Kim and me

Kim and me

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Happy Mother's Day

My mom doens't read my blog. In fact, I don't think she would know how to even find it. But this one is for her.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. My mom has seen many of them in the past and hopefully many more in the future. I do want to take this opportunity to tell her how much I love her and appreciate everything she has done for me. When so many have turned away from me, my mom has always been a huge support. During times of trial, she was always there to tell me she had been praying for me and doing everything she could to help me make it through to the end. Thank you mom. In less than a month she will be celebrating her 87th birthday. I'm so glad I've had you and dad around this long in my life.

Also, I want to tell my wife Kim how much I love her and Happy Mother's Day to her too. She has picked up the pieces and done her best to assemble something respectable. I owe you so much and hope we'll be celebrating this holiday together 50 years from now. Ewwww...well...I'll be 98 then so maybe not.

And lastly for this week. The Deseret News has published a new article about my trip to Ireland with Heather. There are some cute pics of her too. I hope people who follow my travel articles in the Deseret News or the Mormon Times will enjoy this latest piece. Here is the link.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372225/Emerald-Isle---a-beautiful-and-historical-treat.html?pg=2

Monday, May 2, 2011

September 11, 2001

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, Mike Dransfield and I stayed at work on overtime to run the engines of one of AA's MD-11 aircraft after completing a B-check. I remember we had to take the plane down to the end of the runway rather than running it up on our own blast fence outside the hangar. The blast fence was already occupied.

After the run-up was completed, we were free to go. I remember specifically getting into my firebird and listening to the sports talk radio show I listened to every morning. At this point, nobody knew what was going on except that a plane had hit one of the two twin towers of the World Trade Center. I listened all the way home, a 25 minute drive. During that time, the second tower had been hit and there was no doubt the acts were malicious.

I could not go to sleep. I watched the television intensely as the first of the two towers fell and then the second. I remember feeling sick to my stomache and disbelief. Word came out that two of MY airplanes were used that day; one in the World Trade Center and the one in the Pentagon.

That night at work, after not having very much sleep, we performed A and PS checks on airplanes; airplanes that were parked all over, even lining up on the taxiways. The sky was devoid of traffic and the customary roar of jet engines at the airport was missing. American Airlines operated around 1,000 airplanes at this time because of the recent purchase of TWA. Every one of the planes was grounded and had to be parked somewhere. I've never seen anything like it since and hope I never do again.

The killing of Osama bin Laden seems almost as surreal as that morning. I have no idea what will come of  the news either. I worry that the media is too optimistic about it and yet I want to hope that the real threat of 9/11 happening again is over. But like the Hydra, you cut off the head and two grow back in its place.

I love my country. I fight back tears when I go to a Rangers game and the national anthem is performed. I appreciate what I have and what my family enjoys. I pray to God that he will continue to watch over our land and help those in authority defeat those with evil in their hearts.