Today was the first day of business-back-to-(almost)-usual here at Virginia Tech, and I think it went okay.  I was in our building for about 5 hours, and it was subdued.  We had volunteers - grad students and faculty - sitting at a card table in the lobby wearing ribbon armbands and name tags asking "May I Help?" I did not have an official shift, ( Read more... )

Last night, after dance class, RHeather, Fantastic Jen, and I went over to NuttyCrunchyHealthFoodStore (which RH manages), dropped beeswax candles into glass jars, set the jars in paper bags, and lit them.  The wind was raging, but we secured our makeshift luminaries as best we could, hugged one another tight, and went home.  When RH went out to ( Read more... )

On September 11, 2001 I was a junior in college. I had just gotten back to Fairbanks after spending my first summer in the field with Fish and Game.  On that horrible morning, I arrived at work without hearing any news.  Mike called us at the helpdesk - which has no windows or views of the world - at 7:45, urging Thom and I to turn the radio on.  ( Read more... )

Yesterday an email went around the tribal bellydance list serve, with those of us associated with Tech sounding off that we were still here.  Apparently the cabaret community was not so lucky - Reema Samaha was among the victims of yesterday's tragedy.  She danced at our hafla last month. I remember her looking so very alive - she had the cabaret- ( Read more... )

I appreciate all the virtual hugs offered, but I could really use an in-person hug today.

My lunch date with Dana was cancelled. I went and saw the house I think I am renting next year, it is lovely and I am a lucky duck.

Then I went to the Inn at Virginia Tech, where they have been telling people to go for counseling, family reunions, etc.  The Red Cross representative would have liked to let us in for Kiska to be a therapeutic pet, ( Read more... )

So now it is Tuesday, and the aftermath of yesterday's tragedy continues to unfold.

The number of dead is staggering - 33 at last report - and the reality of it continues to feel very, very unreal.

The blaming has begun, and it is making those of us who were here to watch the pain unfold very unhappy.  Yes, the first shooting started at 7:15, ( Read more... )

Ugh, we are lobbing emails back and forth trying to account for everybody.  The waiting is hard, when you know 30something members of your community are dead ( Read more... )

Trevor is okay. He was over by the dorm when it happened and saw all the police cars, but made it home safe. The wind here is horrific, so the phone lines at their house (and thus their DSL) were out, which is why it took so long to hear back from him.

I bought tickets to Mamma Mia for my Broadway field trip in April.

I spent 50 minutes on hold with ( Read more... )

I am safe, and thus grateful. I am three miles from the tragedies, and - so far as I know- personally untouched.  And yet, it hurts ( Read more... )