No food after 11:00...

No cash, credit cards or jewelry.

Bring photo I.D. and insurance card.

Be at the hospital at 5:30am...


...and go straight to the surgery entrance.

After my pre-opt yesterday and a phone call from the hospital today these are my instructions. So if God willing, I will be in surgery for an hour then, recovery for an hour and hopefully getting ready to head home. I will let you all know how it went as soon as I'm able.

Here's my guess... at home recovering in bed with absolutely nothing to do but watch TV and blog, I'm guessing the update should be sooner than later.

And a quick thank you to Julie the Desert Diva for suggesting "perfect surgery recuperating material" for me...Seasons 1 & 2 of Grey's Anatomy on DVD!

Oh, yes she did!

Right now, I have in my hot little hands Season One with 19 Exclusive Unaired Scenes AND Season Two - The Complete Second Season UNCUT!

Oh, yes I do!

Come to think of it, blogging may be on the back burner after all. If I get too involved, I'll kindly let hubby post and give you the scoop! :-)

P.S. If I didn't get to you directly - thanks everyone for all your prayers!

The Best of WFMW

Looks like were having the 'Best of WFMW' so I just happen to pick my very first one since I got lots of comments on it - and really many more people have joined since this was posted. Enjoy! (Look it's the old logo!) *smile*

I decided to join in with Shannon from Rocks In My Dryer to her new column idea of it Works-For-Me Wednesday. I was contemplating doing this since I didn't think anything I had to share was worth a good tip. But, I thought I would give it a try. Even if your not interested in participating, I would highly recommend you visiting her blog - she Rocks! (pun intended) :)

So here is my Works-For-Me Wednesday tip for today...

Do you hate taking out the trash? Well her is a tip that will hopefully make it a little easier. After removing the trash from the trash can take a handful of new trash bags and put them in the bottom of the can. Then, put in a new bag. Now, the next time it's time to take out the trash a new bag will be waiting for you.

I know restraurants do this a lot because the trash bags are normally stored far away from where the trash can actually resides. It also makes this dirty job much easier and cleaner for the nearby guests who are dining in. Enjoy!

Back in Business

After 6 months of an inexperienced realtor, unsuccessful marketing plan, and crazy housing market we are back in business! How you ask? Let's just say it started last week during my quiet time when I was asking God to give me some answers about how to handle this 'house selling' situation. I had many questions that needed to be answered and God has slowly started to reveal his answers to me.

Well to save face of said realtor, I will not mention which company we were dealing with but, I will say that we are no longer under contract with them. Oh yes! We are back on the market tomorrow with a wonderful new realtor who works for a very reputable company. And, how do I know this? Well, I know this because in the past month, I have been interviewing several different realtors and companies and she my friends, has passed the test with flying colors! Not only is she honest, but she is looking out for our best interest and she knows her business like nobody's business!

Most importantly, she is a woman of God.

So this is a quick and BIG thank you to my good friend Stacy over at Just Me and My Guys for putting this person in our life.

Let the house selling journey begin...again!

Blog-O-Lantern Contest

Well the contest officially has it's own button now. This was designed by my new, awesome friend Sandra over at A Diary of a "Stay at Home Mom". At first I wasn't sure about having one created because honestly, I didn't know how many people would want to join in.

But, then I decided who cares...Sandra already made the button and darn it I want to use it! :-) Now obviously, you don't have to put this in your sidebar to participate but hopefully it will be a reminder to all those who want to participate and help pass the word around.

So, a BIG huge thank you to Sandra for taking the time to do this. I just love it!

The word is out...

A few months ago I posted this and this about some "female issues" that were going on in my little body. Then, after having the cat scan done and getting the automated message on my machine that Saturday morning that everything was "normal", I thought I was out of the woods. But, I just found out three weeks ago after talking to the doctor face-to-face that the cat scan was not exactly normal.

In a nut shell, the radiologists report said that they did see something on my right and left ovaries but it was "umremarkable". Which I'm going to guess in medical language that means they can't tell what "it" exactly is.

After finding this out, you could say I was a tad upset. In a matter of months it went from your okay to oh, there really is something there we just can't tell what it is from the images.

Next step? Well it was to run more follow-up tests to see if there had been any changes in these so called "nodules" that they were seeing.

Then comes along this new doctor (an OB/GYN that I tried to get in to see months before) says it's a solid mass on my right ovary and "it needs to be removed."

That was three weeks ago...and now today, I am one week away from going into surgery.

Of course, it gets a little more complicated. Since I have had two prior c-sections the doctor says he may have some trouble reaching it. Which means laparoscopic surgery may not work! And, according the the radiologists reports the mass is embedded in my ovary (hence the reason they were having trouble seeing it from the tests).

We won't know until I'm in surgery if he can reach it laparoscopically and if he can't, then I will have open surgery and the ovary will have to be completely removed. *sigh*

So, why am I telling you all this personal stuff? Well after mentioning this on a few blogs, people were slowly figuring it out and a few starting commenting on my own blog about it. Sooooo, I felt a little obligated to my bloggity friends to share my news.

