September 11, 2001: Attacks on the World Trade Center & Pentagon

The world has never been the same since the attack on US citizens at the World Trade Center in New York City.   I was watching "Regis and Kelly" on TV around 9 a.m.   The news came on during the show.   I saw the first plane hit one of the twin towers and thought that must be an error.  Then, I saw the 2nd plane strike and knew something was not right.   I called my mom at work to tell her to listen to the news.        I had just started working as a bank teller at a bank inside the Meijer store in Grand Haven.     I listened to the news all the way to work.     I was in such shock.  The bank was not busy that day.  The supervisor brought out a black and white TV and we watched the story unfold.      

I found the following information on the attacks on the internet.  

"The September 11 attacks, often referred to as September 11th or 9/11 (pronounced as "nine eleven"), were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners.^[2][3] The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings. Both towers collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Pennsylvania after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C., to target either the Capitol Building or the White House. There were no survivors from any of the flights.

Nearly 3,000 victims and the 19 hijackers died in the attacks.^[4] According to the New York State Health Department, 836 responders, including firefighters and police personnel, have died as of June 2009.^[4] Among the 2,752 victims who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center were 343 firefighters and 60 police officers from New York City and the Port Authority.^[5] Another 184 people were killed in the attack on the Pentagon.^[6] The overwhelming majority of casualties were civilians, including nationals of over 70 countries.^[7] In addition, there was at least one secondary death—one person was ruled by a medical examiner to have died from lung disease due to exposure to dust from the collapse of the World Trade Center.^[8]"

July 31, 2001: Mom & Grandpa's Birthdays

After work at Sears, I filled out an application with the County of Muskegon for a job.   I met my Mom, Grandpa, and Laurie at Bill Knapps for their birthdays.   They got a free chocolate cake for dessert.    That is one of the best chocolate cakes.     My mom turned 55 and Grandpa turned 82 today.   My mom got her 39 cent frosty at Wendy's as you get that when you turn 55.    The frosties used to be free years ago, so she was bummed she had to pay for it.  

July 26, 2001: Shoe Department

Today was an exhausting day for me at work.   Shoes were 75%.   The store was gradually getting rid of all of the merchandise in this store, in order to open up the new store out at the Lakes Mall.   It took all of the associates on duty to clean the shoe department.    We had so many mismatched shoes, so had to put them in a bin.

July 24, 2001: First Day on the Cash Register

Today was an 8 hour day for me.  Alyce first had me on the register. I was so nervous.   I could feel my hands trembling.   I got better at it as the day continued.   My first customer was impatient, which didn't help.  I got more comfortable with the transactions the more I did them.

July 20, 2001: Cash Register Training at Sears

Yesterday, I had the orientation for my  new job at Sears.       Today,  I had 6 hours of training at the downtown store.    There were 15 of us learning how to do the individual transactions.  I was nervous counting the money and doing the transactions, as I had never had a job working with credit cards, checks, and money transactions.  This was going to be a new experience for me.     

July 9, 2001: Sears Position

It hasn't been very easy for me to find a job in the Muskegon/Grand Rapids areas.     I interviewed with Payless Shoes and Sears today.  I got the Sears job for $6.75/hr   I will be working in the Women's department.  I will be working with one of my mom's friends,  Janet Hill.     I will help close the Sears store in the downtown Muskegon mall and then help open the store in the new Lakes Mall on Harvey Road.

July 2, 2001: Gereinger, Norway

Our ride into Geiranger, Norway was gorgeous. We had rooms on the back of the ship, so we could see the mountains on both sides of the ship. We saw the waterfall, ‘7 sisters’, from our porch.



We took a tour of the area. We went to Djupvass Chalet, which is 3100 feet above sea level. We stopped at the Flydal Gorge and could see our ship down below. We also went to the top of the snow covered mountainside of Mount Dalsnibba at 4500 feet above sea level.


We took some photos at Olden Valley. Then, we headed for the Briksdal Glacier, which was so beautiful. The walk up to it took us 2 hours. It was about a 2 ½ mile walk. First, we walked on a flatter surface uphill and then took the left fork in the road for the hike from hell.


We walked over lots of huge stones up the mountain. Mom was having a hard time, but I was proud of her. There was a separate path where horse drawn carriages were giving people rides.


We walked quite a while to get to the foot of the glacier. We stood right on the glacier. The glacier was icy and blue. It was a gorgeous site to see.


I enjoyed the scenery today. I don’t think I would live here, as it is cold and cloudy.


Back on the boat, we went to a seminar about hair. The lady said to use regular shampoo with moisturizer. It will help keep the hair fuller and not flat.

