President Obama in Tucson for Memorial

I had considered going to Tucson to listen to the president, knowing that I would have to get to the UA campus very early to secure a good spot. KVOA's Facebook page, however, announced that by 9am there was already a mile-long line of people waiting to get into the auditorium, which soon grew to a two-mile line and only grew from there. The station's live feed posted constant updates. By early afternoon streets were blocked off, the McKale auditorium had filled to capacity by 1pm and the traffic nightmare began.

Brian Williams from NBC Nightly News was in town. The news was broadcasted from Tucson tonight.

With Kevin recovering from oral surgery, he stayed home to rest and I stayed home with him. I had KVOA on most of the day for its "live updates", minus the time the station broadcasts chatty talkshows and soaps.

The hate-filled Westboro Church from Topeka, Kansas agreed not to protest the funeral of Christiana Green tomorrow. The Arizona legislature passed and Gov Brewer signed a law making their protests 300 feet from any of this week's six funerals (victims of this horrific rampage) illegal. It seems a lot of extremist groups are coming out of the MidWest.

I ended up watching the live updates on our little black-and-white TV while I went through my office closet to declutter the area, only making a bigger mess and stopping numerous times to look over old high school photos and other memorabilia either my mother or father saved for me and which I merely tucked away in old cardboard boxes. I found other books I had been looking for, and soon the clean-up became another typical messup of mine.

Obama spoke very lovingly about the youngest victim, nine-year-old Christina Green who truly did sound like a remarkably gifted child with great ambitions. It's a tragic shame someone like her had her life cut so short.

"I want to live up to her expectations," he said. "I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it."

More than 13,000 people crowded into McKale Center. When that filled up, a similar number filed into Arizona Stadium and watched from large TVs. Backpacks, laptops and large cameras were not allowed in either facility.

"Gabby opened her eyes for the first time" said Obama. So there is indeed hope that Giffords, too will recover. Only time now will tell how much of a recovery she will endure.

Obama gave a very touching speech. Sometimes it sounded more like a campaign speech with people standing, cheering and applauding than a somber memorial speech. He said all the right words. It was more of a speech akin to his 2004 speech and which made me fall into admiration for him. Just judging from the audience and later the internet comments, Tucsonans were very impressed with both the president and his genuine compassion for the city and the survivors of this tragic event. It's the first time in his two years that I didn't see or hear partisan muckraking. And even I, for the first time since his inauguration, have felt hope rise in me that things will finally get better and Americans will unite as Americans and not supporters of a particular political party who have as their one goal the desire to throw insults at one another.

http://www.c-span.com/Events/Thousands-Attend-Memorial-Service-in-Tucson/10737418883-3/

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_3b96fee6-08ec-5403-95c3-712c99805990.html

Vigil for Congresswoman Giffords in Tucson

An 18-year-old woman whose first vote was for Giffords organized a get-well vigil tonight in front of Gifford's Tucson office at 6pm. I didn't get there until 6:20pm but was awestruck by how many people showed up holding candles. The candle-holding audience stood out on the dark streets, so my concern about finding the address on time was luckily no worry.

As soon as I walked up John Lennon's song "Imagine" played, then a few other old songs before local musicians took over the microphone. A Tohono O'odham Indian also provided a chant.

I looked around and saw many other teary-eyed people. Even my own tears were at times hard to hold back. I saw people sniffling, wiping their eyes, or hugging their friends in despair.

There were young and old present, white and black, Hispanic and Jew, babies and puppies. Despite the tragic reason for the gathering, it was a non-partisan, non-racial gathering of eclectic people. At times it got too peace-loving as I'm not sure an all love-only policy against violence would be effective, especially in a cowboy state like Arizona.

"Honk if you support Giffords!" said one hand-written sign. A few passing cars did honk. I did as well when I left at 8:20pm, and there were still quite a few people at the street corner.

I drove into Downtown after leaving the vigil. The place was quiet for a Sunday night. A few cafes were open and several people walked the streets, I just walked around taking night shots. Presidio and transit police were out in force. I didn't see any homeless anywhere, although I'm sure under normal circumstances they are visible around the downtown area, especially near the St. Augustine Cathedral.