Plus, I know y'all are some serious prayer warriors! I have seen God do his work in this blogosphere many-o-times. And, let me tell you, it's amazing stuff! So tonight when you're saying your prayers (for all those others that have way bigger issues than I) can you add me to your list?

Please pray that next Thursday the surgery will be the easier of the two and that whatever they are removing that it's benign and all my little female issues will go away.

Thanks y'all and good night!

Are you getting any R&R?

Have you heard about the new show on CBS? I'll give you two hints: she can cook and her initials are RR.

I will admit, I was a little skeptical about the whole thing. I just thought "here we go another celebrity is getting their own talk show". Then, I got my little remote control and scheduled my TiVo to record Rachel Ray's new show! :-)

And, I'm SO glad I did...ladies if you're not watching or not a fan yet, you just might be after watching her show. I just finished watching the first three episodes tonight and it kicks some tail!

So of course, here are my
Thirteen Reasons Why You Should Be Watching RR:

1. Her set is absolutely fabulous! It's set up like an apartment with a kitchen, garage, terrace, etc.

2. The audience floor moves! It turns to face her based on what room she is in on the set.

3. She has great guests on her show to eat and cook with her! So far, Diane Sawyer and Oprah Winfrey. Oh yes she did!

4. She talks about shoes, kids, dogs, etc. anything her little mind wanders too.

5. She goes from sky diving out of a plane then back to her kitchen to eat.

6. Instead of 30 minute meals she makes SEVEN minute meals!

7. Actually, it was 5 mins. and 52 seconds and it looked awesome.

8. She plays a funny game called "Stump the Rach" that was just down right hilarious.

9. Did I mention she was a hoot? She tells stories of her childhood that will have you on the floor rolling!

10. She is so cheerful and funny you can't help but be in a good mood when you're done watching.

11. Her show covers a lot of topics that keep you suckered in.

12. She is still young, so the show is hip, fresh and definitely unique!

13. She brings the meaning of talk shows to a whole new level...so go watch it already!

Works-For-Me-Wednesday

Happy Fall Y'all! I thought since Halloween is approaching and I'm hosting a "Blog-O-Lantern" online contest I figured I would share one of my tips for carving pumpkins. Okay, maybe two tips!

First, sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves on the bottom of the lid. Then, when you light your pumpkin...ta-dah, instant fall air freshner!

Second, try cutting the lid from the bottom of the pumpkin instead of the top where the stem is located. This makes it much easier and safer to light your pumpkin.

Now get your thinking caps on and start strumming up your ideas for the "Blog-O-Lantern" pumpkin carving contest and win a prize here from Bullfrogs and Butterflies!

And most importantly, don't forget to stop over at Shannon's to get more awesome tips!

Blog-O-Lantern online contest

Well it's my favorite time of the year - fall, pumpkins, hay rides, cool weather, apple cider and all those comfort foods. But, my absolute favorite thing to do this time of year is carve my annual pumpkin! Back in Texas in the old neighborhood I got a few friends together to have an annual block party that consisted of a costume contest and a Pumpkin Carving contest. Everyone was required to bring a Halloween treat and I provided music, drinks, voting cards, and prizes for all the winners. It was always held in the evening so you could see all the jack-o-lanterns glowing at night and it was such a hit! We had our 4th annual before I moved. Anyhoo, it was SO fun and every year we would see some awesome carvings!

So this year, since I'm not in the same neighborhood, nor do I even know my neighbors I thought I would have a drum roll please...

"Blog-O-Lantern" online contest!

It will be super simple, just post a picture of your "Blog-O-Lantern" the week before Halloween and I will judge all those that participate. I would do Mr. Linky but then again I would need some help with that.

UPDATED AGAIN: Anyone can participate in the pumpkin carving contest. I would encourage all family members or friends to help come up with the most creative carving. The only thing you can't do is buy one already carved! Oh, and I'm all setup with Mr. Linky now, so thank you Jules over at Family Jules for your help!

Also, the winner will receive a prize that will actually be mailed to you! So, what do y'all think? Are you in?

*Above is the pumpkin I carved last year. Not my greatest one, and it's Vintage Strawberry Shortcake if you couldn't tell. I will post more pictures of previous years carvings that is, if I can find them on my old hard drive. :)

Sugar was tagged!

* After numerous attempts blogger will NOT let me upload my picture so here is the meme w/o looking at Sissy!

Y'all know Chappyswife over at Journey to the Prize, right? Well, that little cruisin' doll tagged my little girls for a new meme that's been flying around. But in all fairness, since I have already done one for Sugar I thought I would tag Sissy for this one. She would be so excited...and I'll try to get some "real" 4 year old answers just to make it interesting!

1. Something I do well: Sissy's answers was "ballerina tricks". *Ahem* Although I don't like to discourage her, this is not something she does not do well. Who knows with a few lessons she could get better. But, what she does really well right is color, draw and write.

2. Something I'd like to improve on: (Mama speaking) Drawing, she gets SO frustrated if she can't copy a particular picture exactly the way it is. Like the front cover of Scooby-Doo movie H-e-l-l-o! Mama can't even draw that!