July 1, 2001: Bergen, Norway



Took a city tour of Bergen, Norway, before heading to Troldhauger; home of the well known composer, Edvard Grieg. We saw his home, as well as where he and his wife, Nina, were buried in the side of a cliff. He was born in 1843. His first piano recital was held in 1861, at the age of 18. He died in 1907.



The concert we listed to was fabulous. The woman who played the piano had all of the music memorized. She played the piano very fast. She played Grieg’s well known wedding and Lullaby songs. We found out later that his song, “Morning” is also very good.


We went shopping back at the wharf. We wanted some Norwegian sweaters, but they were over $100 in all of the stores. I ended up getting one on the ship.


We went down to dinner on the ship. It was 2 hours, which is way too long for me to sit. I love my family dearly, but they tend to try and show off or be the center of attention and talk about their tours being better than anyone else. My family doesn’t do this so much at the family gatherings, but only on the cruises.


We went to the entertainment tonight with Grandpa and Laurie. After the entertainment, we went to see the Battle of the Sexes game. We watched Grandpa and Laurie dance. Grandpa danced with this English gal, which was quite comical.

Laurie was telling us that it drives her crazy when Grandpa doesn’t flush the toilet or zip his pants. I have noticed it too, but I guess it must be a thing men do.

June 30, 2001: Day at Sea

I slept in until 9 a.m. and had breakfast in the Windjammer café with mom. Then, we went on a lecture about the Amber stone. It was worn by the Royal people of Russia. The light colored amber is 30 million years old and the darker amber is around 50 million years old. It is found mainly in the Baltic sea.



We played miniature golf with Charlene. It was quite comical watching us play the game.


Grandpa came down with Laurie for ice cream. Then, we walked a mile around the ship.


We went to the entertainment show tonight at 9 p.m. It was swing dancing. Then, we went to see the Not-so-Newlywed game. It was comical. One couple from England said they had whoopee in a hammock. They had been married 58 years. Another couple married 3 years, had whoopee in a cemetery and on a washing machine.


It’s now 11:30 p.m. and it is still light outside. We are headed for Bergen, Norway. Sunrise is at 4 a.m. in this part of the world in the summer. In the winter, they don’t see much light.

June 29, 2001: Greenock, Scotland

It was really nice to be able to sleep in today, as we have been so busy the past week.

Around 11 a.m., I went and checked my email. One of them was from Jim Morse about him being flattered that I liked him. He had told me the same thing last year. We both know he is very serious with Melanie and we both agree that cheating is wrong. I guess that is the way it goes. Timing is always the issue. Last year, I was in Chicago and didn’t want to date after the Joe situation. Now, I’m back in Michigan and don’t find anyone. He invited me over when I got back from vacation.


This afternoon, we went on a tour with Grandpa of the Scottish Lochs. Grandpa’s girlfriend, Laurie, didn’t go as she was sick with the flu. Neither of us is too crazy about Laurie, as she is sick and doesn’t want to do things. She keeps a leash on Grandpa. I don’t trust her because she is 58 and Grandpa is 82 and he has some money. We want him to find a lady to do things with, but a lady closer to his age.


We went on a tour of the Lochs, which are lakes. Our bus along with 2 other buses and cars boarded a ferry to get to the northside (Gourock). We saw the Loch Lomond, known as the Queen of the Scottish lakes. It is the largest one in Great Britain. We stopped at the village of Luss, which had flower-bedecked cottages overlooking a loch. I got a porcelain Scottish doll with the Stewart plaid (designated with a blue stripe) kilt.


We saw Loch Fyne and by Loch Eck, we saw the Holy Loch. It was very mountainous with green trees all along the mountains. There were no homes on the mountainside. There were tons of sheep along the mountains.


I was shocked to see a Safeway store in Greenock, Scotland.

June 28, 2001: Dublin, Ireland

Today, our tour was of Dublin, Ireland and the countryside. First, we went on a tour of the city of Dublin. It had different colored buildings which was neat. We went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in town. This is where John Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, was Dean of the church. Then, we rode through the Wicklow mountains. We went through the monastic remains of Glendalough. We went to see a short film and walked through an old monastery, founded by St. Kevin in 520 AD. We had beef and potatoes in a jacket and this chocolate dessert for lunch at the Woodenbridge Hotel. Mom and I enjoyed our stop at the Avoca Woolen Mills and got some gorgeous wool sweaters for a good price.


I got a throw blanket for $29. All of this was handmade. It’s a store where the locals also shop. Everyone on the tours seemed to go crazy for the store.


Also, I got this Claddagh ring which is a symbol of love, fidelity, and friendship. There is a heart in the middle with a crown at the top. It’s an Irish ring that is supposed to be given as a gift. If the heart is worn upside down, then it means you are single. If it is right-side up, then it means you are taken, meaning married, engaged, or committed.


