"Head...Shoulders...Knees and...SOCKS!"

To state the obvious - it's September 11th.  In past years Shiny and I have tried to avoid the news coverage.  We lived through that day, and while it's important to remember what happened, we felt inundated and overwhelmed by the continual news coverage.  Of course this year, people are asking if there is enough remembrance going on.

At work we were scheduled to have a moment of silence at 8:46am EST.  The flags are being flown at half mast.  My normal morning commute takes me past the Pentagon, right by the exact spot where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building.  I was there that morning, running actually on time for work, about an hour beforehand.  So as I drive by everyday, I've watched them rebuild the building, put up new security measures, and construct the memorial.  I'm glad I'm not at work today, as I think traffic on that road will be worse than usual this morning.

While Shiny is in Canada, the kid and I are visiting my folks for the week - we couldn't possibly be further apart.  I'm curious as to how things are commemorated in the Canadian Press, which I'm sure he'll let us know. 

Of course being on vacation means that you aren't always in tune with what's going on.  Although I consciously chose not to fly today (we came in yesterday), flights weren't any cheaper or less full.  My mom has worried less, so that is good.  I imagine that security is tighter today than usual.  I honestly almost forgot about (the primary thought on my mind is what we're going to do today and how to avoid the frogs in the backyard!) but then it was the headline of the local paper.  Oh yeah...  Interviewing a now local woman who escaped from the World Trade Center.  My first reaction when reading her interview was it was almost as if they were saying "Look!  We have one living here!  This is our connection to it!"

I think while in some locations (NY, DC, PA) this will be a day of remembrance, I'm not sure how it will play out in the rest of the country.  Today the boy and I will do what we do on vacation - go to the mall, run some errands, play at the playground, and go swimming (after Labor Day - ha!).  I'll have to wait until the evening news to see how the rest of the world reacts.