3. Favorite Food: This is Sissy talking, "My favorite food is...., my favorite is....Alpha Bit soup!" Yea, that's nice because she's NEVER had them before!! So when I asked again it was cereal but Mama reminded her it was soup, read 'Ramen Noodles'. She said oh yea.

4. Three words that best describe you: Sweet, Bossy, Compassionate

5. My happiest moment: I had to rephrase this question so Sissy could answer. She first pointed at me and I said "me?" Then she responded, "you, Claire, Daddy, Smokey and Daisy".

6. The most important thing in my life right now: Sissy answered, "- - - - - -!" (her sister) and then went and gave her a hug. Awwwww.

7. Then to the Moms, were you surprised by any of the answers: The food one was a shocker because duh, she's never even had them before. She must of saw it in a commercial right before she came in the kitchen. And, #5 because she just got done being punished so I figured I definitely wasn't on the list!

Well that was fun...I'm tagging , Lainee from Lori's over at Rattling Around if she is up to the challenge.

Friday Fun

UPDATED TO ADD: Per y'all's request in my comments section, here is the link where I came upon these little babies. Some of them are hilarious but I didn't want to offend anyone so I didn't post them all. I hope you enjoy!

http://www.cafepress.com/kippygo/1007507

I found these cute little state vintage mottos...and I was laughing out loud! Now, please don't go blasting me in the comments this was just meant for fun. And by the way, I included my own home state, so there!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen reasons why I LOVED watching RockStar SUPERNOVA !

1. Can you say Lukas Rossi??
2. Dilani was so cool to watch and look at for that matter. Not too mention she's from Texas!
3. I could listen to Toby talk all night. Love me a Aussie accents!
4. I couldn't wait to see what Zayra was going to come out wearing.
5. Even though I'm not a huge rock and roll kind of gal, it was fun to listen to some different music each week.
6. And my hubby is a rock and roll kind of guy, so it was something we look forward to watching together. (I know cheesy, but we really TiVo it and had to wait for each other to watch it together.)
7. It had some real drama going on back at the house each week so it kind of was like a primetime soap! (Of course, nothing will replace Y&R!)
8. It was a "real" live show!
9. These kind of shows always have a happy ending! Even if the final people don't win they usually get record deals, cars, etc.
10. Gilby, Tommy and Jason were a hoot to listen to.
11. I love seeing what Brooke Burke was going to wear that week. She's so beautiful.
12. Most important to look at Dave Navarro!
13. Did I mention the main reason I watched Rockstar SUPERNOVA was because Dave Navarro was the host! (Okay, just checking!)

The following graphic courtesy
Goofy Girl @ Goofy Girl Designs

Tagged by "Word Association"

Well, my good cyber-friend and movie buff Jules over at Family Jules has just tagged me for a 'word association' game. I'm not sure where I came up with these answers but they are the first words to pop in my head.

So here she goes nothing...

Rack ------ Ribs
Master---- Plan
Lemon---- Twist
Mirror ---- Mirror (on the wall...)
Seven ----- Eleven

Instead of tagging a bunch of people, I've decided that if you read this post then put your answers in my comments. But don't cheat and read everyone else's first. Post your words, THEN go back and read the others.

I'm cyberly watching you! :-)

Works-For-Me-Wednesday

UPDATED TO ADD: Thanks everyone for your concerned comments regarding particular stones in ammonia. However, this WFMW was specifically meant for "wedding rings" only! (Assuming that you have a diamond as the stone.) I apologize for implying that this was for ALL jewerly. Ammonia is not safe for soft stones. If you need specifics please search the Internet for any stones in question. Thanks, T-Lo.

Do you ever feel like your wedding ring doesn't quite sparkle like it used to when it was put on your finger? Well here is a tip (actually I got from our jeweler Matthew Trent in Dallas) to make it shiny-like new!

First, ditch all those store bought jewelry cleaners! They actually contain lotion in them and eventually will create build up on your ring. Just go to your local grocery store and pick up a bottle of plain ole' ammonia. Yep, that's right! Pour some in a dish, just enough to cover up your ring and let it soak overnight. You can let it soak longer or shorter depending on how dirty your ring is. If it's as dirty as mine, I let it soak overnight! :-)

Then, when your ready to take it out, use a small brush (I use an old toothbrush) and gently give it a little scrub. And, make sure your sink drain is closed! Rinse in warm water and dry thoroughly. Not only is this cheaper than those 'jewelry cleaners' but it works better too.

Wha-la! Brand new just like you got it on your wedding day! Works for me!

*Caution: Ammonia is very dangerous, so please keep it away from small children.

Go to Shannon's over at Rocks in my Dryer for more WFMW tips!

Fans and Fever

In the midst of trying to sell this darn house we have been trying to get say "a little more comfortable" while we STILL live here. There are some things I have been living without since we moved in. And let's just say I've had enough.

For example, in the desert it's hot, in the summer it's even hotter. So this weekend we broke down and finally bought some ceiling fans to install and help cool this house a bit more.

Well let's say I installed both of them.