Our tour guide was so nice. She took our jackets to the bus while we shopped. She also took our purchases to the check-out. She played this Irish comedian tape for us on the ride back to the ship which was quite funny.


Tonight’s entertainment was of these Irish dancers. They were fantastic.

June 27, 2001: Cork, Ireland

The coastline was real charming, as we came to port. We took a tour of the Blarney Castle and around Cork. We weren’t impressed with Cork. Overall, it was poorer. We noticed that the people didn’t dress as classy as compared to the people in London.



We went to the Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney stone. You have to lay down on your back and a guy holds your legs while you kiss the stone. Kissing the stone is supposed to give you the gift of gab or make you eloquent.


The stairs in the castle are very steep.


We stopped at the Blarney Woolen factory. The sweaters were $125, which was way too much.


When we got back to the ship, there were some shops along the port. We got some beautiful woolen sweaters. My sweater cost $30 and my mom’s was $64.


Cork was the last place that the Titanic stopped at before the big crash. They were bound for New York City.


At 5:30 p.m., I watched the crew wind up the ropes and the ship departed. Many Irish men and women were watching our ship sail away. I felt like I was on the Love Boat. They waved to us. They also had a band at port playing “Anchor’s Away”.


The entertainment on the ship tonight was a man with many faces, as well as a juggler. They were pretty good.

June 26, 2001: Plymouth, England

Charlene, Marnie, Mom, and I set out for our adventure in England. We took a cab to the Avis rental car and got a Renault car. It was weird as Charlene drove on the left side and the steering

wheel was on the right. I sat in the front and was scared the whole time as I didn’t feel in control.

The roundabouts were confusing. You yield to the left for cars.

It was a gorgeous drive up to the Buckland in the Moors. The streets were narrow and the traffic was crazy. I can’t believe how fast the people drove down those narrow roads.


We saw this gorgeous English home, that was shown in the picture books. Then, we went to a small café and had crème tea and scones. We put this creamy butter on top of the scone, as well as jam. The owner, Marie, got flustered with us. She did her farming on her 100 acres before working in her café. Her husband was from London and was a painter. She has always lived in the Moors and said she would never leave. She met a girl in college who was from Muskegon, Michigan. We were shocked. What are the odds of that happening.


Plymouth was where the Pilgrims were from. They set sail for Massachusetts. We saw some sheep in the road. The sides of the road were made of stone, with green plants hanging over it.


We saw several areas where farms were closed due to the hand and foot disease. When we got back to the ship, we had to disinfect our shoes.


On our drive back to Plymouth, we got lost and were getting nervous, as we needed to be back at the boat by 4:30. Marnie, my Mom, and I took turns driving around the parking lot, so we could experience driving on the opposite side.

Tonight, they had a chocolate buffet, which was wonderful.

June 25, 2001: Paris, France

We arrived in Le Havre, France around 7 a.m. Mom and I had our breakfast out on our porch. Charlene, Marnie, Mom, and I boarded the bus for a 3 hour ride into Paris. Originally, we were supposed to have 5 ½ hours in Paris, but we ended up only having 4 hours to explore.


We were dropped off at the Plaza del Concorde. We got to see the Arc de Triumph. Paris was quite spread out, so you had to do a lot of walking to get anywhere.


We walked to the Eiffel Tower. The buildings were huge and had a lot of artistic work.


First, I had to get a phone card called a ‘Tabac’ from a local store. The people in the stores only spoke French; however, I somehow was able to communicate to the clerk that I needed this phone card to make a call to Heather Klee Ascani. The first phone didn’t work, so we kept walking towards the Eiffel tower and then found a phone booth. I was able to get a hold of Heather on her cell phone. She said she was just about to walk out the door when we called so that worked out. She said she would meet us in 20 minutes at the north entrance.


The Eiffel Tower was all made of steel and is so impressive. There were four entrances to it. I remember standing under the tower, looking up, and seeing more steel than I had ever seen in my life. It is simply amazing to look at from that perspective.


Mom and Charlene got us ice cream. I waited for Heather and then I saw her come. We gave her some ice cream. She was about 6 months pregnant and looking good. In her household, they spoke a lot of Spanish. She had to learn it in order to speak with Diego’s parents. Her apartment was up in the hill near the northwest side of the Eiffel tower. She overlooked the park that was south of it. She suggested we eat at a café or see her house. We would have loved to do that, but since we got into town so late, we weren’t able to.


