Apropos of Nothing v.5

Thank you Judi. That is my GD Charlize. She and I are buddies and it is fun being a GP. This is teaching her how to kick up leaf piles and spread them around.

I love being a Gma. It's totally fun!

I, SOOOOOO, love being a Gma, too.

That is one beautiful smile on that kid.

The procession for the Lakewood Police officers was 2 blocks from my house. I went and sat out on 108th watching for the last hour of it. Pretty much cried the whole time, just quiet tears rolling down my face... such a huge loss to our community, and such an incredible show of support from all over the country.

I am glad I went, but I really wish I had dressed warmer. I froze pretty bad.

Wish I could have been there. The news coverage on 4 was great. It really meant a lot to the policemen (who attended in record numbers) to have the community there. I shed a few tears, too.

There was a lot of coverage of the procession here, and a lot of sadness for those who lost their loved ones and coworkers. Lakewood is very much in the hearts of many right now.

I have tears just reading this. I cannot watch or read the news anymore.

I was thinking today, while watching the impressive spectacle of thousands (literally) of uniformed Royal Canadian Mounties that one positive thing that came out of this is the feeling of solidarity and commitment between the officers and the community. As one policeman said, "It serves to remind us all that there are more good guys than bad guys."

Sometimes we need to know that.

My sympathies to your (our) loss of the 4 honorable police officers. Such a tragedy. Continue to honor our first responders, men and women who are there for us.

"Sometimes we need to know that."

Yes. Exactly.

Thank you, Aguane. It was so amazing to see the number of people at the ceremonies today - from around the country - and a ton of Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I guess the motorcade was over 20 miles long. I hope these guys are somewhere watching.

It does take a special kind of person to be a first responder and I'm so grateful that there are people like that.

http://www.komonews.com/news/78810377.html

Katie59,
Here in AZ we had our share of loss of our Police Force over the last 3 years. Many motorcades as you're experiencing this week. I work with a lot of retired police officers, law enforcement and fire department.... they are a very special type of good people (they're families, too)

Yes!

This sad day brought us together
We longed for the elevation of right
As primary of the human creation
To believe in this eternal thought
As the final place of our minds to rest.

I am simply amazed at the outpouring of support from all over the continent. Amazing.
What an incredible sight the photos show. Basically, I'm speechless. I saw one of my clients in one of the photos of the caskets being taken in. I'm so horribly sad for him. This was his best friend and mentor, and this man, who is an awesome man, needs a best friend and mentor. He looks terrible in the photo.

I am always reminded that some of the traditions at these services are very dramatic, awe-inspiring and emotion-gnawing. I guess part of the purpose of these rituals is to initiate grieving and to induce people to grieve together and to start grieving right away.

I was floored that some of the kids were able to speak. I know that everybody expresses himself differently, but it can't have been easy to hold it together.

This news site has additional photos.
http://www.kirotv.com/index.html
I don't think I can watch the videos of the kids speaking yet.

Here is our local newspaper coverage.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/

This message was edited Dec 8, 2009 9:45 PM

Yeah... ya know, I feel like I've been through the wringer just from an hour of waving at the cars. I can't begin to imagine what today was like for the friends, family and fellow officers of those lost.

Thanks for the links. I will look. I find it comforting and cathartic in a strange way.

I like the News Tribune's Coverage. Did you see the last picture of their slide show? Just goes to show that they never rest.

I just posted this on another forum about Tiger but it is here too some of my thoughts were.
We all, men and women have failed at many relationships. Remember there was someone less famous on the other side of this event. I have failed to embrace and care properly for my first girlfriend to my current wife. Tiger, Elin are unfortunately in the spot light now. I wonder what motivates the Swan couple to stay together? I wonder why salmon have no relationships in their sex, did the T Rex male feel anything in his event? We are too complex and observe, conclude, a list of our personal values. Hence big questions are unanswered here because we thought that someone like a "Tiger" had reached the plateau we failed to do. I think we all are special and unique to become a story to be told in what I feel is after life and how this story really was becomes clear. Does our mind go on with the end of life and the energy of thought get captured upon death. See Tiger brings many emotions to my heart. Plus the police event in Lakewood has me singing and sobbing.