Yea, hubby has some super great talents but anything that involves tools, hardware and instructions, not so much. And, since my daddy is a jack-of-all-trades I have learned a thing or two from him. So yes, I installed the ceiling fans and that included the electrical wiring too. But this time it was a little more challenging because I did not realize until after we got home that one of the ceiling fans came with a remote control. So, I had to make a quick call to good ole' dad to get some help with the transmitter. And wha-la, she actually works! (And, yes if I'm installing them the gender of the fans will be female!) :)

The next big purchase this weekend was a much needed garage door opener. The whole notion of unlocking with a key each. and. every. time. I. go. in. and. out. of the garage is SO not worth it. Oh my word! I can't wait for Lowe's to install that baby!

Now for other weekend news:

Sunday, (did I mention that was NFL Sunday?) Sugar came down with a slight fever. And yesterday was so sweet. All she wanted to do was be held and fall asleep off and on in my arms all day. Don't you love it when you get those cuddle moments? I would never wish upon them to get sick (ahem) but oh how I love the cuddle time!

But, about 4:00pm it got pretty scary.

Sugar woke up from a nap and her fever was 104.7! Within seconds, I was on the phone to the doctor's office. They instructed me to give her a luke warm bath for 20 minutes with a dose of Motrin to get the fever down. They said if it didn't go down after 45 minutes than to take her to the emergency room. Well, we checked it after she got out of the tub and it dropped to 99 degrees but it slowly climbed back to 102 but it stayed there.

I took her to the doctor's today to rule out any ear infections, strep throat, etc. and both were negative. However, she does have a little congestion and a sore throat. This evening she still has fever but it's not as high so I guess it is something viral and we'll have to 'wait' it out.

I also found out that Sugar is 20 lbs. 8 oz and that's WITH a diaper and clothes on!! She's almost 19 months y'all.

Oh my goodness... nothing like giving your poor mama stroke! I'm not sure if I should be more concerned about the fever or that fact that she still is only 20 pounds?

My 9-11 story

What I am about to type has never been written down nor have I had the desire to write about it. But things have changed since that dreadful day. Since then, I have had children, left the corporate world, moved across the country and started a blog.

At this point in my life I think it is time for me to write down the events that occurred on that tragic day. Not only will this be theraputic for me but it will also be something to hold onto for my children when they begin to ask questions about the day "America was under attack".

Like many of you, I woke up that morning and got ready for work. I kissed my husband goodbye as he was headed to DFW airport to catch his 6:25am flight for a business trip. This was a typical morning in our household because John has traveled for his job(s) ever since I met him.

After arriving at work a co-worker and great friend of ours stopped by my cubicle to say hi like he did every morning. However, this morning he looked a little different. We exchanged a few words and then he said, "wow, it's been a crazy morning hasn't it?" I guess I looked at him a little puzzled because in response he said, "you mean you didn't hear?" Of course, still looking puzzled, I said, "hear what?"

The words he was about to utter next was about to change my life forever...

He said, "An American Airlines flight just flew into the World Trade Center". I think I turned white because the next thing he said with a very frightened voice was,

"Where's John?"

My heart sunk, as I replied, "On an American Airlines flight to Boston".

Immediately, I hopped on the phone and tried to call his cell phone (like he could really answer it IF he was still on the plane.) As I hung up the phone my direct line started to ring erractically. His family and mine knew that John was usually in flight somewhere first thing Tuesday mornings. After about the third call from family panic started to set in for several reasons. First, I did not know John's flight number, nor did I know if his plane in trouble, and I still didn't know if he had landed yet. As I turned on the radio at my desk to get updates from the news slowly my cubicle became a "waiting room" for others worried just like me. Patiently waiting to find out if John was safe or not. The last update I heard on the news was that an AA 757 headed from Boston to L.A. was slammed into the World Trade Center and that all other flights were instructed to make emergency landings immediately. They also announced that only 5 flights left in the air that were still unidentified. I didn't know what "unidentified" meant but I knew it wasn't good. My heart began to pound faster and the tears were starting to shed.

My office phone rang again and this time it was John's mother. She said in a shakingly voice, "Theresa, what are you doing?" Crying hysterically I said, "Trying to find my husband!" Words that I thought I would never utter in this lifetime. I quickly let her know that I had to go call his office and find out his flight number and I that I would call her once I knew something. So when I finally reached the secretary at his work she had no idea what flight John was on. I remember being SO irritated with her as she said in the most calm voice,

"Theresa, I'm sure he's okay. Don't worry".

She obviously was not aware of the severity that was going on in the world that morning as I was crying on the other end. All I knew was that he was on a 757 AA jet from Dallas to Boston and that it left somewhere around 6:30. I also knew that the plane that hit the first tower was a 757 AA jet leaving Boston. I thought to myself if she (the secretary) can't tell me what flight he's on I'll do it myself! So, I decided to go to FlightTracker.com and see if I could find out what the exact flight John was on. The first flight that came up was AA flight 1060 from Dallas to Boston and showed it was still in the air.

