a repost from two years ago - a trip down memory lane

In honor of Patriot Day AKA 9/11, I dug up a blog out of the archives that I wrote two years ago about this horrific day. So I am reposting here for you all to read it again...

Today on the 5 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I look back and remember...

~I remember sitting in the office and hearing Skip come running in shouting at the top of his lungs to turn on the TV or the radio, the world trade center was just attacked

~I remember Janet trying to get her TV to work well enough so we could watch in horror along with the rest of the country... and the world

~I remember being stunned to tears and silence as we saw the Pentagon get hit

~I remember hearing about the flight that went down in PA that had been headed for the White House because the passengers decided that if they were going to die then they were going to die fighting

~I remember the first time I heard the words "Let's roll..." right before those same passengers brought the plane down

~I remember instant messaging Sonia, Kimberly, Cari, and others as we all talked about what happened and how Kimberly gave us the NY perspective on what happening

~I remember frantically calling everyone in my family I could reach as we shared tears over the dreadful tragedy

~I remember Tommy being scared to death because Dad was going on a business trip to Europe and Tommy thought he had left that day (Dad was actually supposed to fly the very next day which of course, didn't happen)

~I remember trying like mad to get a hold of Dad, and unable to get through on the line because I had heard that the skyscrapers in downtown Pittsburgh had been evacuated (one of those buildings was where Dad worked and I was afraid of what that meant happened)

~I remember Sonia being stranded in Maine with a friend, unable to get home since her home airport was where two of the flights originated

~I remember just the day before this all happened being excited about a trip to Atlantic City on the coming weekend to meet Sonia, Kimberly, and Cari in person for the first time

~I also remember our conversations on the phone as we made the decision for our trip to take a backseat to post-9/11 happenings

~I remember President Bush coming on the air to tell the world what had happened and what he was going to do about it

~I remember Susan being hysterical because one of her closest friends worked in the World Trade Center and she was unable to reach her (her friend was one of the fortunate ones who got out safely)

~I remember watching the footage over and over again on every channel on TV and seeing those people jumping out the windows

~I remember the look on Janet's face when she learned some of her friends who worked in the Pentagon were missing and presumed dead

~I remember the brave firemen and police officers going in to try and save who they could... and most of them losing their lives in the process

~I remember seeing Mayor Giuliani breaking down on TV over what had happened

~I remember being unable to sleep that night because I couldn't get those images of horror out of my mind

I remember the positive too though

~I remember Mayor Giuliani also reaching through his grief to do some amazing things to get as much help as was possible to try and find survivors in the wreckage

~I remember our entire country coming together across race, religion, political parties and more to share grief, and provide comfort to complete strangers

~I remember so many of my friends and coworkers stepping up to assist wherever the could

~I remember the first time I saw images of the memorial beacons of light where the World Trade center once stood and the tears as a result of the powerful photo

~I remember our brave soldiers going off to do their duty and stand up for what our country believes in

~I remember those fireman who in the middle of the wreckage, hoisted the flag to say that no matter what, we will prevail

~I remember every single store being completely sold out of American Flags

~I remember seeing almost every house in our neighborhoods proudly waving the red, white and blue

~I remember when Mom found me the flag to hang on my car window and the fact I never took that flag down for at least a year

I remember how even now, 5 years later, though much still remains to be done, we have made great strides to rebuild, re-evaluate, reinforce our love and support for those who lost loved ones

I remember that though some of the soldiers fighting may not agree with the steps taken in the war, they stand proud and take them anyhow, performing their duty for the love of the USA and everything it means to us and to the world

I remember that even though many people may not agree with what our President has done since then in the War on Terror, I have no doubts that he is doing what he feels is right and needed

I remember that the US of A will come out stronger in the end

I will never forget...

GOD BLESS AMERICA! WE WILL ALWAYS RISE ABOVE THE HORRORS AND WE WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL

Currently reading : 74 Seaside Avenue (Cedar Cove, Book 7) By Debbie Macomber

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another repost - this one from a year ago - where were you?