It's not that complicated for me, Steve, even without all the facts. It's the same story, different day, with an interesting twist. But very sad, all the same, that he has to drag his wife and her family and his little kids through his garbage . . .

An indiscretion is one thing. A long-time series of indiscretions when you should be "fathering up" is really sickening to me. It shows a lack of character IMO. A lot of people (young and old) have lost a hero in this one. And I'm sure there's at least one young man who will be influenced - and not for the better.

What is sad to me is how we have to make a spectacle out of someone's lack of character. I was just fine not knowing all that about him and likely the rest of the country was fine, too.. What passes for news in many cases is just an excuse to reach down to the lowest common denominator of human existence.
I admit that I am no longer surprised when some famous person's darkness is put into the light for everyone to opine about. What would surprise me is if it stopped happening.

I was not able to watch any of the procession because I was working, and am not ready to go to the links now either I don't think. I have so much respect for the people who risk their lives for the common man every day.... they deal with so much disrespect, but still are willing to risk it all for people that they don't know. What a totally senseless tragedy that will affect so many lives.

There are several local groups and business that are making wonderful efforts to support those left behind. I am not familiar with all of them, but do know that Ivar's donated profits from it's local chowder sales today, Papa John's pizza is doing the same today and tomorrow

http://blog.seattlepi.com/eastsideinside/archives/187555.asp?from=blog_last3

and Spike and the Impalers (KZOK) and EMP have put together a bennefit concert that will be donating 100% of the proceeds to the families of the fallen officers.

"Spike & The Impalers Get your tickets for the Spike & The Impalers Benefit Concert for the families of Fallen Lakewood Officers which will be at the EMP on December 17th @ 7:00. In addition to Spike and The Impalers, bands Sex and Violins (Jeff and Lynn's band), Dudley Taft Blues Overkill (Dudley's band), and Eight Days Clean will also per...form. Cost:$25. For tickets call 1-800-838-3006 "

That's wonderful of them to do it.

There is a quote from Martin Luther King on one of the courthouse buildings in downtown Portland -

"An injustice against anyone is an injustice against all."

Katie59 - you're right. Same story, different day, different person. No shocker and that's the sad part.

Has anyone heard from Katye, Laurie, or Mary? They seem to have disappeared.

Bernadette hasn't been here in a while either.

I finally got a photo of our ugly sweaters... complete with funny "caught in ugly sweater" faces.

How lovely, Pony!

*snerk* Lovely isn't quite what I would call it... hehehe. ;p

They didn't get a shot of the back of my sweater... there were also sequined angels on the bottom edge of the back side, and it was their backsides... oh lordy it was so tacky. I was calling Tracy "Booby" all night and he was calling me "Angel Butt". ROFL!

Oh, here's a group shot:

And my favorite pic; Tracy was SO HAPPY to win a prize.... LMAO!

Oh Booby is so cute! Nice prize!

I hope we do another one of these next year. It was hilarious.

I talk to Kate every once in awhile. She's been out of town - just got back.

I sent an e-mail to Shelly, but haven't heard back from her.

Nice. In some circles those would be prized sweaters . . .

I know... scary, huh?

I guess what's scary is that some of them are borderline (to me). One man's trash is another man's treasure. :-)

I just checked on Facebook. Mary's been busy with the games . . .

**SNICKER** Those sweaters are great! I am in utter awe of a woman who has enough influence over her man to get him to even put on a sweater that says "booby" on it, more less get him to go out in public in it! Looks like it was a fun night...

LOL! I'm lucky to have a man with such a great sense of humor. Although when I first showed him his sweater he laughed so hard I thought we were going to have to go to the emergency room again... hehehe. ;)