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This is me & Fred and her cake from her 2nd birthday-April 02

Today my important thing is my computer/the internet. I run my business on my computer, I check my bank accounts on my computer, I chat with my friends and family on my computer, I've worn out the seat of my computer chair I use it so often! I have to admit I haven't always so computer friendly. For Christmas when I was 14 or 15 my parents put the Christmas presents up to a vote each kid would get something cool and individual or we could get the family a computer. I wanted a personal CD player, I was outvoted and we got a computer. I hated that computer and resented spending hundreds of hours on it for my high school papers, maybe I just resented the papers. Either way I LOVE my computer now and I'd really like a new one but I dread moving all my old stuff to a new computer. Maybe I'll get a Mac the commercial says they'll move your stuff for free...

Since today is Patriot Day too I'm also going to put on my story about September 11th 2001. It involves my computer/the internet so it applies.

At 5:45 am PST on the morning of Sept. 11th Fred (16 months at the time) woke me up with a bone chilling, blood curdling scream "NO!! NO!! NO!!" she actually woke up screaming quite frequently but this time it was different, there was terror in her scream. I couldn't get her fully awake and after about a minute she laid right back down and went back to sleep. ElCid got up later and went to work and I stayed asleep (I was 7 months pregnant). Finally about 9 I got up and got my day started. First thing I pulled up the internet and started to look for our stock quotes as I zipped down the Excite home page I saw the pictures of the smoking towers but the thought that crossed my mind was huh I thought the anniversary of the bombing was in April, oh well. Once I got to the the stock quotes I was thoroughly confused the stocks hadn't changed, it was a Tuesday and not a holiday what was going on? As I scrolled back up the page the pictures caught my eye a second time and I read the headlines. My stomach dropped and my eyes swam with tears as I read what was going on in the world. I turned on the TV and was stunned with the rest of the world. We lived in the flight path of the North Las Vegas Airport and to add to the oddness of events it was also eerily silent, no planes flying over head. We were also randomly receiving security faxes from the Circus Circus security office at that time and one had come that morning letting all security people know that McCarran was closed. I was bedrested not long after the attacks and all that was on TV was news coverage, I was in the hospital for 4 days and all that was on TV was news coverage. It didn't make for a very fun or uplifing situation!

Sometimes it amazes me the things my kids will never know because they have grown up in a "post 9-11" world. I still get teary thinking about the whole thing and I'm very sorry for all the families that were affected that day and I'm very grateful to the men (especially Austin & DeMott) and women who protect our country every day to help make sure this will never happen again.

We will NEVER forget