Driving to Tucson for the vigil helped me emotionally. It was much-needed therapy for me as I ponder the reasons why anyone would resort to such violence just because they do not agree with someone's politics. I have feared for Obama's life since he was elected president, and from comments I overhear at Applebee's (and many of the people I hang out with are retired military) or read on the internet, that fear seems to be substantiated. Violence and hate is obviously not a partisan issue, that comes from all sides, but it does seem to be stronger coming from the right against the current administration or anyone labeled a Democrat.

Arizona has become the nation's hotbed for dissent. It's almost frightening the kinds of people who live here. The state's own liberal gun laws haven't helped much, either. I'm all for the second amendment but there needs to be better enforcement of the laws already out on the books. Funding for mental health issues continue to be cut because of state and local deficits.

"Ohmygod Giffords was shot and killed!"

I was reading the Yahoo! news at noon when the headlines "Congresswoman Giffords shot and killed in Tucson" came across the screen. I screamed and ran into the kitchen where Kevin was, to tell him the news. Even he was stunned. Who would kill Giffords? She is not a controversial stateswoman like some others in the Tea Party are. I broke down and cried. I haven't cried over political events since 911, and before that when GWB got declared the election winner in 2000. My first suspicions were that the killer was a disgruntled Tea Party member or a Jesse Kelly supporter(her opponent who narrowly lost last November) and an NRA nut. I turned on the TV and for two hours KVOA kept feeding updates.

The news of Giffords death. however, was premature. I had overreacted to what Yahoo! and KVOA had falsely reported. I even cried out about that on my Facebook page.

The news got better, it seemed, every ten minutes when finally a trauma doctor, Dr Rhee, came to tell the press Giffords was alive and in surgery for a "through and through" single gunshot to the head. It was true that one 9-year-old child had died as well as a federal judge. Giffords and her staff were at a Safeway store at 10am in NW Tucson to speak to voters during one of her many open-air meetings.

I was glued to the TV for most of the afternoon, getting nothing done. She is now out of surgery but now we must worry about her brain swelling. I am over the shock of such a heinous crime, but I am not over the shock that the attempted killer is a 22-year-old white community college student, Jared Lee Loughner, who raved about Sarah Palin and the Tea Party. I've had tears swell up in me all afternoon at the thought of this happening. What is Arizona coming to? We are a state full of bigoted gun-toting Tea Party racists.

I never got to meet Giffords whenever she came to town because she always came when I was either at work or in class. She is MY Congresswoman. I voted for her. She is a fighter for southern Arizonans.

There is a get-well vigil tomorrow night in front of her Tucson office. I plan on being there.
______________

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article_88b4b436-1b53-11e0-8354-001cc4c002e0.html

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot point-blank in the head on Saturday at a northwest-side grocery store, but surgeons say they are optimistic about her recovery.

Meanwhile, Gov. Jan Brewer's office is confirming federal Judge John Roll was among the dead, as was Gabe Zimmerman, Giffords' director of community outreach.

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik last night said there were six dead, including a child, as well as 19 injured. The girl slain in the attack was later identified as Christina-Taylor Green, 9. Later, Dorwan Stodder, a church volunteer, was identified as being one of the people killed.

Giffords was in critical condition following surgery at University Medical Center, said Dr. Peter Rhee, a UMC surgeon. The bullet passed cleanly out her brain, exiting her head.

Rhee said she was following commands, which is a good sign.

The shooting occurred at a Safeway supermarket where Giffords was holding one of her regular "Congress on Your Corner" events, which allows her to speak directly with constituents in her district.

The gunman has been identified as 22-year-old Jared Loughner, according to The Associated Press, although Dupnik declined to identify the assailant.

New Mexico and back home

I didn't enter New Mexico until 6:30pm last night, entering the small town of Texico on the border, a dark and cold cowtown that had shut down for the night. I headed toward Clovis ten miles west, where I discovered there's an Air Force Base I could try to get a room at again. But I had no such luck at Cannon AFB, where all rooms were reserved for incoming transfers. Cannon, I learned, was created as part of the Air Force's Special Operations Command during the Iranian hostage crisis under President Carter. Although I was there in the dark, I could tell this base was nowhere near as nice as Tinker AFB.

When I asked for a list of hotels in town, all I got from the clerk were upscale hotels for $99/night. Kevin had mentioned cheaper ones but I never saw them. The town was pretty dark and perhaps I just didn't notice?