The ironic part about this whole thing was that John use to tell me about FlightTracker.com and how cool it was if I ever wanted to see where he was in the air on a flight. I would always laugh at him being the techie guy that he is, that only HE would think this was cool. Little did I know then, that this website was going to take me through the most scariest moment in my life. I watched that little screen on my computer so closely my eyes would hurt. When I pulled up the site, it showed what I thought was John's flight at 37,000 feet altitude, speed was 481 knots, departed at 6:40am, arriving in Boston at 10:46am with Boston still highlighted on the map as its destination.

After a few more minutes I started taking a few more calls from family and friends who were calling to get updates. I told them that we could not get John's flight information from his work because he booked it himself online. I mentioned to them that I was tracking AA flight 1060 online but I was not sure this was the one.

This is where things started to spiral downward even futher. As I was tracking the flight it was not in "'realtime" so therefore I had to refresh the screen about every five minutes to see any changes. For the next fifteen minutes I found my finger glued to the F5 key on my keyboard. The first time I refreshed it showed flight 1060 changed destinations and now Cleveland-Hopkins airport was showing as the final destination. What? What happened to Boston? Not only had his flight destination changed but his altitude dropped from 37,000 feet to 32,000 feet. I started to get more nervous and upset as the information began to change. About five minutes later I refreshed the screen again too see even more horror. Now it read destination Akron-Canton airport and altitude went from 37,000 feet to 5,000 feet in a matter of minutes!

My heart was pounding and I began to sweat and panic.

The only thing I could think of was either his plane was hijacked or it was going to crash. That was of course if I was even watching the right flight!

My phone rang again. This time it was John's secretary. In a little more hestitant but caring voice she said, "Theresa we were able to find John's flight number. We found out he's on flight 1060. Did you hear me? He's on flight 1060." A small pause of relief came over me and I said, "yes, thank you that's the flight I'm tracking online. Thank you!"

*The picture posted above, I'm not sure why but for some reason a co-worker of mine took a screen shot of the flight I was tracking on FlightTracker.com that morning. If you can see the detail it shows John's flight in the air on 9-11-01 and it's Boston destination.

On top of all this, the other panic feeling I had was for John. Knowing that even though he traveled every week for a living he did not like to fly. I always teased him when we traveled together by holding his hand during take off and landing because I knew every time I would get a sweaty palm in mine.

As the minutes ticked by my heart continued to race and my panic continued to grow. Since I grew up in Ohio I knew where Akron-Canton airport was and it was just a regional airport. I also knew that their runways were TOO small for a 757 plane to land there. So it only meant one of two things. Either it was making a true emergency landing or it was hijacked. I continued to refresh my screen but nothing was changing.

Finally, my phone rang again...

It was John! He said, "Hi honey". I started to cry again. Oh to hear his voice I cannot describe the feeling. I then, turned to the large audience that developed around my cubicle that morning and said, "it's him"!

After making sure he was on the ground and okay, I made the typical phone calls to family and friends. I then went to my boss and told her I was leaving work and headed straight home. After I arrived home, I turned on the news and watched it and cried (10 hours of it!) I specifically remember watching Diane Sawyer live as the second tower hit. I still could not believe what was happening that day. Although, I do remember thanking God repeatedly for John landing in Akron, Oh. This was definitely not coincidence. It was only by the grace of God that John's flight made an emergency landing in my hometown where my family was able to pick him up and be with him which would be for the next week and a half. With no rental cars available I thank God that he was able to be with my family during this horrific time.

I, on the other hand had one of the loneliest weeks of my life. I still can't quite remember it all it was such a blur. However, I do remember watching the news every day from the time I got home from work until I literally passed out at night. I remember being by myself with no family and no neighbors. Three of my friends on the block were stuck in other states with no return flights. I finally got to see my husband 10 days later after finally getting with a co-worker from Boston and driving from Ohio to get home. I do remember putting in a VCR tape and recording the news that day for the next 10 hours for John. I don't think he has watched it to this day.

Also, if you ever read any specific details about the flights that day you may see John's flight AA 1060 mentioned in the reports. This is because his flight was the one flying in behind United Flight 93 that crashed in PA. Actually, the pilots of his flight were the ones that identified/confirmed Flight 93 was "a puff of smoke on the ground".

Like so many, this is a day we all will never forget. My heart goes out to the families and friends victims who did not survive that tragic day.

* As part of my 9-11 tribute my husband wrote his story about that day. Scroll down to the next post to read his account of what happened. And, interestingly enough www.Flightracker.com is no longer available.
**Also, read other 9-11 posts from Shannon's Mr. Linky over at Rocks in my Dryer.

2,996 tribute to the victims of 9/11

We will never forget...

Robert Arthur Rasmussen

World Trade Center

Today, I am writing one of the most important posts I will ever do on this blog. I'm am posting it today by request of the originator of the 2,996 tribute. My heart and prayers go out to all the victims and their families. Any new posts will be located directly below this post including my story on 9/11.