Currently reading : Shadow Rider By Kathrynn Dennis Release date: 2008-10-07

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My August Reads

Since today is the last day of the month and I know I won't finish any more it's safe to say my current list won't be changing at all. So here's this month's list. The number in parentheses is the running total for the year. The next number is for this month's reads only. Formats are in parentheses after the book title and authors and the HQ notes Harlequin books.

(104) Book 1 – My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding Anthology by Kelley Armstrong, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, PN Elrod, Caitlin Kittredge, Marjorie M Liu, Katie MacAlister, Lilith Saintcrow, Ronda Thompson (print)
(105) Book 2 – Gone by Michael Grant (print)
(106) Book 3 – Park Avenue Scandals: Prince of Midtown by Jennifer Lewis (print) (HQ)
(107) Book 4 – The Reincarnationist by MJ Rose (audio) (HQ)
(108) Book 5 – Rogue Angel Book 7: God of Thunder by Alex Archer (audio) (HQ)
(109) Book 6 – The Tarot Prince by Ellen Ashe (eBook)
(110) Book 7 – Rogue Angel Book 8: Secret of the Slaves by Alex Archer (audio) (HQ)
(111) Book 8 – Evernight by Claudia Gray (print)
(112) Book 9 – Blood Ties Book 4: All Souls' Night by Jennifer Armintrout (audio) (HQ)
(113) Book 10 – The Carriage House by Carla Neggers (audio) (HQ)
(114) Book 11 – The Waterfall by Carla Neggers (audio) (HQ)
(115) Book 12 – CJ's Fate by Kay Hooper (audio)
(116) Book 13 – Mercenary's Honor by Sharron McClellan (print) (HQ)
(117) Book 14 – Lady & the Vamp by Michelle Rowen (print)
(118) Book 15 – Rogue Angel Book 9: Warrior Spirit by Alex Archer (audio) (HQ)
119) Book 16 – The Wyoming Kid by Debbie Macomber (audio) (HQ)
(120) Book 17 – Rogue Angel Book 10: Serpent's Kiss by Alex Archer (audio) (HQ)
(121) Book 18 – Rogue Angel Book 11: Provenance by Alex Archer (audio) (HQ)
(122) Book 19 – Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready (print)
(123) Book 20 – PTA Dads: Once Upon a Thanksgiving by Holly Jacobs (print) (HQ)
(124) Book 21 – Cedar Cove: 50 Harbor Street by Debbie Macomber (audio) (HQ)

The following are short stories I read this month. These I keep a lisof until I have enough to count a full book.
Faery Rose: Knight Turns to Day (eBook)
Amazing Grace (eBook)
Black Rose: Between Shadows and Lightning (eBook)
Black Rose: Dark Encounter (eBook)

This was an excellent reading month. And I beat my tally for January in books read which was my best month prior to this one. Twelve of this month's books were audios. I got a lot more listened to this month. One of the good thing about numerous road trips for work. LOL

Current reads:
Dresden Files Book 2: Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (audio)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls by James Rollins (audio)
Heart and Soul: Heart of a Smuggler by Angela Verdenius (eBook) 

Currently reading : Enemy Lover (Silhouette Nocturne) By Bonnie Vanak

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Need YOUR help picking my 100th read for the year!

I'm sitting at 92 books right now in the 100 Book Challenge for eHarlequin.com and that 100th will be hit by the end of this month. Like last year, I want to pick a special book to read for 100. And also like last year, it's going to be a Harlequin line book, especially since they are hosting the challenge. I want it to be something that stands out and that others really enjoyed. So I need YOUR help.

I have picked a few lines that I'm going to choose from - Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Everlasting Love (or one of the Everlasting Love books in the Harlequin SuperRomance line), Silhouette Nocturne, or Luna. I chose these lines since I've bought most if not all of the books in each of the listed lines.