I opted instead to drive toward Roswell, but I had to stop once because of fatigue. The lack of any moon (new moon was 4 Jan) made this a dangerously dark drive. It dipped into the 20s and my feet got cold.

When I finally got up the sky was grey and overcast, quite a difference from when I left three weeks ago.

Roswell's streets were empty and the stores still shut. I've yet to make it to this place when there are actually any stores open! It's not a bad little town, and coming down from Amarillo, the first decent town to resupply in.

I continued toward Alamagordo, where I could see the snow-capped mountains of the Lincoln National Forest. It was my first real snow on my return trip. The highway, however, remained dry.

My breakfast was at a McDonald's for sausage biscuit and coffee. Then I crossed the White Sands missile range where two jet fighters came close over the highway while landing nearby. Then on to Las Cruces where I took another break at the Mesilla Valley animal shelter (which looks as nice as the one in Sierra Vista). People were already waiting outside the door to reclaim their lost animals or drop off goods for the critters. I stopped by to see what animals there were. Among the many, many chichuahuas and pitbulls, there was one young female German shepherd dog, one young black lab, one older Golden Retriever getting humped by a frustrated German pointer, and one young golden retriever pup. The 24-hour reprieve for adoption prevented me from taking any of them home right away.

There was still Deming, NM's animal shelter, a rundown shelter on the edge of town off a dirt road that was overstocked with more homeless animals. "I can't believe how many animals get dropped off here!" said the woman I spoke to, Sandy, who only started working there last May.

There were several Rottweilers and shepherd mixes, and in the corner of the outdoor kennels was one German shepherd-Husky mix male dog watching me quietly. His demeanor stole my heart and I ended up driving the rest of the way home with him as he quietly sat in the back of my crowded van. We stopped at every rest break to allow him to pee (which he always did!) and getting him back into the van after each stop got harder and harder.

I crossed into Arizona at 5:30pm to the first beautiful sunset in over two weeks. It felt great to be on the homestreth.

When I got home at 8:30pm Kevin agreed that the new dog's name should be Bruno. He's going to be one big dog.

Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle

I was slow at getting ready this morning, prefering to stay in bed and drink the hotel-provided coffee while listening to the local new. The new OK govenor got inaugurated today at the State Capitol and an arctic freeze is due by this weekend. Glad I won't be in the area by then!

Soon after I got up I got a mini migraine though, the second one this week. These are starting to worry me. They are always right behind the eyes and give me vision difficulties, and that is not good when I have to drive.

Perhaps it was the worry about my headache that kept me from thinking straight once in the city. I parked at the new federal building (thinking that was the actual Monument!) and started taken pictures of the star sculptures there. A guard came outside asking me what i was doing with my "professional camera." Professional camera? A Canon Rebel takes excellent photographs but it's far from a "professional camera." I was not about to argue with an armed guard, though.

"Isn't this the OKC Monument?" I asked. He informed me that I was at the wrong building and that the real Monument was across the street and one block down. He was able to point at it from inside the security check where he had taken me to get my ID. Unfortunately, since I hadn't expected to get detained (!) I had kept my wallet inside the van. I wrote down my full name and address and that seemed to satisfy the guard. He let me go and I quickly ran to the real Monument, hiding my embarrassment.

I only had 30 minutes in the parking meter and ten minutes were spent being held bu the guard. Everything after my release was fast. How could I have missed the real Monument anyway? Once at the real spot I recognized the chainlink fence that in the summer of 1995 still had stuffed animals and kids' toys tied to the makeshift memorial. Only one side of that chainlink fence now remains; the rest of the perimeter fence is gone and a more eye-appealing park stands in its place.

The monument seemed heavily guarded: more park rangers than usual it seemed walked around, willing to answer any questions for the passers-by. The old brick building that stood behind the bombed-out building now houses a museum where entry is $10 an adult. Why, though, would someone want to pay $10 to be reminded of that tragic event on 19 April 1995 when 169 people, including many children, died?