Now, I am honored and privileged to pay tribute today to Robert Arthur Rasmussen who lost his life on the day we all will never forget Sept. 11, 2001. Robert was born November 14, 1958 in Fargo, North Dakota but grew up in the tiny town of Hunter, N.D. Among many of his accomplishments, Robert graduated from Dakota High School in 1977 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering from North Dakota State University in 1982. In 1986 Robert married Anna Worner of Fargo, N.D. After living a short time in Boston, MA Robert and his wife moved to Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. He worked for ten years as a construction engineer then eventually took a job with Coopers & Lybrand consulting firm in New York. In an effort to pursue his growing interest in financial analysis Robert took a year off in the mid 1990's and obtained his master's degree in business administration from New York University as a Chartered Financial Analyst. It was later in 1996 that Robert became the regional manager for an investment technology firm, Vestek.

In 1999, Robert and his family moved to Hinsdale, IL. which was a short commute to Vestek's Chicago office. However, on September 11, 2001 Robert was on a short business trip to Vestek's New York office in the World Trade Center's south tower. It would be here that Robert Arthur Rasmussen, 42 would never return back home to his family.

After plenty of research we can see that Robert had many accomplishments during the short amount of time he lived but what we will remember most about him is the love he had for his wife Anna Rasmussen of 15 years and their three children, daughter Taylor (7), and his two sons Jack (2 1/2) and Samuel (1 1/2). His wife has been quoted saying that "his children were his life". He was known to participate regularly in the local YMCA’s Indian Princesses program with his daughter Taylor (7) attended weekly Tiny Tots sports program with his son Jack (2 1/2).

Not only was Robert Arthur Rasmussen a family man, but he was an athlete, singer and enjoyed remodeling. He participated in adult softball and basketball leagues, and enjoyed being a member of the choir (with his wife) at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hinsdale. In addition, Robert and his wife were known to sing duets at weddings, family gatherings and took on home restoration projects. Anna was quoted saying, "he could fix anything".

The last time Anna heard from Robert was when he called her from th 78th floor of the World Trade Center south tower after a plane had hit the north tower to tell her he was OK. The last time Robert was seen was on the 42nd floor landing trying to make his way out with other colleagues from Vestek. He was identified via photo by a survivor.

Robert is survived by his wife Anna, daughter Taylor, and sons Jack and Samuel; his mother Elizabeth (Rev. Jerry) Protextor; brothers Kent (Susan) Rasmussen, and Jonathan Protextor; sisters Rebecca (Todd) Holte, and Katherine (William Drehkoff) Protextor; and several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Kent Rasmussen who died of cancer when Robert was just 13.

Memorial donations may be sent to the following fund established for the education of Robert's children:

Robert A. Rasmussen Memorial Trust Fund
c/o Leaders Bank
2001 York Road, Suite 150
Oak Brook, IL. 60523

2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.

On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers
will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11.
Each person will pay tribute to a single victim.

We will honor them by remembering their lives,
and not by remembering their murderers.

To participate go to:

http://www.dcroe.com/2996/

Sources:
*Paid Notice published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on September 20, 2001.
*Financial Analyst Loved Home -- and Home Improvment
*Harry Wessel - Orlando Sentinel, Sept. 14, 2001
*Sean Hamill, The Chicago Tribune
*http://cf.newsday.com/911/victimsearch.cfm?id=773
*Copyright 2001 Business Wire

My hubby's 9/11 Story

As we approach the anniversary of the WTC attacks on September 11, 2001 I find myself, quite frankly, forgetting about how this day impacted my life, the lives of my family and how life's circumstance can turn on a dime. In America, this is especially true because most of us live our daily lives oblivious to the daily challenges most everyone in the world faces each and every day.

There are many stories to tell that are for more tragic and inspirational, but I think the fact that I have lost sight of the fact that life can and will change on the turn of a dime is a very important message to convey to the "everyday American."

Life is short....make sure your priorities are in order for tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Background - Pre 9/11/01
I had spent the vast majority of my "professional" career working in the technology consulting and systems integration business stepping all over the "weak" to climb the corporate ladder, traveling like a mad man to client sites and trying to make my way from staff consultant, to senior consultant to principal consultant. This is no life for the weary, 40 hour work week expectations or anyone who is afraid of flying. This is very ironic because even to this day (ask my wife) I get sweaty palms during take off and landing and really don't like to fly. One bonus of all the travel though.... before kids and 9/11 life was good since Theresa and I traveled all over the world on the company nickel and frequent flier miles having a great time.

I was used to traveling each week from city to city, client to client - so much that every plane, rental car and hotel room seemed like a blur. I once spent three months in Puerto Rico, stayed at a hotel on the beach and never touched the sand until the last week of the project. All of this in a culture that arrives exactly at 8:00am and leaves promptly at 5:00pm regardless of the circumstance. Sometimes life is cruel when your priorities are mixed up.

I worked for a CRM Software provider at the time and had been traveling to Boston for several months converting a client from a IBM mainframe platform over to Solaris. For non technical folks that like trying to teach a foreign language to a 2 year old. So I am basically going through the robot motions of packing my clothes (which I can do in a flash), waking up before the crack of dawn, driving for the airport, parking the car, checking in at the electronic kiosk, going through security, retrieving one large cup of coffee, saying hello to the same guy I saw last week on the flight, saying hello to the flight attendant I saw last week, wondering what all of these people in the airport are thinking at this very moment, boarding the plane for the same aisle seat I had last week...or was that the week before or the week before that? Where did I park again - guess I'll pay that cab driver again to drive me around and find my car in Terminal A or was that Terminal B.....oh yeah it's Terminal C - no wait I think it's A.....okay Mr. Taxi driver take me home and my wife will bring me back tomorrow to find my car. Do you see a pattern here? Hey I'm not complaining...Marriott sent me Christmas presents every year.