So if you read any of those, tell me what WAS your favorite book that you read in the line. But please tell me WHY you loved the book. Don't just list a title and author. I want to know what it was about the book that grabbed your attention. If you've reviewed it, let me know where (links are great) so I can try to read your review. It doesn't have to be a current or even recent book in the line. It can be an older one in the line from a couple years ago. If I've already read your suggestion I'll tell you. If it's one of the few in the line I haven't bought, I'll tell you.

I only have about a week to do this since I leave for vacation on the 25th and while on vacation is when I expect to hit 100. I'm going to read all the comments with your suggestions and I'll pick one from those suggestions and it will be my book 100.

So help me pick a winner! To give you an idea, last year's 100th read was The Dark Gate by Pamela Palmer (Silhouette Nocturne). I chose that one because so many people raved about it and I'm glad I did since it was fantastic! It was so good I STILL remember it was my 100th read last year when I couldn't tell you what any of the others were that I read without the old blog entries. :-)

Currently reading : Hotter Than Hell (Hell on Earth, Book 3) By Jackie Kessler

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I’m so excited! Have to share...
Current mood: excited

Some of you know I'm in Las Vegas this week for work. (With all the evenings free!) I'm not a gambler so really have no interest in the whole casino thing except to visit a few and see what they look like. But there was one thing I absolutely HAVE to do while here and that of course is to see one of the shows Vegas is famous for. And for me, top priority is a Cirque du Soleil show. I saw a traveling show a few years back when one came through Dallas and I absolutely LOVED it! And I've heard their shows in Vegas are the best in the world that they do. So my big hope was to snag a ticket to a show without bankrupting myself. There are five different ones here and i didn't care which one I saw, I just wanted to see one of them.
 
Well I went to the ticket office at the Bellagio yesterday to see if i could find a ticket. And I go tone! I'm so excited! And even better, I got a ticket for the one of their shows that was my first choice. AND it didn't break the bank. It actually cost right about what I thought it would and the most I was willing to pay. So Thursday night I have a ticket to go see "O," which is a show that combines a lot of synchronized swimming with aerial acrobatics. I can't wait!
 
And if you want to see details on the one I'm going to, here's the link:
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/o/o-Las-Vegas.htm
 
Kelley

Currently reading : Hotter Than Hell (Hell on Earth, Book 3) By Jackie Kessler

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My June reads

Currently reading : The Sugar Queen By Sarah Addison Allen Release date: 2008-05-20

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what’s been going on in Kelley’s world... LONG post

She's been busier than all get out is what! LOL

I've had a lot going on the past six months which you may have figured out since I've barely made a peep in here in that long, except to post my monthly book lists. Let's see, I've been to Louisville, KY, Los Alamitos, CA, Nashville, TN, Little Rock, AR, and Denver, CO since the New Year, a week for each one. Next month I go to Las Vegas, NV for a week. All of these are work trips. I've also been to West Texas, and all over the Dallas area in the past month or so. With still more all over Dallas trips to make, at least one more trip to W Texas, at least one trip to E Texas, and at least one trip to central TX, all to come in the next few months.

I went through "oh no they are cancelling every single contract job in the Army Reserves" to "they'd never get rid of us" to "we've got two more option years on our contract so we're safe" to "uh oh, the contract is up in one week where is the new one?" to "yes we have a new contract for next year starting in 3 days." I've had brainstorming sessions to merge our 5 state area with the 3 state area managed out of CA since we will fall under their jurisdiction starting in October of this year. I've had a TON of reports to write for work for all these inspections I've done that I'm not even close to finishing (reports OR inspections) due to all the other trips I've had to take. I've had to start rewriting some of our policies and standard operating procedures and checklists for our inspection program to make sure that we are incorporating the way the California region has been doing things. I've been coordinating on setting up, planning and scheduling a week long training course (the Vegas trip) to get all our folks and the folks out of the California region up to speed and fully trained on the software we are ALL supposed to be using and were supposed to be using for the past 5 years but in actuality only two of out of 10 or so between the two regions are actually using.

