While surfing, I ran across a band called Sugarpill, featuring guitarist Greg "Waz" Wasylik - no known relation. The band has a nice funky sound, which you can sample for yourself by downloading their sound clips.

You can tell the seasons by what I wear when I drag out of bed to walk Tucker. In the heat of summer, it's shorts and a tank top. As we transition into fall, it's shorts and my fuzzy pullover. Today I broke out the jeans to go with the fuzzy pullover, but at least it's not yet too cold to wear sandals.

At 8:00 am on September 11, 2001, the top story on the local news radio station Michael and I wake up to was the fact that maybe possibly that day Michael Jordan would announce that he was returning to the NBA as a player for the home town Washington Wizards. I remember remarking to Mike that it must be a slow news day, can't they come up with anything else besides Jordan?

At 8:50 am, I was in a cab heading toward the Library of Congress when the same station reported the first WTC crash. I remember the newscaster remarking that this made the Jordan story seem pretty darn irrelevent. We were pulling up to my destination when they added the news of the second plane. I remarked to the cabby, "That has to have been on purpose!" paid my fare, and went to my meeting. I was upset, but didn't realize the import until a bit later, when I heard about the Pentagon (and soon thereafter saw it) and the nightmare of the day set in. The rest, as they say, is history.

So today, we come full circle: Jordan announced a two year deal with the Wizards. He's taking a salary of only $1 million per year (ranking him in the bottom quarter of the team in compensation). Oh yeah, and he's donating his entire first year's salary to Sept. 11 victims' charities. Jordan may be the king of hype, but he's also full of class.

UPDATE: Even if his team is a little cheezy. They've already revamped the logo banner on their website to include a picture of Jordan next to the team name.

Update: We drove down 395 yesterday, and could actually see the damaged portion of the building. The affected area is a lot bigger in person than it looks like on TV.

Several of the possible routes home from the city bring us past the Pentagon, and last night -- for the first time since the day everything changed -- we drove one of those routes. From 110, there is no view of the damage. But we could see the kleig lights set up to ensure that work could continue through the night, and the rows and rows of rescue and support vehicles in the Pentagon parking lot. Worst of all, we could smell it -- there is a definite burnt smell in the air as you drive by. It's really hard for me to imagine this times a thousand, which is what life in Manhattan must be like right now.

It was very cathartic and helpful to attend Karen Kincaid's memorial service on Saturday. Even though I didn't know her very well, and Mike didn't know her at all, we both got a lot out of the priest's comforting perspective. People said such wonderful things about her that it made me wish I had known her better. Although then, the pain would have been pretty much unbearable. As latecomers, we were sitting at the very front of the church, near the altar, with a view of the rest of the congregation. This meant we were staring right at Karen's husband and family the whole time. I just kept staring at the wedding ring on his finger and crying.

Family and friends are all safe, so far as we know. One of Dineen's co-workers has died, and I am sure that as news trickles out of the lost, waves of consequence will ripple out from the center and touch almost everyone.

Today we hung an American flag in the large window facing the street. We hope to see many more when we get home tonight.

Dear God. I just read in the Post that a partner from Wiley was on the plane that struck the Pentagon.

Mike & I are home safe, although we got quite a view of the Pentagon burning as we crossed the Key Bridge on our way home. So far, we've been able to get word about everyone we know who works at the Pentagon or near the World Trade Center, and everyone is fine. I pray we maintain that streak, and for other families who don't have such good news to report.