I could tell that Heather was glad we came to visit her. She said Paris was a hectic lifestyle. Rent for a 1 bedroom apartment was around $2500/month. Of course, I got a picture of us together in front of the Eiffel tower. This is one of my favorite photos.


She watched us board a boat bus on the Seine River. Seeing Heather was the highlight of my trip to Paris. We took the boat along the Seine River and got off at the Notre Dame stop. There was a children’s choir going on and the acoustics were so heavenly. We also went by the Louvre. Then, we went to the department store, Samaritaine and went up to the 9th floor and saw a gorgeous view of the city.


Marnie stood in line to go to the top of the Eiffel tower. She spent most of her time in Paris standing in that line. I am glad we were able to see a little bit of Paris in those 4 short hours.

June 24, 2001: Harwich, England

We boarded a bus for a 2 ½ hour trip to Harwich, England, where we boarded the Royal Caribbean cruise called the Legend of the Seas. We were in room #6126, which was the back of the boat where we could have a view of both sides of the ship. Grandpa and Laurie were next door. Charlene and Marnie were in room #2524.



We had lunch and wandered around the ship. Mom and I played miniature golf, which was fun. I was surprised she hit as good as she did. Grandpa and Laurie were late for dinner, which was surprising, as my grandpa hated to be late to anything. Apparently, he thought dinner was at 6:30 instead of 6 p.m.


I sent an email to my friends. It was nice to be able to have internet access on the ship, even if it was quite expensive.


I wish I would find a full-time job soon, as that does make me depressed.


Tomorrow, we will be in Paris.

June 23, 2001: London

Mom and I took a tour of London. We first went to St. Paul’s Cathedral, where Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married. It was a huge church. They said the congregation had to bring their own chairs to church, so that is why you won’t see pews in the church. The Duke of Wellington and Florence Nightengale are buried at this church.



Mom and I went to St. James, where Prince Charles and the boys lived. It’s an old brick building. Had our picture taken with one of the guards.


We got to see the beginning of the Changing of the Guards ceremony, which started at Prince Charles home and proceeded to Buckingham Palace, which is a few short blocks down the street. When the queen is in residence, she has her own flag flying above the palace. She was at her weekend home, so she wasn’t here today.


In November, there will be a big celebration for her 50 yrs of being a queen.


We saw Westminster Abbey, which is where Princess Diana’s funeral was held and were all major events are held.


Then, we took a cruise down the Thames River and saw Big Ben and the Tower of London.


We found out on the tour that the people vote for the House of Commons members, and in turn, the House of Commons votes for the Prime Minister, who actually is the leader of the country, not the queen.


The choosing of royalty is based on the oldest son or daughter.


We got to see the barge race today, as that only happened once a year.


We went on a tour of the London Bridge and got to see the Crown Jewels, Queen Elizabeth’s coronation ceremony in a video, and where people were executed by having their wives beheaded.


After the tour, Mom and I took the subway to Kensington Palace where Princess Diana lived  after she divorced Charles in 1996 until she died in 1997. There were some flowers in the gate. It overlooked Hyde Park. We got to see the beautiful gardens outside of it. Then, we walked to Nottinghill, which wasn't much to see.


We walked down this street behind Kensington Palace that had a lot of embassies. We saw Princess Diana Children’s Memorial Park, as we walked from Kensington Palace through Hyde Park. We walked for miles on Bayside Road to Oxford St.


We walked down Bond Street, which had the fancy stores like Gucci, Bally, and Prada.


London’s population was 8 million.


We had pizza for dinner.

We saw the World’s Largest Ferris Wheel.

June 22, 2001: London, England

Arrived in London, England, around 8:30 a.m. London time (3:30 a.m. Michigan time), so it was a long journey. We flew at 600 mph, 4700 miles from Dallas. Mom, Grandpa, Grandpa’s girlfriend, Laurie Pugh, Charlene, and Charlene’s friend, Marnie, and I went on the trip. We stayed at St. Ermine’s Hotel on Caxton St.


For lunch, we all ate at this neighborhood pub. I had shepherds pie, which was one of England’s specialties.


I bought a new carry on suitcase, as the one I had was too small and heavy. I bought it for 30 pounds ($45). Then, mom and I got cleaned up and headed out for our first journey in London. We walked to the Underground subway, which was really neat. It was literally underground as we took very long escalators down to the train. The trains came within 1-2 minutes and had cushion seats. The Underground is much faster than the El in Chicago.


We took the subway to the South Kensington stop and had to get off and walk through this underground tunnel to get the blue line getting off at Knightsbridge. We walked down to Harrod’s Dept. Store, which was the largest and most sophisticated department store I’ve been in. It had a whole floor of food items. A pint of blueberries was $5. Mom and I bought some chocolates.