I've been super active at my church since the New Year, volunteering at every event for their single parents ministry I possibly can since January. I've always felt this program was important and have been volunteering once in a while for a couple years. But after A and D split up, hearing both of their stories and how hard they are trying to make things work in the best possible way for the boys, I had a whole new appreciation for what single parents have to go through and it's upped my passion about the program.

I've also become a small group leader in my Singles' Sunday school class, leading discussions and coordinating events for our small group for a little over three months now. I did one three month stint and started a new three month cycle two weeks ago. I also attend a weekly Bible Study every Tuesday I'm in town with folks from my singles' group and have been doing that since January or February. And of course I still attend our weekly Starbucks get togethers every single Thursday I'm in town. And of course I attend as many of the events and activities as I am able with my schedule.

What else? I planted a TON of stuff in my 6 huge planters out on my balcony this year after not doing anything with them last year and they are looking GORGEOUS! A couple planters not so good but most of them are huge and full and I get compliments all the time from folks who can see my balcony from the ground level and even the street my apartment faces.

My friends J and K who I met when they lived in my apt complex and were our events coordinators, and are actually the ones who introduced me to my church and got me going regularly again just moved to Nebraska. J finished Seminary School finally and graduated about 6 weeks ago or so. They invited me to his graduation and I went happily. J had a couple interviews in Nebraska early this year and I took them to the airport and all when I was in town so they didn't have to pay parking. J was interviewing to be the pastor at a church up there and he got the job! So a month out of Seminary School he already has his own little church. I spent Memorial Day weekend helping them pack for their move. I got to know them really well when they lived here and we got to be good friends. So I was sad to see them go. Even though we didn't see each other much, we chatted over e-mail regularly and it was a comfort knowing they were close by even though they moved out to Grand Prairie (about 30 mins away) over a year ago. I knew I could always call them if I ever needed anything and they knew they could do the same. So I'm sad they left because of that. But at the same time, I'm excited for them because this is something J has wanted longer than I've known them and he worked really hard to get it. So I am thrilled he got his opportunity so soon after finishing school for it.

I took a week's use or lose vacation Mem Day week and spent almost the ENTIRE week cleaning my apartment top to bottom since I've been so busy I've not been able to keep up on it.

A week or so after one of the folks at my website who did a lot to help with our monthly left suddenly in April, (which meant I had to pick up the difference in my already jam packed schedule), some web designer lady contacted me, threatening to sue us for stealing HER website design! We opened in March 2006. The site we supposedly stole the design of the earliest date we could find on it was July 2007. But WE stole from HER? Anyhow, I wanted to fight it but my friend who actually designed our website didn't want to deal with the hassle so she just changed our site a bit, giving it a facelift and a slightly different color scheme to so that lady wouldn't harass us.

On top of all that as if I wasn't already busy enough and having enough to do, I decided it was high time to really get serious about losing weight and getting in shape again. 7 weeks ago I signed up for Medifast (http://www.medifast1.com though I go to a local clinic rather than using the online program). My goal is to lose 40 lbs, which puts me back where I was before I gained all this weight about three or four years ago. So far I've lost about 15.5 lbs. Feel great! A lot of my clothes don't fit and I refuse to buy more since I don't intend to stay at this transition weight since I'm still losing. So some of my friends are teasing me because all my pants are too big and I really have to tighten the belt to keep them in place. LOL Apparently the weight I've lost is really starting to show now too. I can't see it yet except in the lower numbers on my scale and knowing my pants don't fit right but everyone else can! A couple weeks ago in the leasing office when I went to pick up packages they were all telling me how great I look and asking how I've lost the weight. And on Sunday at church in class, everyone was telling me I looked fantastic.