Morning of 9/11/01

So I boarded the plane for Boston on Tuesday, Sept 11, 2001 for a 6:25am departure. In the consulting business you have to charge at least 40 hours per week on top of your travel time. When you live in Dallas and work in Boston this can present quite a challenge resulting in 6:25am flights to Boston. Now I've made this flight 40 times or more over the years so I can pretty much repeat the "welcome aboard" verbiage the flight attends throw out before take off. In fact we had been to Boston so many times that Theresa asked "can we please go somewhere else for a change...I'm kind of tired of going to Boston" I also know it's about a three and a half to four hour flight based upon the jet stream. Normally we would start the descent just outside NYC for a smooth landing at Boston Logan. So we go through the drill...park the car, go through security, get on the plane, sweaty palms on take off, read the American Way for the 100th time that month, drink some orange juice, pull out the laptop, work more than I want to, put the laptop away, wait for the fight attendant to announce the descent, look out the window at Boston for the 40th time, sweaty palms again on landing (which is scary at Boston because you're coming over water to the runway), praise god for another safe landing, exit the plane, get the rental car, go through the tunnel to Boston, park the car for an outrageous fee, go into the client site, deal with problems and people all day, leave the office really late on Monday, check into the hotel (say hello to the same doorman and front desk clerk), get my room key, ask myself "which room was that again?" as I get in the elevator, plop down my bags in the room, change clothes, head to dinner with the same co-workers (yet again), come back to the hotel, check email once again, turn on the tv and see what blew up in the world today.....and finally go to bed around midnight...get up at 6am (EST no doubt) and do it all over again.


But there was one problem on this day.............something was different and I knew it without anyone saying a word. In fact, there were very few words during the last 60 minutes of this flight. If you've ever flown much then you know if the flight attendants start acting weird then you know something is seriously wrong. So I noticde the plane start to veer to the East and it felt like we were starting to make our descent. I said to myself "man, that's weird because we're a little early to be making a descent for Logan." But okay, maybe this pilot was the one trooper that could actually defy the laws of American Airlines never being early for arrival. I notice the flight attendants are on their phones in the galley - the places where they normally ask each other for more coke or other service related items. But this time there was something very different going on as they were on the phone for what seemed like an extended amount of time. Then something that every traveler never wants to hear came across the PA system. The captain comes on and said "I need all flight attendants to take their seats." Now that may not sound all that strange, but normally that statement is followed by something like "folks I apologize for the bumpy ride, but air traffic control tells me this will continue for about the next 15 minutes or so. But this time there was just the simple statement asking the flight attendants to take their seats. To make things even stranger the flight attendants took their seats very quickly and didn't say one work to any of the passengers, which is even stranger because flight attendants love to talk.

On this particular trip I was sitting in first class and me and the guy across the aisle look at each other with the look of "what in the world is going on?" We both knew something was not right. Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were about to have something really bad happen to you and there's absolutely nothing you could not about it? That's the way I felt and all I could think was….."there's something wrong with this plane and the pilot is trying to figure out how to fix the problem or find an unpopulated place to ditch the plane." You see we were flying for what seemed like an eternity over nothing but green pastures. It turns out later that the nothing would be Pennsylvania .

Another 15 minutes goes by and not one work from the captain nor the flight attendants. So the guy across the aisle picks up the air phone to call his office. For the first time we all find out that a jet just hit the WTC and there are several other jets in the air that have been hijacked. My first thought was…."thank god we're not going to crash because this would really suck to go out this way." My second thought was "Could this jet be hijacked?"

Shortly after we got over the shock of the WTC and hijacked jets the flight attendants get up and quickly, I mean quickly, put everything away and prepared the cabin for landing. As the first class attendant walks by she said "There's a United plane flying erratically behind us and we have to get out of the air immediately".

As it turns out the plane directly behind us was United Flight 93. Listen to the audio of the exchange with Cleveland Air Traffic Control or read the transcript. If you click here http://www.thememoryhole.org/911/flight93-air-traffic.htm you can read the entire written transcript. Or if you click on this link http://www.airdisaster.com/download2/ua93.shtml you can hear the audio version. My flight was AA 1060 - the one that confirmed the puff of smoke from the crash of United 93 in Shanksville, PA.

