a shout out to the police department

who stopped me this morning (for the SECOND time in a month and it's only the 19th). it was of course at 3:00 am. i always feel obliged to shout out (first thing) I'M ON MY WAY TO WORK (not to be confused with I'M EFFING DRUNK - I JUST GOT OUT OF A BAR)

i truly did NOT know my headlight was out. it wasn't yesterday. another shout out to brian. he installed the new one.

(note: no ticket either time but warnings)

i also want to give a shout out to the officer who upon seeing there was NO WAY i was going to be able to retrieve my registration offered to look it up for me (note: officer, I AM going to clean my car out this weekend)

you rock

i've written about this before

the avon mountain crash AND one of the people i know who was in this horror. my friend mark robinson is writing a book about this day. i have been privileged to read the first six chapters. mark also showed me some of the photographs he's using for the book. oh, the photos i saw were NOT of the crash at all (although i've seen many of those). these photos were new ones. the ones of the survivors AND their angels. stunning portraits. (mark told me this weekend he may be having his portrait taken along with HIS personal angel. i hope that comes to fruition. he was saved by a very young man who just happened to forget his own life was on the line and dug mark out of his twisted wreck of a car smashed by concrete slabs, while a huge bus was either going to soon catch fire OR come lurching at them. oh, this young man was NOT a firefighter or a police officer or an emt. he worked at avon old farms and just happened to run out when the accident occurred). i can tell you with all honesty what i read of the book was astounding. the amount of time and effort and research mark put in was phenomenal. i can also tell you with all my heart and soul, when this book comes out (this summer) every one of us MUST buy a copy of it. buy it you say? oh, did i mention THE PROCEEDS ARE GOING TO BENEFIT THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES?

mark also doesn't forget to mention david wilcox either. lots of exhaustive research went into that path too. wilcox will be (hopefully) sentenced this summer. mark hopes to have the book ready VERY shortly thereafter. mark has shared many stories with me (although he still doesn't remember the accident itself at all) from the lives saved and the lives lost that day, to what the familes and victims have gone through to meeting up with mr naafi's father last week when they were at the courthouse in hartford being informed wilcox was going to plead (instead of trial).

mark makes me cry a LOT by the way

so again, when this book SMOKE, FIRE & ANGELS comes out, i will be forcing everyone i know to buy a copy


Crash Survivor Hopes His Book Can Help Promote Healing
By SHAWN R. BEALS | The Hartford Courant
The heartbreaking saga of the 2005 Avon Mountain crash drew plenty of attention Monday after David Wilcox, 73, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and assault charges.

Behind the scenes, however, the story's human side is getting much more consideration.

The crash is the subject of a book by survivor Mark Robinson, a Canton resident who was severely injured in the crash. The book is called "Smoke, fire & angels," and he's hoping to have it completed in time for the fourth anniversary of the crash in July.

"I just may have a 175-page statement to put on Judge [David P.] Gold's desk in June," Robinson said.
Wilcox is scheduled to be sentenced June 24, and victims will have the opportunity to make a statement in court that day or submit one to the judge.

Robinson was waiting at a traffic light on his way to work in Hartford when the dump truck owned by Wilcox and his company, American Crushing & Recycling, slammed into traffic after its brakes failed as it traveled westbound down the hill......

happy birthday beth-y

funny (and i'm being sarcastic here)

why this appeared on the front page of the wapo (web edition) and yet i didn't see it on the front page of the courant. the MEN are all over the place, but the women weren't to be found (easily that is).

thanks to wapo though. THEY mentioned (in a place easy to find) the unconn women (i'm NOT a college basketball fan, but i'm making a point). congratulations to uconn women (and sure the men as well but MOSTLY the women).

uconn. where men are men and WOMEN ARE CHAMPIONS!!!

U-Conn. Earns No.1 Overall Seed for Women's Tournament
By DOUG FEINBERG
The Associated Press
Connecticut's quest for the fifth perfect season in NCAA history will begin at home.
The undefeated Huskies earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA women's basketball tournament Monday night and will open against Vermont at Storrs.

Nine teams have entered the NCAA tournament unbeaten; only four have emerged unscathed. UConn and coach Geno Auriemma were the last in 2002.

Auriemma said he's not worried about the bulls-eye on his team's back.......