I've also just joined a gym. I started going to 24 Hour Fitness almost a week ago on a 7 day guest pass. I don't go for the equipment though, I go for the exercise classes. I wanted to take some different classes but researching the prices made me realize it's cheaper to join a gym where I have access to every single class they offer and can do whichever ones I want. So… Monday I attended kickboxing class and worked out for about 45 minutes. Tuesday I didn't go since my Bible Study in the evenings makes it a little difficult to get to the classes I want. I'd have to come late to Bible Study or skip entirely and I don't want to do that. Wednesday I attended a 15 minute "Amp'd Abs" workout which is an INTENSE abs only class. Immediately after that ended Kickboxing started up and I did that for an hour. Last night I attended the Amp'd Abs class again and it was immediately followed up by an hour's worth of dance exercise classes. My abs HURT today. Every time I swallow or cough or stretch or even bend I can feel the ache there but it's a GOOD ache! I've been pretty lost in the classes since obviously they are full of regulars who know the routines so I probably only actually GET about 2/3-3/4 of the workout since I get confused at some of the routine moves. But even so I've been sweating up a storm each day and actually ENJOYING my classes! I figure after I've gone a few times and get the hang of the routines and the different moves I'll be fine and really getting the full benefits. The Abs class is HARD since my abs and my whole core muscle group is pretty week but I'm going to stick to it. They also have Pilates and yoga which I want to try out, and a 3 lane lap pool I intend to make use of sometimes too to get that workout.

What else? Well since I'm on this diet it's been forcing me to cook more (and gas prices are keeping me from going out as often as I used to). My George Foreman Grill is my new best friend and got pulled out of the closet where it's been languishing since I moved here, except the 4 or 5 times a year I actually used it. LOL Now I use it several times a week when I'm cooking.

And yes, even in the midst of all of this craziness, I STILL am finding reading time! Mostly it's audio books but I'll count 'em! I think I'm at 76 books total for the year already. My goal this year is to read 150 so I think I'll make it.

But as you can imagine from all that's been going on, I've MAJORLY had to cut back my internet time so I'm not in here near as much to chat with people.

I also made this new friend through my friend B. She came to our Memorial Day party for my singles group and we met there but then she came to Starbucks a couple weeks ago with B for the first time and we immediately clicked! M and I get along great and have been talking about all sorts of stuff we'd like to go do.

I'm crazy busy and I'm always exhausted, but I'm happier than I've been in a long long time. So the being happy really makes up for the stress of my schedule and the tiredness. And that my friends, is what's been happening in my world. Now I need to go eat lunch and then come back here and get moving on the monthly site update for Kwips and get some of my reviews written that are piling up due to no time to write them!

Currently reading : Heart-Shaped Box: A Novel By Joe Hill Release date: 2007-02-13

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My reads for May

Book 1– Rogue Angel Book 6: The Lost Scrolls by Alex Archer (audio) (HQ)
Book 2 – Texas Treasures Book 3: Mom in the Middle by Mae Nunn (print) (HQ)
Book 3 – Cedar Cove Book 3: 311 Pelican Court by Debbie Macomber (audio) (HQ)
Book 4 – The Borderlands Book 1: Moonstruck by Susan Grant (eArc) (HQ)
Book 5 – The Safekeepers Book 1: Safe with a Stranger by Linda Conrad (print)
Book 6 – The Esri Book 2: Dark Deceiver by Pamela Palmer (print) (HQ)
Book 7 – Lost Souls by Lisa Jackson (audio)
Book 8 – Light Warriors Book 2: In Twilight's Shadow by Patti O'Shea (print ARC)
Book 9 - The Wedding Planners Book 1: Sweetheart Lost and Found by Shirley Jump (print) (HQ)
Book 10 - Blossom Street: Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber (audio)
Book 11 - Children of the Sea Book 1: Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra (print ARC)
Book 12 – The Sign of Seven Book 2: The Hollow by Nora Roberts (audio)

Short Stories/Novellas read:
Love and Lore: Wildish Things by Carolan Ivey (eBook)
Racing the Moon by Michele Hauf (eBook) (HQ)
The Twilight by Stanalei Fletcher (eBook)
Beltaine Bargain by Cindy Spencer Pape (eBook)

Current reads:
The Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (audio)
The Heart Shaped Box by Joe M Hill (audio)
A Man Mom Would Love (forget the author) (short eBook) 

Gee, I was on vacation for 10 days and still read less than my average in May! I guess that's what happens when I actually have to "*gasp* do major spring cleaning! I've been so busy this year so far time just gets away from me and my apartment was showing that! I still finished 12 books this month though and several shorts. Hopefully next month I'll be back to my average.

