walked across and took pictures. It is never that crowded in the movies :P

My cousin was an awesome tour guide! Thanks Jill!

All three of us on the Brooklyn Bridge. My husband never wears sunglasses....

The Statue of Liberty

Skyline

This picture became one of my favorites. We just had a great time together enjoying everything. After we got off the Bridge we made our way to the Memorial. After going through security (and by passing the HUGE non ticket holder line) we were finally there. As someone who lived less than an hour from the City during 9/11 it was extremely difficult for me to be there, my cousin too. Both of us definitely shed tears. My husband was extremely quiet as well... the reason he decided to join the Marine Corps in 8th Grade was because of what happened on 9/11. Now nearly twelve years later it was incredibly surreal to be standing there, looking at the giant fountains where the Twin Towers had once stood.

The Freedom Tower is basically in between the North and South fountain memorials. Standing below and looking up at the finished (at least on the outside) building made me feel so incredibly small. I have seen it from afar during its construction but being right there was a whole different story.

When we walked around and saw roses, mementos and other things it was just heartbreaking. As we read the names what got to me was how many had a woman's name with "and her unborn child" next to it. Each time we passed one Ryan wiped the pollen/dust from the surface of that name and paused for a moment. The Memorial is beautiful and I am so so glad we went.

We also saw the Survivor Tree... it has been there since before the 1993 bombings (also honored at the Memorial) and survived 9/11. It was transplanted during construction and recently replanted at the Memorial site. It is slowly starting to take root again and will be a constant reminder of Survival to all who see the Memorial.

The museum on the Memorial site wasn't open so after sitting for a bit we headed out. On the way out we saw a table giving away pins to the first 1,000 veterans or active duty military who came to the Memorial so Ryan got a nice pin that he wore the rest of the day.

After pausing (and in all honesty taking a needed smoke break to calm ourselves) we took the subway to Rockefeller Center to get me some cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. I ended up eating them in the car on the way home the next day and they were delicious! I got Red Velvet and my second favorite, yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

We walked by some shows and man I wish we had the time to stop and see them! It would have gotten us on the train home way too late, but I hope to see another Broadway show some day. I saw quite a few growing up (it happens when you're a theatre person and live not too far away) but it has been years since the last time I saw one.

We then got to see my cousin's apartment (nice!) and relax for a few minutes before going to a bar/restaurant nearby to meet her boyfriend for dinner. I also took the moment to photography my Magnolia stuff properly.

We had a good (if pricey, welcome to the City) dinner of burgers and beer while watching the Yankees/Mets game before Ryan and I had to get back on the subway to catch our train home. As you can see he is wearing his pin in this train picture!

We had a wonderful time playing tourists and got home in enough time to make sure Babci and Poppy were not worried about us being out too late! The next morning we all had breakfast before Ryan and I got back on the road. Luckily we planned it right and hit no traffic except for an accident right outside of Baltimore but even then we were only stopped maybe ten/fifteen minutes before we reached our exit.

Ryan's allergies developed into a cold that day which he then gave to me.... but we are both better now and I finally got to blog about our road trip! Whew.

Always Remember

I don't think I can say much more than I did last year and the year before, but I will always remember 9/11. My heart and prayers go out to all the victims and their families who are still in pain, missing their loved ones eleven years later.

My little brotehr and I the weekend before 9/11. We went to the Staute of Liberty and Ellis Island for the first time.

The new Freedom Tower, slowly being built.

Tear of Grief - Wordless Wednesday

Ten Years

This was taken Labor Dady Weekend 2001... our first visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island... days before the attack. This was taken on the ferry between the two by my dad.

I know a lot of people have written many things about 9/11 already. I even wrote about what I experienced on 9/11 on this day last year. But I have something different to share this year too.

In my acting school, on September 12, 2001, when we came back to school, our teacher had us write a note to ourselves in the future. He promised us to mail them to us ten years from now. After experiencing the tragedies of the last twenty four hours the mere idea of comprehending ten years into the future seemed impossible. I remember sitting on the studio floor, struggling with what to write.

A few weeks ago I remembered that we wrote these letters. I wrote to my teacher Joe on Facebook asking if he still had them, and he did. On Thursday the letter arrived to my address here in Virginia. This morning I opened it and took my time to read it as I watched memorial coverage in the background. I was fourteen when I wrote this letter and had just experienced one of the biggest horrors imaginable. My handwriting is different, it is when I did the circles over my eyes and curled the bottoms of my gs and js. Joe included his own letter to us.... not to judge ourselves or what we wrote. We are to use this as a vehicle to recall the person who sat on the floor of the dance studio and tried to figure out what was happening.

I debated sharing it here, but I will. I think it is important to remember, and I know having such a direct link in my hands is something most people do not have. So, no judging, here it goes.

Hi,

I am sitting here in Joe and Shelias class for drama writing you a letter. Do you remember yesterday? Yesterday was the attack on America. I don't understand why this happened. Why did thousands of poeple have to die? Why were those planes hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon and World Trade Centers? Do you remember sitting in Mrs. Pacilios Spanish 2 class and hearing Dan K**** tell you what you and Jay heard on the radio was true?

On the bus from Vo-tech Jay, Meghan C and I heard a plane crashed into the twin towers, or one of them. Do you remember thinking the pilot just couldn't fly? Hijacking never entered our minds. Then in Spanish, actually hearing the principal come on the loud speaker and telling you this, and to feel free to call relatives from the guidance office.