We eventually landed a fully loaded 757 in Akron, OH where the runway was about 100 feet long. The descent was a little different as well....let's just say I know what it feels like to be in a fighter jet now. I've never had to literally hold onto my seat during descent and landing. We touched down on all three wheels nearly at the same time, slammed on the breaks, made a sharp left turn while still rolling pretty fast and parked behind a sea of regional jets. The weirdest thing about the flight was that the captain never ever said one word to the passengers on the PA. We stopped and the flight attendant opened the door to let some light and fresh air into the cabin and we all just sat there dumbfounded thinking...okay did that just really happen and what do we do next? I've never had a panic attack in my life, but I started to sweat and felt like screaming "let me off of this plane". I was also the first volunteer to say "I'll" be the first one to leave the plane if you don't object." So I then got the chance to call Theresa and there was a big ball of tears on the other line - talk about a surreal feeling. The only saving grace is that Theresa's family is from the Akron area so at least I had a place to go when we landed. Theresa's mom picked me up from the airport and took me to her home where we watched the news in shock. Everyone else was escorted to the curb and told "good luck there are no rental cars."

I found out later that Theresa and her co-workers had been following my flight using Flight Tracker and they captured a screen shot of my plane deviating from its flight path. Thank god she remembered something from me about cool websites :-)

How quickly we forget how fragile and valuable life is and how quickly your circumstance can change in flash of an instance. Life is short........make sure your priorities are in order for tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Works-For-Me-Wednesday

To say the least, I have been out-of-pocket on this whole WFMW deal. It has not been intentional but you know sometimes that thing called "life" just gets in the way. So here is a long overdue WFMW! Brought to you by Babies-R-Us and Wal-Mart...

The Floppy Seat and Table Toppers!

Now you may think that I am a germ-a-phobe by using these, but trust me they have way more function and purpose than to keep germs away. And if you ever have your 15 mos. month old in the hospital for four days nearly dying to find out she has Salmonella, then we'll talk more! Yea, that's another day, another post. I get asked at least ONCE everytime I'm out where I got these little gadgets, so here you go!

Advantages for the Floppy Seat: (besides keeping germs off baby's skin)

1. It is SO much more comfortable than those metal-ly shopping carts
2. It fits over high-chairs, baby seats and boosters
3. It has a pocket for the sippy, binky, keys, etc.
4. You can feed baby snacks on the front of it like a tray
5. Baby can lay down in it sideways if she falls asleep. (Claire just did this yesterday!)
6. Smaller babies just fit better in the cart with the floppy
7. It is functional for babies and toddlers
*Available at Babies-R-Us (there are other versions but "The Floppy" is the best!)
And, remember it's only as germ-free as much as you wash it!


Advantages for using the Table Toppers:
1. It keeps food germ-free from dirty restraurant tables during finger food stage
2. It keeps baby busy by looking at the colors, shapes and characters printed on them (Dora is a favorite around here)
3. It's a fast and easy cleanup and they're disposable!
4. It's an instant placemat & keeps tables clean at home.

Go to Shannon's over at Rocks in my Dryer for more WFMW tips!

Moms and Dads for Modesty

Today Jules over at Everyday Mommy is implementing the idea of "Moms and Dads For Modesty". This is an effort to wake up retailers across the country and help them realize that we want our girls to be girls and dress like little girls! Since being a mother of two daughters myself, I am beginning to see how this is becoming a big issue. My oldest has moved into sizes 4T - 5 and it is getting harder and harder to find the "appropriate" clothes for her to wear.

So please help us take a stand and join this "on-line petition" to address the subject of modesty and help us the parents keep our little girls dressing like little girls!

If you agree with the below ideas, stop over at her blog and make sure you sign her petition. Then, grab the new button and post it proudly in your sidebar.

Below are the basic principles that she has setup as guidelines for us to follow:

• As a Mom for Modesty I believe in common-sense modesty for girls and young women.
• I believe in refraining from sexualizing our girls and young women.
• I believe that it is unwise and unfair to taunt boys and young men by permitting my daughter(s) to dress in an immodest manner.
• I believe that true beauty comes from within and I strive to teach my daughter(s) this truth.
• I will loyally shop at retailers that provide girls' and young womens clothing that is modest, affordable and stylish.

If the above guidelines are something you are in agreement with then head over to Jules' site or mine here and display it on your blog. If you grab the icon from here please be sure to link the button back to Jule's post.

Will you be my doctor please?

I have been to the doctor's more this past year than I have in a lifetime. First, the diagnosis(s)...

1. Allergies = Treatment = Zyrtec
2. Sinus Infection = Treatment = Antibiotics (Z-Pak)
3. Chest Cough = Treatment = Antibiotics (Biaxin)
4. Sore throat/Cough = Treatment = Antibiotics (Biaxin)

So, I go back to the same doctor on Monday with worsened symptoms and she says...diagnosis:

ALLERGIES! = Treatment = OTC Claritin

UGGGGGHHHH! How is it that I go on three different sets of antibiotics to
"Oh, I think it's what we thought it was in the beginning...you just have allergies".

So here is a plea from one suffering allergenic person. Can SOMEONE please tell me what medication I should be taking to get over this allergy induced illness? Believe me, I trust my fellow bloggers more than I do my own doctor!

So will y'all please be my doctor and tell me what you think will work? Or, better yet what has worked best for you?

Here are my symptoms:
Sore throat
Chest Cough
Tightness in chest
Shortness of breath

It's almost asthma-like symptoms if you will. So give me your best shot all suggestions welcome!