Missouri-Arkansas-Oklahoma

I finally left Crown Point yesterday at 2:10pm. I had waited for Carol to come back from the airport. We had a quick lunch at the CP Cafe with Marge where we all ordered soup and gyro. Weather was pleasant with ice and snow-free roads and blue skies. I know I had to get going but I dreaded the boring drive across Illinois. Luckily there were no wind gusts yesterday and I made it to St Louis six hours later where I had my first stop to walk around.

The city's NPR station said the temperature was "41 but feels like 35" but I thought it was colder than that while I walked around for an hour. My hands were cold! Sure enough, back in the van the updated report said "38 feels like 30."

This was my third stop in St ILouis to walk around the arch. I've never actually spent any time in this ugly city, though. The downtown plaza is nice; C'mas lights and music was still playing from loudspeakers. Unfortunately, there are many transients who use the plaza as their home. Their presence is a bit discomforting.

Thirty miles west of St Louis and the hills began to take shape and I was entering the Ozarks. By Lebanon off I-44 I decided to get off the interstate and find a cheap hotel in the Ozarks. I had no luck and spent the first night freezing in the van. This morning I was up early just to get warm. I stopped in Harleyville to order a cappuccino at the Mc D's there and was served by a very friendly elderly woman named Audrey. I ended up seeing many elderly people in Arkansas and the majority were very friendly toward me.

My NatGeo map listed AK7 as a scenic byway and that's the route I took. I am so glad I did, as it cut across some spectacular hill country and pretty Ozark towns. Lots of junk yards and friendly old people. I could have camped out in the Arkansas Ozarks tonight as I've never actually spent time in these hills, but my schedule and my limited daylight kept me from lingering. I stopped in most small towns, walked around and photographed stuff, read historical markers. The Buffalo River flowed right through the Bostom hills. This area deserves a closer look another time. I stopped in towns like Branson, MO, Jasper AK, Ava AK and drove almost 120 miles through the 2100' hills. Although the deciduous trees were barren, I can just imagine how pretty it must be in the spring, summer and fall.

I stayed on Hwy 60 and then Rte 7 until south of I-44 when I turned west on Rte22. This was a curvy two-lane road with little traffic and even few stop signs or lights. The hills were smaller here but the history was just as interesting. I made it to Fort ssmith at 4:20pm, not enough time to enjoy the historical site but with enough daylight to walk about the riverwalk and see the old fort from a distance. I walked briefly along the wide and peaceful Arkansas River, where downhill a huge flock of blackbirds and fish were reported dead of mysterious reasons on New Year's Day.

I crossed into Oklahoma by 5:15pm to sunset and drove the rumbly I-40 into Tinker AFB where I got a lovely room for the night for a mere $34. It was too cold to carcamp another night and I needed a shower and clean clothes. Tinker AFB is a quiet and safe place to stay.

Tomorrow morning I plan on stopping in downtown OKC to see the new memorial where once was a federal office bombing in April 1995. At that time there were still many toys and stuffed animals hung off the fence in memoriam of the chidlren who died in this heinous act of domestic terrosrism.

Heading back home

Later on today I will be on my drive back to Arizona. I expect to be in my own home sometime Thursday; Friday at the latest depending on the weather. Snow is expected north of Chicago tonight. If I make it to Missouri the coldest weather will be behind me for at least two days.

I am so glad I came this C'mas. It was a real joy spending time with Ethan and Erin. Those two are quite the pair. Erin is a doting and loving mom and Ethan is a happy child who loves to cuddle and listen to you. He's also quite the photo model. He seemed so at ease in front of my camera.

I definitely have the travel bug (especially road trips) from my father, who loved spontaneous weekend road trips to new places whenever he could take the time off.

I saw Ethan for the last time yesterday when Erin came over with Ethan. I took them out to eat at a local restaurant, the Texas Corral. It's modeled after the national chain Texas Roadhouse but it's owned by a Hoosier from Highland, IN. Food and portions are very affordable. We had an early dinner there.

Erin and I got along much better this time. She didn't seem so defensive toward me although I was nervous about Ethan falling or hurting himself when I was around. She's quick to blame me for every boo-boo Ethan gets. If he gets hurt in her presence she's OK, though. Little toddlers always get into trouble and they require constant watch. Ethan's cuts and bruises were all standard little bumps he got from falling on his own. Nothing was long-lasting though.