A cashmere sweater there was $300. This was a place Princess Diana would probably shop. I saw an $18,000 Sony television set there.


I bought a cute little bag there, with the Harrod’s logo on it.


Then, we walked to the Hard Rock Café and had a $12 cheeseburger, which we split. This was the very first Hard Rock Café in the world. It opened 30 yrs ago.


We walked through St. James Park on the path that was Princess Diana’s memory lane and saw Buckingham Palace. The gates were gorgeous with solid gold. This was the home she stayed in after she divorced Prince Charles.


We walked around Pickadelly Square, which was similar to Broadway in NYC.


It was hard for me to remember to look the other way for cars, as they drive on the left side of the road.

June 18, 2001: Jim Morse's Holland apartment

Jim invited me to his apartment in Holland, Michigan. It was by the mall.   He made us stir fry for dinner. Then, we watched the movies 'Vertical Limit" and "Castaway".  We were laughing at Tom Hank's character in "Castaway".   Then, we had nachos and other snacks. I was stuffed. Jim had a high metabolism and could eat whatever he wanted and not gain an ounce. I wish I had that same metabolism.     He said he would like to take a cruise for his honeymoon.    Jim made copies of my dad's voice on a CD, which was a nice keepsake.   

July 16, 2001: Dietician Assistant Job

I took a part-time Dietician Assistant position through Manpower.   I figured I would work there part-time during the day and then at Sears in the evenings.  I couldn't believe how much nutrition knowledge you needed for this job.   There was a strict schedule to follow.  Hours were 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.   You had to print out a diet list of all patients, color code their diets, using different colored cards.   They were coded as renal, diabetic, low calorie, low sugar, soft foods, etc.   There were about 9 diets.  Plus, you had to write down any allergies to food.  Then, you go on your breakfast and lunch runs.   I had to ask the patient what they would like to eat, based on the choices for the day.     My first patient wasn't on his bed. I went to check and he had fallen on the floor.  Of course, I panicked.   We called the nurse on staff.  That was not the best way to start my new job.   I knew I wasn't going to like this job, so quit the job.  Needless to say, I only lasted 1 day on that job.  

June 11, 2001: Christmas, Michigan

Leah and I started our drive back to the lower peninsula.  We stopped at a casino in Christmas, Michigan.   I spent only $1 gambling and won $30, so I stopped there.   Leah wanted to win, so we kept playing until she won some money, too.    We both got early Christmas presents in Christmas, Michigan.    We had a lot of fun driving down the road.   We were driving crazy.    People in the UP sure drive slow.    Both of us are city girls and would like to take a trip together to Mackinac City sometime.

June 10, 2001: Upper Peninsula

We got some delicious muffins from a bakery.  I bought some oatmeal, chocolate chip bars, which were the best I had ever had.   Kara took us to her forestry program's cabin out in the woods.  We walked across this wooden bridge, which was pretty cool.

Kara made us a wonderful beef stroganoff dinner.    She also made some sour dough bread.   We finished off the evening with the card game, hand and foot.

June 9, 2001: Hiking in the Upper Peninsula

We drove to the Keweenau peninsula, which was absolutely gorgeous.  We saw Horseshoe Falls.   I was dreading the hike, as I remembered the experience with ticks last summer.    The hike went well and I had a good time.  We drove a little further to a more secluded area and walked for about an hour down this 2-track to a secluded beach.   There were only 3 other people down there.   It would be hard to find this place if you didn't know about it.    The clouds lingered around the water.    Then, we went to a red lighthouse.  

I got to see where US 41 starts. This was the same highway that went through Chicago, eventually ending up in Florida.   

We had dinner in downtown Houghton at this wonderful pizza place.   Kara wanted us to try the taco pizza, which was delicious.   After dinner, Kara took us to a place that she and her boyfriend would go to see the fireworks.

June 8, 2001: Upper Peninsula

Leah Engle and I left for our 10 hour trip to Houghton, MI, which was in the upper peninsula.   We had a beautiful day for driving up there.   We had a good time listening to music on the way.    Kara lived on the top of a hill overlooking Michigan Tech.    Kara brought out her Tarot cards for us to play with.    We were all tired by the end of the day.

June 7, 2001: Jo Lawver

Met Jo Lawver at the hotel on Harvey Street, just down the street from the Hampton Inn.   We drove to Grand Haven and had lunch at this wharf restaurant downtown.   Chad was living in Milan, after having lived in Bloomington, IN for about 9 months.   Jase was planning on going through the police academy in January 2002.   Adam would be going to Western Michigan University and staying at Hoekje Hall.

