When The Boss is Away...

this is what happens.

The saddest part is the broken, pink, sparkly M in the bottom left corner (I geuss the little silver, sparkly tiara and pink "PH" were never recovered).  It was hidden amongst a sea of "W"'s in the Planet Hollywood gift store in Vegas.  The one little trinket I, for whatever reason, needed to be sure to purchase.  I guess it's more important that the key was found, but I loved my little "M".

A Little Justice

Finally!

Prayers

Just to alleviate some concerns, Mark and I are OK. The bridge is about a mile away from our apartment, and we drive over it ALL the time. I crossed it four times on Monday, and usually cross it a couple of times on weekends. It's kind of a surreal thing when you think about it - there used to be a huge bridge there... and now there isn't. Even more surreal is the fact that there are cars, and presumably people, trapped under tonnes of concrete and metal underneath the river. It is heartbreaking for the the families and friends of those who were unfortunate enough to be on the bridge at the time. There are some fantastic stories of survival, good samaritans and displays of human kindness. I applaud those people who effortlessly give of their time in situations like these; the rescue workers, Doctors and Nurses, Police, Fire Departments, passers-by and anyone else who helps without thinking.

This tragedy could have been worse. This is a four lane interstate, currently down to two lanes each way due to construction, and at 6:00pm, it is the tailend of rush hour. Had it happened an hour or so earlier... who knows what the number of people affected by this would have been.

Our prayers and thoughts are with those whose lives have been changed because of this horrific event.

Wicked Weather

So you always hear the reports of bad weather: thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes etc., but I don't think you ever really grasp the extent of them, even seeing pictures. This past weekend, an F-4 level tornado (the worst is F-5) ripped through Elie, Manitoba, the town my sister and her family lives in. Their town is about a half hour west of Winnipeg, Manitoba, where my parents live, but the storm stayed in Elie. My Dad called to tell us the news and that everyone was okay Saturday night. Sunday we got pictures...

Thankfully, there were no injuries or deaths. With a storm of that magnitude, it was a blessing no one was even hurt. It is difficult to lose your possessions, house, everything, but it could have been so much worse, and we are glad my sister and her family, and the entire town is safe. My sister's home sustained damages, and they are waiting to find out if it is safe for them to move back into it, but others in town were not as lucky...

This last picture is of someone's van that wound up in my sister's backyard. You don't really realize the magnitude of these storms until you go through them I think. It is amazing to think that these storms are mostly wind... there were 2x4's sticking out of roofs, siding, cars flipped over, poles knocked down, raw turkeys laying in the field, debris strewn everywhere. Oddly enough, in all of the chaos, this is what was discovered when the storm cleared..

apparently bird baths are tornado resistant!!