Photos: Remembering 9/11 and Victims of Terrorism

Since September 11, 2001 I've had the opportunity to visit New York City numerous times and have always made it a point to walk around Ground Zero to check on the progress in rebuilding the site of so much suffering and pain, but also so much hope and optimism that America can rebuild from the ashes. I've also visited other 9/11 Memorial sites, particularly in the Los Angeles area. Most recently, I was in Israel where I took photos of memorials to victims of terrorism there. Here is one person's photographic perspective on 9/11 and tribute to victims of terrorism around the world.

GROUND ZERO, 2004

GROUND ZERO, 2008

GROUND ZERO, 2010

  

NEWSEUM, WASHINGTON DC, 2008

9/11 MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN, FIRE STATION 88, SHERMAN OAKS, CALIFORNIA, 2005

9/11 MEMORIAL, PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY, MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, 2008

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL, 2011 

VICTIMS OF TERRORISM MEMORIAL, MT. HERZEL MILITARY CEMETARY, JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, 2011

 JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, 2011

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Mental Anguish

"Methinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow." - Henry David Thoreau 

See that little counter over on my left sidebar? Oh, you are reading this in Reader? Okay, well I will read it to you. What it says is, "8 days (and some odd hours) until the City of Roses Half Marathon".

Yes, 8 days.

I am not ready. Physically, I am fine. It is my mental capacities that are lacking. Although I KNOW I can do it, I am still nervous/scared/doubting myself.

Why? I don't know. I have done it before and it really doesn't matter if (a) I run really slow, (b) I have to walk or (c) I don't finish at all.

But I am my worst critic and am hardest on myself and I want to do well, even though I keep telling myself that it doesn't matter what happens. If I were you and you were me, I would tell you that you are going to do fine and to just have fun with it and that it Doesn't Matter! But I am me and even though I try to tell myself the same thing, I am feeling a little strange.

This always happens to me before a big race. It's like stage fright. Like cold feet. Like speaking in front of a bunch of people even though you KNOW you are prepared and you know the material. It's self doubt for NO reason.

Usually it is gone after the first mile.

However, until that first mile is under my belt (in 8 days and some odd hours), I will wonder: did I eat enough today / last night / yesterday / last week? Did I train enough this week / for the last 12 weeks? Did I train too much? Am I strong enough? Is my alarm going to go off on time? Do I really need to pee or am I just nervous?

And then, the first mile will go by and I will do what I know how to do. I will do what I have done before. I will do what I have been doing for the last 12 weeks (and years before that). I will run. I will enjoy myself. I will be reminded that those nerves are just a part of being excited.

I will be reminded that races are my FAVORITE part of running.

Have you ever run a race? If so, did you like it? Did you get nervous beforehand? Do you have any upcoming races? 

This post is linked up with Jill at: 

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House Tour: Master Bathroom

You have seen it in progress but here it is--our Master Bathroom:

I have been enjoying the luxury that is our walk in shower:

And here you can see our bathtub with the finished mosaic tile piece that we had bullnosed to complete the look:

We also added hardware to the cabinets:

Images via Travelmoon

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Official Start of Knitting Season

Monday was the official start of knitting season! It all kicks off with our local yarn store's annual anniversary sale! It is one of don't miss events of the year! We plan for months what we are going to purchase and save up. Not that we really stop knitting at a certain time of the year, it is just the start of the fall and Christmas knitting. :) Of course I ended up with more then was on my list. A new book and yarn to knit one of the projects. The book is "Shetland Trader". I don't generally buy knitting books as I never think the expense justifies using one pattern. But this book I fell in love with! And I like eight out of the ten patterns! Here is a link to the hat I am making.

The weather here has also been perfect for knitting. A little cool with a fall breeze. And the nights are down-right chilly! Perfect for cozing up with a good movie and knitting needles.

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L.A. Public Transit: Downtown to Santa Monica

The Westside Subway Extension is going to happen. Will it be built in ten or thirty years? That depends on the political will in Washington and the lobbying efforts of Los Angeles leaders in City Hall. But whether the Purple Line train reaches the VA Hospital west of the 405 Freeway in a decade doesn't matter if you want to get to the beach today via mass transit.

When I visited L.A. this summer I wanted to see friends on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica without a car. My Blue Line train arrived in downtown Los Angeles from downtown Long Beach and I switched trains at 7th St./Metro Center to the Purple Line subway that took me to the end of the line at Wilshire/Western in the Koreatown neighborhood.

At that point you can transfer to either the Metro Rapid 720 bus or the 20 local bus for a crowded, bumpy ride down pothole-riddled Wilshire Boulevard. The bus takes you through Koreatown, Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills, Westwood, Brentwood and Santa Monica before ending near the Santa Monica Pier. It is obvious from a ride on the 720 that it is no substitute for heavy rail. The bus is jam packed at nearly all hours and until L.A. invests in repaving Wilshire through Koreatown and Miracle Mile, it is incredibly uncomfortable bouncing around like rag dolls.

But the bus will get you to the beach eventually and Wilshire smooths out through Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. There is also a newly repaved stretch through Westwood. Additionally, the L.A. City Council recently approved bus-only lanes along Wilshire, which will save 11 minutes of travel time on a one hour trip. Now whether the bus driver is erratic or calm is another story. Getting a good or a bad bus driver is the luck of the draw.

In Santa Monica we walked down the Third Street Promenade where we saw talented street entertainers, ate fresh organic fruit at the Farmers Market and toured the new Santa Monica Place, which was recently converted from the Frank Gehry-designed indoor shopping center built in 1980 to an outdoor mall perfect for the year-round sunny Southern California climate.

Here are more photos of the Purple Line subway and Metro Rapid 720 bus:



And here is video of the Metro Purple Line subway arriving at 7th St./Metro Center:

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VIACHESLAV PILIKOV 02

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Argentina Rocks!

This is Argentina. 

Today , you can join me over at Women Rockin' The Road, where I am talking about being a vegetarian in Argentina, one of the beef capitals of the world.  

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Also, I have a winner to announce for the Back to The Books Giveaway Hop.

Drum roll please....

And the winner is....

Number drawn by random.org.
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