Jo said this July would be she and Skip's 30th wedding anniversary.    We did some window shopping down Washington St.   We also stopped at Best Buy and Elder Beermans on the way back to her hotel.   I found a cute cocktail purse for $12.   She offered to buy it for me, which was so nice. She said it was a bon voyage gift for my upcoming trip to Europe.

Back at the hotel, I got a chance to talk with Skip.   They were going to the Fraternal Order of Police for a dinner.  I sure had a good time visiting with both of them.

June 6, 2001: Matt Tomasiewicz

As I was cooking dinner for Mom, Grandpa, and Grandpa's girlfriend, Laurie Pugh, someone knocked on the door.   I turned around and was surprised to see Matt Tomasiewicz standing there.     He's now 16 yrs old and driving.  He got a 1994 Ford Tempo in a cranberry color.  He took very good care of it.  He seemed so proud to have that car.    He liked to listen to R and B and rap like I did.    He gave me a ride in his new car.  We went to Meijer and Target to look at radar detectors.  I got to see pictures of his girlfriend.  I was like the older sister that he never had, as I used to play ball with him, take him for ice cream, to the park,  movies, and the beach.   Matt hadn't had an easy life with his dad, Zig, who drank alot.    Zig's wife hadn't been nice to Matt, making life difficult at times.  

Jo Lawver called me to say that she and Skip were coming to Muskegon for the weekend, so wanted to get together the next day.  That was a nice surprise.

June 5, 2001: Fricanos in Grand Haven with Jim Morse

Since Jim Morse had done so much for me with my move from Chicago, I had told him I would treat him to Fricanos for pizza.      He said he liked the song, 'Must Be the Money' by Nelly.   He put my resume in with Haworth.  Then, we drove over to the pier in Grand Haven and he used his new digital camera to take pictures of us.   He called his brother, Dan, on his cell phone.  The newest technology at the time was the 2-way calling.   It was like a walkie talkie.     I have always loved the latest technology.       Dan didn't know who I was at first.  I haven't seen him in years.     My dad was good friends with Jim's dad, Ron, in college.    

June 2, 2001: Frankenmueth

Mom and I picked up Rose in Grand Rapids and headed over to Frankenmueth.   Rose was one of my roommates at Western Michigan University.  She was from Manistee, Michigan.   She had never been to Frankenmueth before, so this was a treat for her.   

We had a delicious chicken dinner at the Bavarian Inn.    Then, we drove through town, as it was raining outside.  We stopped by Bronner's, known as the World's Largest Christmas tree store.   Of course, this trip wasn't complete without a stop at the Birch Run Outlets.

May 29, 2001: Baldwin, Michigan

Mom and I drove up to Brunswick to fix the flowers at dad and grandpa's gravestone.   Then, we continued to Baldwin and drove around the streets near the cabin that Grandma Gonyo owned off Pere Marquette Street.  The street has since been renamed. I think the new name was 81st street, but not positive.

We saw someone cutting the grass at Pauline's cabin, but didn't realize until later it was Ken Baker.   We didn't recognize him, as he had a long beard.  His mother, Pauline, was my Grandma Gonyo's older sister.

We drove by the bridge that we used to walk over back in the day. The bridge was torn down.  Now, there were just rocks and a stream going through it.   It was sad to see the changes, as you remember how they once were.

We stopped at Peggy Katt's store in downtown Baldwin.   They had sent her granddaughter, Nicole, to Hawaii for a few weeks for getting good grades in college.  Peggy said I would like to live in Sarasota, FL, as there was so much to do there.   Her store name was:  Katt's Meow.  She had beautiful things in her store.  She bought many of the items for the store at a convention in Atlanta each year and had them shipped to her store.

Then, we had ice cream at the famous Jone's Ice Cream and looked inside Ben Franklin's, which was our favorite store to go to when I was a kid.     Our last stop was to see Pauline at the nursing home.  She had been in this nursing home in Baldwin for 2 years now.    I didn't recognize her with her gray hair. She used to have such beautiful red, wavy hair.   She was half asleep in the day bed.  I don't think she knew we were there or could talk much.   She used to travel all over the world when she was younger.    Pauline used to always tell us girls not to get married.   My mom and dad took a few trips with Pauline over the years.  My mom remarked on how Pauline Kimball was the best dressed lady on the trip. She brought a carry on with a base color for clothing.   She didn't bring many clothes, but she always looked like a million bucks every day. Half of her luggage would be full of make-up.   She and my grandma always had their make-up done so well.

May 26, 2001: Wendy's Cottage

I drove to Temple, MI to visit with Wendy, George, Marianne, and Joy, and to see Wendy's cottage.

Temple was between Clare and Harrison and not far from Cadillac.

