Urban Jungle

This is how kids on my block play basketball. The bottom of the milk crate is not cut out; hence the ladder standing nearby.

Tip-Toe. . .

It's tulip season here in Albany. (For those of you who don't live here, the tulip is Albany's city flower.) They are beautiful, and everywhere. We may as well be in Amsterdam.

Recommendation of the Day

The new Feist album is very yummy. Go get it.

Frickin' Wednesday

I am just exhausted. Simply exhausted.

Please, someone, bestow upon me the will and energy to go the gym tonight.

Love in the Form of Flowers

I got home last night and found these beautiful flowers which Mitch bought me and left for me in the kitchen, with the sweetest note ever. Kathy commented that in the realm of karma, the balance is off in regards to how many flowers I've received in the span of just a couple of weeks. It's true, but I love it! I love flowers and I love it when people think to send them to me. Thanks, Mitch! Love you.

Virginia Tech Tragedy

Pulled this from the CNN 360 Blog a little while ago. It really resonated with me and put the tragedy into very real perspective. It's a difficult, but short, read. . .


Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Volunteer contributes what he can: Body bags

It was a tearful, lonely drive for Brian Horne.

The Christiansburg, Virginia, resident was called to the Virginia Tech campus Monday morning as a member of the local volunteer fire and rescue squad. Horne did not see the carnage; he was stationed at a command post on campus.

But as authorities began to comprehend the scope of the disaster, Horne volunteered to take care of a sober task. His family owns a funeral home about 10 miles from the campus, and Horne drove back to collect 36 body bags.

"We knew then there were at least 30 dead and possibly more," Horne told CNN in a brief interview outside the funeral home, where a giant American flag flies at half staff in honor of the victims.

Horne said he has responded to many tragic events in the past, but nothing anywhere comparable to the scope of the campus massacre. "It is difficult to comprehend, but at that moment I knew I could assist with what we needed to do," he said.

Horne would not speak on camera out of respect for the victims. He also said he did not want to overstate his role in the rescue operation, saying many friends had it much worse. He recounted their stories of helping collect and count the bodies, even as the victims' phones and PDAs rang and vibrated.

-- By John King, CNN Chief National Correspondent

Catching Up

Sooo I've been busy and therefore I haven't blogged too much in the past week or so. Here's what's been going on. . . .

Friday night I went to see the Five Alpha Beatdown/Brent Gorton/the Orange reunion show at Valentine's. The show was excellent. 5ABD covered "Under Pressure" and it was SO awesome! It was good to see a whole lot of old friends out and about, too. (I kept on hearing from each of them: "Yeah, I never really get out anymore." It's funny that people who don't "get out anymore" always seem to go out on the same nights and to the same places as each other. Hehe.)

Saturday and Sunday I was home in the Southern Tier/NEPA to see my family and, of course, to do laundry. On Sunday we had a nice big lunch that half of us considered Easter dinner and half of us considered a nice big lunch on Sunday. Gotta love blended families.

Monday night I took my Little Sister to see Meet the Robinsons in 3D--it was so much fun! Here's Diamonique looking very fashionable in her glasses.

. . . and I got some really terrific news over the last few days, and to celebrate, Amie sent me a beautiful bouquet of pink carnations. Thanks, Ame!!

New Word!

I learned a new word this week! Ready?

It's . . . . (Drumroll, please!) . . . . . heteroflexible. You read that right--heteroflexible.

According to UrbanDictionary.com, the definition of this word is "a person who identifies themselves as primarily heterosexual but can find the same sex sexually appealing."

I think we used to call this "experimental." Ah, how times have changed.