Do you remember missing part of Algebra to call Mom and Dad to see if Greg, Rob, Ken, Uncle Bob, Joni, and eventually remembering George... were ok? They were. George ended up being off, and you call him before lunch with no answer and lecture him for forgetting your birthday but to be ok.

I'll never understand why this was done. Ever. Or how it was fully done. These sick people may cause a World War III, but they haven't broken us. They made us stronger. Don't ever forget that.

And don't forget the discussion we just had in Vo-tech. You, Jay, Melissa, Megan... everyone. Speak your mind.

Love always,

Allison O Age 14 -> You!


Wow.

I forgot I called George... my biological father. He worked in the Lincoln Tunnel. This was the first birthday of many of mine he had forgotten but I didn't care, I wanted to make sure he was ok. He didn't go into work that day. I don't remember that. Or the convesation I wrote about at the end.

This event caused my husband, then a 13 year old 8th grader, to want to join the Marine Corps. He decided on THAT day then and there.... this altered our futures and made our lives into what they are today. I will remember all those who were lost in Washington DC, New York City, Shanksville PA, Iraq and Afghanistan. We will never forget.

Not What I Planned...

Today I was hoping to write about the amazing time I had at the Milblog Conference Reception on Friday night. Or about our Anniversary Weekend... but there is a big news buzz that cannot go unmentioned.

Plus I left my camera at home so I don't have the pictures I wanted to accomodate the other posts available :P

Sunday we kept things pretty low key, I will write about our anniversary tomorrow hopefully... but we had actually gone to bed when Ryan got a text. This is sometime after 11pm. I looked and told him it was a CNBC news alert and he told me to just ignore it, it was probably about the market in Japan or something. His phone flashes all night if you don't check the message so I told him I'd check it regardless.

I read it and saw Bin Laden was killed. I rolled over and told Ryan and he was in the living room turning on CNN before I barely finished my sentence. We watched Obama's speech, which I thought was very good personally, and then I had to convince Ryan why going to the White House at midnight was not a good idea... ie the metro is closed, we cannot drive down there, and you have work in about five hours ... so we went back to bed.

It was a very surreal feeling to sit there and listen to the President speak, my head resting on my husband's shoulder, both of us as still as statues. I remembered being 14 years old and in Spanish class when the news of 9/11 broke. I remembered being terrified living so close to New York City, scared for the safety of my family, friends and myself. The nightmares of planes and fire that were in my nightmares seemed to last forever.

But we began to heal. Our country slowly knitted self together as that strange name slowly came into focus. Osama Bin Laden. Blame. The image of a bearded man with a large gun smiling at the results gave me chills.

I never expected to marry into the military, but I did. My husband pledged his life to our country because of 9/11. Our lives are forever changed from it. I pray the troops do not suffer reprecussions from this, that our people stay safe both here and abroad. And although I know it is wrong to celebrate death... I won't for a second pretend I am not unhappy about it. I think he got exactly what he deserved. That is just my opinion. It is my blog, I tend to throw that out there a lot.



May the souls of those lost in 9/11 (and in the war since then) rest a little easier. May their families feel some comfort. God Bless America.

Remember

I was 14 years and three days old. It was my second week of my freshman year of highschool.

I remember being on the bus between my two schools (my acting school and academic school) and hearing it on the radio. The first plane hitting. I remember a picture in my mind of a small plane (not an airline plane) nicking the tall atenna on the top of the one Tower. I remember being in Spanish class when the announcement was made on the loudspeaker. The full story.

I remember my history class being glued to the TV. The footage showed over and over again. I remember wondering if my family in the City, a mere 45 minutes away, were ok. I remember feeling panicked, scared and horribly sad.

I remember the the pink slips of paper coming into class. Kids were being picked up left and right to go home. White slips were phone calls. Everytime either one came in the whole room held its breath. I remember my English teacher desperately trying to reach his wife who worked a few blocks away from the Towers. I remember being allowed to use our cellphones to call home. I remember my mom saying no one heard from Uncle Bob yet (my mom's uncle) who typically took the PATH train to the World Trade Center and walked to work. I remember the relief when he stumbled home that night and the phone chain went out. He heard on the train police activity was blocking the tunnel so he went back to Penn Station in time to hit the flood of people fleeing the city.

I remember his son-in-law, a police officer, going to Ground Zero and not coming home for three days and never speaking again of what he saw there.

I remember the questions in my four year old brother's eyes. How do you explain something like that to someone so small?

I remember the church services and memorials.

I remember being asked to speak (as a student speaker and representing my acting school) at the county memorial. I remember speaking in front of 3,000 people holding candles trying to keep it together.

I remember the dead air space over NJ. I remember being in my acting class and writing a letter to myself ten years in the future...next year. During that scary silence three fighter jets flew over our school shaking the entire building, peolpe jumped and screamed. Then being at tennis practice a few days later when the first regular plane flew over again. Everyone stopped and watched it go from one end of the sky to the other in silence.

I can remember September 11, 2001 with such startling clarity. I doubt it is something that I will ever be able to lose the details of. I remember someone saying for older generations everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when Kennedy was shot. This is the one for our generation. Instead of one great man losing his life over 3,000 innocent people perished.

Who would have thought this event would trigger my then thirteen year old husband living a thousand miles away to want to join the Marines from preventing something like this from ever happening again? This one event altered all of our lives. It created a different future. It changed everything.

Prayers, love, and thoughts. To all those who died, to those who lost loved ones, and to all those still effected to this day.

I Remember.