Wendy had a nice cottage.   George, Marianne, Joy, Wendy, and Todd's sister, April, and I went shopping in Cadillac.  Then, we had dinner with Todd, his brother, and brother's fiance.   Joy and I took the 2-track to the bar in Temple and played pool.   Todd's brother's fiance broke her back in a snowmobile accident this past March.   

Joy went with Todd, his brothers, and girlfriends mudding on the two-tracks with their pick up trucks.   I could have gone, but decided I really didn't want to do that.  I was scared that we would be in an accident.    Wendy didn't go, but that was more because she was pregnant.  Glad I didn't go, as they got their trucks stuck in the mud and had to clear that out.   It was nice to see everyone.

May 25, 2001: Office Team & Anna Marie Muirhead's Classroom

I drove down to Holland to sign up with Office Team for temporary work.  I found out that I was proficient with Word and Excel. I typed 61 words per minute.  I scored 700 on the data entry test.   I thought that was very good, considering I haven't worked in a position with just data entry.   A 2-year employee with data entry experience should be able to do 10,000 characters.

Then, I went to Great Lakes Elementary to see my friend Anna Marie Muirhead's classroom.   It was an interesting experience for me.   She taught 5th grade.   The students were pretty rowdy.  I couldn't believe how modern this school district was.  The students were required to type their reports and there was a computer lab in the library.   Also, the students took turns reporting school news at the end of the day, which showed up on TVs in each classroom.   She also taught the class using Powerpoint.   I had thought about going back to school to get my master's degree in education, but not sure as it was alot of work.  

Anna Marie said it was stressful during her first year of teaching.   Student teaching was a requirement for a year after the education portion was complete. Many times,  it was unpaid, which would be hard when I still had bills to pay.     Anna said the teachers had to take continuing education in the summers in order to keep their teaching certificate.      Most teachers got their master's degrees.   This career was something I would seriously consider.

May 16, 2001: Interview at AC Nielsen

I had my 2nd interview at ACNielsen for an on-site account executive position working at Meijer.  I thought I did very well on the interview.   From what was said in the interview, there would only be one on-site person there.   I would be working with the Vice President and the buyers of Meijer.

After the interview, I stopped over at Kelsey's house and visited with she and the kids.   I had an enjoyable visit with them.

May 12, 2001: Charity Walk

Leah Engle and I went on a charity walk from McGraft Park down to Pere Marquette.    We walked down Lakeshore Drive, along the boardwalk, and then back.  It was 6 miles.   We ran into Angie from high school.   I had some food on my tooth, so  Angie picked it off.   I know it sounds gross, but she had kids, so she was used to doing this.  

May 4, 2001: Chicago Trip & IRI

Drove to Chicago with my new silver 2001 Honda Civic.  It was sure a fun car to drive.   The traffic was horrible there.  I got to my old work and parked in a lot across the street.  Went up to the 2nd floor and surprised everyone.  Ceylon and Crystal were so glad to see me.  Darren Hobson, Ceylon Hayes, Jeanette Walls, Ron, Yolanda Thomas, Bryan Kerr, and Crystal Cooper came out to see my car.   Yolanda said the backseat was the most comfortable one she had been in. She said she could sit there all the way to Mississippi.   Ron sat in the front seat and wanted to hear the bass on my stereo and see my rims.   Bryan Kerr wanted to see the trunk and said I had a spot for a CD changer. He wanted to see the engine, so we put up the hood.   Jeanette liked the car, as well as the sunset on the Michigan plate.

Ceylon, Crystal, and I drove to Ed Debeviks for lunch.  Ceylon surprised me with this nice CD visor for my car and this friendship frame with a crystal teddy bear.  She said she wanted me to think of her when I saw them.    I thought that was so sweet.

We came back to IRI.  Jamie Nailer wanted to see my car.  Alison came out to see it.   It was fun to see everyone.  

I drove to the outlet stores in Michigan City. I bought a case at the Coach store for my palm pilot for $60.  

May 3, 2001: Manpower

Today, I got signed up with Manpower, in hopes of getting some temporary work.  I was anxious to get working full-time again.  I got my job in Chicago pretty quickly, so was hoping the same thing would happen again here.  Muskegon was not the best place to look for work.    I was looking in the Grand Rapids area, too.

I was going on a European cruise in June, so not sure if finding a job this month was the best thing.   

April 29, 2001: Grand Rapids to Chicago-Move #2

We left early to try and get a big van from the Kent County airport, but they didn't have one.    So, we went to the U-haul in Grand Rapids and had to wait 30 minutes for them to open.    When they opened, they said they couldn't rent out any vehicles until they saw what vehicles were dropped off the day before.   By then, I was panicking.   We went up to the clerk and he said he had one 17 ft truck left.  I was so relieved.   He gave us a 20% discount. It required a $400 security deposit, in which part of it would be reimbursed when I returned the vehicle.  