Currently reading : Labyrinth By Kate Mosse

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Need YOUR help to read 100,000 books!! and make a matching donation to National Center for Fami

Help spread literacy by joining the 100,000 Book Challenge.  For every novel read and reviewed Harlequin will donate a book to the ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />National Center for Family Literacy. The donation has a retail value of $700,000...:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Learn more at http://community.eharlequin.com/book-challenge

So far 300+ bloggers have accepted the challenge, and in the first three months, they have crossed the 8,000-book mark, but there is a long way to go before meeting the goal. Help us help spread the joy of reading!

Romance Readers are Avid Readers

 "Our readers are very passionate," says Jayne Hoogenberk, community manager for eHarlequin.com. "They read, talk, think and dream about books 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. The median number of paperbacks read in one year by Americans is 12.  The median for Harlequin readers is 30. Since we're always looking for ways to inspire and challenge our community members, we wondered if, as a group, they would be able to read 100,000 books in a single calendar year and through our donation of 100,000 books, share that love of reading with others who don't have such easy access to entertaining and engaging literature for women."

The NCFL Helps Adult Literacy

"Recent studies show that people are reading literature less and less," said Sharon Darling, president & founder of NCFL. "This reading challenge not only will provide an important incentive for everyone to read more, it also will greatly benefit the millions of adults who have low literacy – 34 million in the United States alone and 771 million globally."

The 100,000 Book Donation

Each book reviewed on the site counts towards our goal of 100,000 books read and ups the automated book challenge counter. Because our ultimate goal this year is to provide books to the National Center for Family Literacy, we want to ensure that every book read counts towards our goal and we need YOU to help us reach it!

My April reads

I had another really good reading month. Still haven't meet my January count, which is still my best for this year. But I've been doing pretty well, except for February anyhow when I slipped in numbers. LOL Anything with an HQ next to it is a Harlequin book. I had a lot of those this month. I track those for the eHQ challenge.

Book 1 – Rogue Angel Book 4: The Chosen by Alex Archer (audio) (HQ)
Book 2 – Knitting Series Book 2: A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber (audio) (HQ)
Book 3 – Who Am I? by Lena Nelson Dooley (print)
Book 4 – Susannah's Garden by Debbie Macomber (audio) (HQ)
Book 5 – Cedar Cove Book 2: 204 Rosewood Lane by Debbie Macomber (audio) (HQ)
Book 6 – Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready (print)
Book 7 – Tycoon's One-Night Revenge by Bronwyn Jameson (print) (HQ)
Book 8 – The Crusaders: Heart Thief by Gail Barrett (print) (HQ)
Book 9 – Heart and Soul: Love's Winsome Warrior by Angela Verdenius (eBook)
Book 10 – In His Dreams by Gail Gaymer Martin (print) (HQ)
Book 11 – Rogue Angel Book 5: Forbidden City by Alex Archer (audio) (HQ)
Book 12 – Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber (audio) (HQ)
Book 13 – A Treasure of the Heart by Valerie Hansen (print) (HQ)
Book 14 – Where Angels Go by Debbie Macomber (audio) (HQ)

And a few shorts as well:
Bedroom Window by Amanda Stevens (eBook) (HQ)
Dreaming of You by Johanna Melaragno (eBook)
A Blessing in Disguise by Shareem Varden (eBook)

Not bad. I hit 14 again which is about average for me this year so far. Of those 14, half of them were audio books.

Current reads:
Lost Souls by Lisa Jackson (audio)
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (audio) (Buddy Read for May)
Moonstruck by Susan Grant (eARC) (HQ)
Wildish Things by Carolan Ivey (eBook)

Currently reading : Lost Souls By Lisa Jackson

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