Santa Monica Area Residents/Workers... Memorial service at Farmers' Market, 1:43 PM today Arizona and Third
Jul 23rd, 2003, 11:52 AM
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Santa Monica Area Residents/Workers... Memorial service at Farmers' Market, 1:43 PM today Arizona and Third
Commemorating victims both dead and injured of last week's tragedy (outside my office).
Jul 24th, 2003, 05:54 AM
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RJ, we were just leaving california on our 3 week road trip when we heard about this; i thought of you right away as i knew from your posts that your office was nearby. We were so very saddened and have been praying for all concerned.
On a much lighter note, thank you for all your wonderful advice here on Fodors - it helped us so much!! We absolutley LOVED the SoCal part of our vacation! As you know, we'd exlored much of hollywood, LA in preveious trips, but hadn't been to orange county; i'm in LOVE with it and can't wait to return someday!!
Thanks again, and God bless.
Jul 24th, 2003, 07:23 AM
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ellen-- Thanks for the compliments, and the kind words. I'm just tryin' to let people know that southern California isn't all glitz and scum; there are perfectly wonderful reasons to visit and live here.
RE: The Farmers' Market accident. Ironically, when it happened, I was returning home from a business trip to Philadelphia.
Thumbnail summary: Spent all my free time in Bucks County with my mom and sister (who is doing fine, feeling really well, her chemo's almost done!!). Went to New Hope, which is hokey and fun; sis bought furniture (and bro-in-law didn't even yell when he saw the price tags-- great guy!!). I don't know the area well at all; but the weather was glorious, and summer in Bucks County is beautiful. A bit quiet, but....
Monday, drove to Trenton with Mom to catch NJT into Manhattan. A derailment in the Meadowlands (yucch!) delayed my getting into town. I left Mom at Macy's, went uptown to my firm's office to get some work done. Mom has discovered the magic of NY street vendors (bought bubble machines for my sis' twin girls); I think we've lost her for good this time. Everything the kids open this Xmas will have fallen off a truck in Brooklyn Heights....
Tuesday, went into downtown Phillie. I was in the meeting all day, but still: What a beautiful downtown! I'm looking forward to exploring it more (Mom wants to go to the Mutter Museum, as I noted in another thread. Pickled people's feet?).
Wednesday, I flew home. I connected at Dallas/Ft. Worth, and as I sat down at my gate, the news broke on CNN. "Farmers' Market accident, dozens injured, eight dead...." Then I saw my office building. I freaked and grabbed my cell phone to call my office. My receptionist was being swamped with calls from frantic family members (and some media as well), and she was beside herself. One of our colleagues had been hit by the car. She is in a full body cast in the orthopedics ward at her hospital. Rehab follows; she'll be out for some six months. She'll be fine, but it's just unfair. Two small kids (thankfully, she gets along with her ex-husband)....
The irony of this is: My mom freaks (as well as my SigO) when I fly. "Oh, what if the plane has trouble? I worry about you up there, bla bla bla, I wish you were just safe at work in Santa Monica." And flying was fine, and I could have bought the farm walking in front of my office building.
Funny how something so innocuous and fun and sweet can be ruined in the blink of an eye. If you have never done a farmers' market in southern California, they are great social levelers. Everyone happily shops shoulder-to-shoulder: CEOs, artists, models, actors, superstar chefs (Nancy Silverton, Mary Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger, etc.), that weirdo vegan guy with that annoying public access show, etc. You get a complete cross-section of California society, plus an appreciation of the family farm phenomenon in the state. And the produce is incredible. Corn picked the day before, tomatoes so sweet they could be dessert, artichokes as big as a bowling ball, week after week of fresh fruit (seasons are longer here)-- it just can't be beat.
I did not make the memorial service yesterday, but I did walk through the market, and the mood was pretty somber. Still, people were more courteous, and most importantly, they were going on with life.
It's cliché, but it's true: You never know if today's your last chance (for whatever you want/need to do), so do it, or do your damnedest in trying. And always let your loved ones know how important they are to you, and how much you love them. That's really important.
Anyway, time to get to work. Carpe diem, y'all!
RE: The Farmers' Market accident. Ironically, when it happened, I was returning home from a business trip to Philadelphia.
Thumbnail summary: Spent all my free time in Bucks County with my mom and sister (who is doing fine, feeling really well, her chemo's almost done!!). Went to New Hope, which is hokey and fun; sis bought furniture (and bro-in-law didn't even yell when he saw the price tags-- great guy!!). I don't know the area well at all; but the weather was glorious, and summer in Bucks County is beautiful. A bit quiet, but....
Monday, drove to Trenton with Mom to catch NJT into Manhattan. A derailment in the Meadowlands (yucch!) delayed my getting into town. I left Mom at Macy's, went uptown to my firm's office to get some work done. Mom has discovered the magic of NY street vendors (bought bubble machines for my sis' twin girls); I think we've lost her for good this time. Everything the kids open this Xmas will have fallen off a truck in Brooklyn Heights....
Tuesday, went into downtown Phillie. I was in the meeting all day, but still: What a beautiful downtown! I'm looking forward to exploring it more (Mom wants to go to the Mutter Museum, as I noted in another thread. Pickled people's feet?).
Wednesday, I flew home. I connected at Dallas/Ft. Worth, and as I sat down at my gate, the news broke on CNN. "Farmers' Market accident, dozens injured, eight dead...." Then I saw my office building. I freaked and grabbed my cell phone to call my office. My receptionist was being swamped with calls from frantic family members (and some media as well), and she was beside herself. One of our colleagues had been hit by the car. She is in a full body cast in the orthopedics ward at her hospital. Rehab follows; she'll be out for some six months. She'll be fine, but it's just unfair. Two small kids (thankfully, she gets along with her ex-husband)....
The irony of this is: My mom freaks (as well as my SigO) when I fly. "Oh, what if the plane has trouble? I worry about you up there, bla bla bla, I wish you were just safe at work in Santa Monica." And flying was fine, and I could have bought the farm walking in front of my office building.
Funny how something so innocuous and fun and sweet can be ruined in the blink of an eye. If you have never done a farmers' market in southern California, they are great social levelers. Everyone happily shops shoulder-to-shoulder: CEOs, artists, models, actors, superstar chefs (Nancy Silverton, Mary Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger, etc.), that weirdo vegan guy with that annoying public access show, etc. You get a complete cross-section of California society, plus an appreciation of the family farm phenomenon in the state. And the produce is incredible. Corn picked the day before, tomatoes so sweet they could be dessert, artichokes as big as a bowling ball, week after week of fresh fruit (seasons are longer here)-- it just can't be beat.
I did not make the memorial service yesterday, but I did walk through the market, and the mood was pretty somber. Still, people were more courteous, and most importantly, they were going on with life.
It's cliché, but it's true: You never know if today's your last chance (for whatever you want/need to do), so do it, or do your damnedest in trying. And always let your loved ones know how important they are to you, and how much you love them. That's really important.
Anyway, time to get to work. Carpe diem, y'all!