Jim drove the U-haul back to Chicago.  I called Glenn and he came to help us move the furniture.  Both Jim and Glenn were blessings for me with this move.    Glenn Brien was leaving IRI in 2 weeks.  He would be working at a company in Bedford Park.    Glenn helped me with all of my moves around Chicago.   

Everything was packed onto the truck.   We got back to Muskegon around 10 p.m. and unpacked.   Jim drove the U-haul back to Grand Rapids and I drove his car there.   It was truly a blessing to have such wonderful friends who helped me out.   

April 28, 2001: Move from hell back to Michigan

Woke up early to pack for my move back to Michigan.  Jim Morse came to help with the move.   We waited all day for the U-haul.   They were supposed to call last night with a confirmation time.   They kept saying they had no trucks.   I told them I had made a reservation over a month ago and put an $80 security deposit down.   So, we packed up what we could in Jim's car.  Then, we dropped off my apartment keys and went to the bagel shop.  When we got home, I called the customer service and was put on hold for 45 minutes.   At this point, I was getting very pissed off.   I asked if I could get a truck at a different location and called some other places in Chicago and the suburbs, but nothing was available.  

Jim had parked his car in the alley behind my apartment while we packed. When he went down to check on it, it was gone.   I just couldn't believe this was happening to us.   I started to cry as I had no idea how I was going to get all of my stuff moved home, not to mention, we had to find where Jim's car had disappeared to.  

We called the police department to find out where the car could be.   She asked several questions as to whether the car payments had been made, vehicle ID#, etc.   She checked with Central Towing, but they hadn't found it.  

So, we walked outside to a flower shop around the corner.  A nice Asian man tried to help us find a sign with the name of the towing company.   We found the name and took a cab down to Clark and Montrose streets.

The guy behind the bars at the tow company was mean looking.   The guy in front of us was yelling at him and saying he better not have damaged his car.  It cost us $105 to get it out.   We decided to drive back to Michigan with what we had packed in his car.    

Jim stayed at our house on Lawnel, so we could leave early Sunday morning to get a U-haul here in Michigan and drive it back to Chicago.

April 27, 2001: Ghetto Burgers/Last Day at IRI

Today was Ashley Arnouts's 8th birthday and my last day of working at Information Resources, located at 150 N. Clinton in Chicago, IL.  It was sad to leave the friends I met in Chicago.  

For lunch, Jamie Nailer and Crystal Cooper took me to a ghetto burger place on the west side.   This was one of the greasiest cheeseburgers I've ever had.   Plus, they stuffed greasy french fries in with the burger.  I was the only white girl in line.   You had to order your food through a bullet proof window.   If that ain't ghetto, I don't know what that is.

Crystal and I ate our food in the lunchroom with Dave Alvarez.  He had been married for 5 years to a girl he met in college.   He called his wife, his 'girl'.   His birthday was May 4th.    He said he spent 3 hours cleaning his Nissan Altima last night, as he had a bad day.   Frank Nykie said I was lucky to be leaving IRI.  

Everyone hugged me on my way out, such as Ron Hill, Crystal, and Julia.  

It was a sunny day when I walked out the door.  I was happy, but also sad.   I waited for the bus at Lasalle and Clark.    I still couldn't believe I was moving back to Michigan.   

April 26, 2001: Farewell Luncheon with Co-workers at Information Resources

Today, I was starting to realize how much I would miss my co-workers at Information Resources.   It was a beautiful, sunny day.   Lilly Dunson, Crystal Cooper, Jeanette Walls, Don Labonte, Yolanda Thomas, Wayne Onak, Ceylon Hayes, Darren Hobson, Darlene Harris, Rachel Reyes, Barb Hamlin, and Ian Stevens came to the luncheon.   My director, Julia Devine, and supervisor, Alison Basista were not able to make it due to a training they had to attend.   Ron Hill and Dave Alvarez had basketball, so couldn't come.  Josh Bulak was sick and had to go to the doctor office, so he also couldn't attend.  

It was wonderful to see so many there. It was a great way to leave Information Resources.

Julia Devine told me about an actress she met at her work after college.   They were still friends to this day.   Her friend's name was Brenda Epperson.  She used to play Ashley on the "Young and the Restless".   Julia got to go on the set of Y and R. She had gone to some of the cast parties.   Her friend, Brenda, used to hate to kiss Eric Braeden, who played Victor on the "Young and the Restless".   He liked to kiss with his tongue, which grossed out many of the actresses.