I didn't do all the things I had hoped to do. I only made it to Chicago once. I only saw Eric twice and we barely spoke. I never got together with Linda. That all will have to wait until this summer, when I'm thinking of coming back again.

I got to spend quality time with Carol, though, who is always so easy to talk to.

Oil prices are predicted to rise to $4 by the end of the year and hit $5 by the end of next year. A barrel has already risen from $88 two weeks ago to $92 today.

Weather driving up here was nice. I hope I have the same good weather going back, driving against the main winds. The school's already called me for a job today but I had to cancel. I will take the rest of the week off so that my drive isn't too hectic. Just making it to St Louis tonight will cut my trip down to 280 miles, making for a 1750-mile trip broken up into three days. This is assuming weather and vehicle give me no issues.

New Year's Eve in Chicago

I woke up at 8am to a heavy thunderstorm. Weather in Chicagoland was twice as warm as in southern Arizona, which was experiencing mountain blizzards. It rained all morning long, washing away all the snow that fell C'mas Eve.

I was afraid the rain was going to cancel my plans of a day in Chicago for photos and fireworks. The rain was at times intense, and I don't like walking in storms.

My alternate plan then was to drive to East Chicago, town of my birth, and photograph "urban decay,' my theme for the day. After a filling lunch at Mr Gyros off highway 30 in CP, I continued north on Hwy 41, the route I stayed on until I got to Chicago, past the BP refinery, belching stell mills and abandoned lots sprinkled with Spanish graffitti. The rain still kept going, so any photographs were taken from the van while pulled over or at traffic lights. The stares I got from the locals were disconcerting, so I opted to cancel my theme and simply head into Chicago, if only to drive around in the rain. I took the old highway 41 into the Loop, driving along a congested Lake Shore Drive.

It turned out to be a good decision as an hour after getting into Chicago the rains stopped and I was able to get a good workout in, walking over nine miles when I finally drove back to CP.

I parked at Lake and Canal Streets, which turned out to be two miles from Navy Pier. Parking was $2.50 an hour for a two-hour limit, which I knew barely gave me enough time to walk to the lake and back for photos. So I did a powerwalk, starting on Wacker Drive, then south on State and then eastward toward Grant Park. The sun came out then, then the sunset casted beautiful pastel colors across the reflective buildings. It was an awesome time to be in the city. If only I didn't have so short time of daylight left!

I watched ice skaters, listened to street musicians, even walked past several homeless people begging for money. One family from Indiana even asked me where the SouthShore trainstation was. I had no clue, but that would be the mode of transport the next time I hit Chicago at New Year's Eve as the city only charges a penny a ride from midnight to 6am to keep the drunks off the roads.

In fact, I saw no police until I hit Navy Pier. All I saw were taxis everywhere and people dressed in elegant evening wear: the women in short black dresses and heels and the men in tuxedos. And here I was in my white ski jacket and hiking boots!

The fact that I was alone never bothered me. I had nothing else to do since both of my own kids had plans with their own friends, Carol had a card party with her family and I wanted to take advantage of the one nice weather day. I did miss Kevin, though, but even he would have bawlked at the long walk. By the end of the day I was a stranger in a crowd anyway, wishing people around me a Happy New Year!

I made it to Navy Pier in just over an hour. The crowds weren't in full swing and there was open access to the pier. The controlled entry with cops every few feet didn't happen until I got back for a second walk three hours later, after staying in my van to read the story of John Kendrick. Purses and backpacks were checked. Open alcohol containers were authorized (that's standard at Navy Pier even on normal days). I had no bag, just a camera, and my wallet was safely tucked away in an inside jacket pocket.

It drizzled briefly at 10:30am and it was ten degrees colder now, with a predicted cold front hitting the city. Most fireworks gawkers stayed inside Navy Pier, slumped against the cold walls just waiting and idling time. I joined the crowd at 11pm, wanting to take a break from walking, and photographed moving feet.

When I went outside at 11:40pm and finally saw the fireworks at midnight, it was quite clear that whatever pyrotechniques the city had used in the past had been drastically cut back on. The show was short and unspectacular. I came all the way to Chicago for this? No, I came to experience the city and its people and finally left at 1:20am (it took me 55 minutes to walk back to my van) for Indiana. Carol was still sleeping in her recliner when I arrived at 2:30am. I was up until 4am downloading photos.