My 9/11 Memories

We will never forget where we were on September 11, 2001, will we? For my husband Hans and me, that location was on a train in Europe. A couple of weeks after getting home, I documented our experience of September 11 and the days until we were able to return home on September 14, which was our scheduled return date, but did not occur as scheduled. We had started our trip on August 30, including stops in Zurich, Switzerland; Paris, France; Prague, Czech Republic; Bratislava, Slovak Republic; and Salzburg, Austria; before boarding the train to spend our last few days in Europe with my German friend Andrea and her family in a little town called Goldbach, which is near Frankfurt. Here is what I wrote on September 26, 2001:

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We left Salzburg midday and headed to Munich to change trains. We had wonderful ham & cheese and chocolate pastries at the Munich train station to tide us over in anticipation of the wonderful meal Andrea's mother would prepare for us that night in Goldbach (the small town where Andrea’s parents live, which is near Aschaffenburg, about 30 miles from Frankfurt).

We boarded the train at 1:42 p.m. local time and settled in for the four hour ride to Aschaffenburg. Again, we mostly watched scenery, but did get in a little reading and a few hands of Crazy Eights. Arriving Aschaffenburg at 5:09 p.m. [9:09 a.m. Eastern Time - the first plane hit the WTC at 8:46 ET], Andrea's mother picked us up and we made the 10-minute drive to their house in Goldbach. As we neared the house, she remembered to ask us if we had seen the news. We told her that we had bought an English-language newspaper in Salzburg the day before. She said that something had happened, “today, in New York.” She didn’t know the details, as the attacks had probably happened shortly before she left. She knew that the World Trade Center had been hit by a plane.

When we went in the house, Eva, Andrea’s younger sister, was there and broke the news to us in one sentence: “The World Trade Centers are gone.” Hans and I looked at each other in disbelief and immediately settled in front of the TV, which they kindly tuned to CNN (the only English channel they get) so that we could see what was happening to our country. We watched in horror as they showed the footage of the towers collapsing and people running for their lives or jumping from the towers. We never would have thought that something so catastrophic would happen while we were on vacation. After staying glued to the TV for over an hour, we finally came up for air and realized that we needed to try to get in touch with our parents to see if everyone at home was OK and let them know that we were OK.

We were not able to get through to the U.S. via telephone and her parents do not have internet access at home, so we had to wait until the next day when Julia, Andrea’s older sister, sent emails to my mom (who forwarded it to Hans’ mom) and our bosses. We were finally able to call home late in the day on Wednesday, 9/12. My mom had written Julia saying she would try to call at 7 p.m. our time, but the phone never rang, so we tried calling her and got through. We talked for a few minutes and promised her we would not travel unless it appeared safe to do so.

It was interesting to watch German TV along with CNN. I could understand enough to know basically what they were saying. They were truly upset by the events in the U.S. I remember seeing a segment about Berlin’s five minute pause for reflection. They showed traffic, including buses and streetcars, at a standstill in downtown Berlin for five minutes. We spent the day Wednesday with Andrea, then went to dinner with her and Giuliano (her boyfriend) and Julia and Marcus (her boyfriend) at the castle in Aschaffenburg.

Thursday we hung around the house part of the day and spent the afternoon running errands with Andrea's mom. She took us to the butcher shop where we bought Nürnberger bratwurst and fresh sauerkraut for dinner that night. We also went to their “supermarket” and looked around, buying a few items in case we got stuck there for a few days. (And we laugh at Andrea for thinking Kroger is interesting!) That night, we had dinner with her parents and shared a little of the whiskey Hans had gotten on the airplane. We tried to find out if our flight would be on for the next afternoon (1:50 departure), but could get no answers on TV [they have a channel that shows flight schedules] and could not get through by telephone to Delta.

We got up early on Friday, 9/14, and headed by train to the Frankfurt airport. We hugged Andrea's mom, thanked her for everything, and told her we would call if we had to come back to their house that night. Andrea even got us passes to the Frankfurt Auto Show just in case we got stuck there over the weekend. Once at the airport, we waited in line at the check-in counter for a while before being approached by an agent who told us to go stand in the ticket line, so we did. We waited in this line for about an hour before reaching the front. Having worked at Delta, of course I sympathized with the agents. Dealing with the occasional cancelled flight is bad enough, but when your entire schedule is cancelled except for 2 or 3 flights, every passenger presents a unique logistical problem.

We noticed while waiting in line that everyone was an American trying to get home and we were all sharing our situations with the others. One group had been in Greece for a photo shoot and flew to Frankfurt in hopes of getting home faster, since Frankfurt is a major airport and Athens is not. The other half of their group had gone to Munich and it appeared that they would not get home for days. The man in the next line over was going to Florida, the lady behind us was going to Rhode Island, and the entire line was abuzz with people sharing their stories.

Once we finally got up to the counter, we were told that the only flight left to the U.S. that day would be going to JFK in New York. We said that we would take it if we could, then find a way home from there. Once our tickets were corrected, we had to go back to the check-in counter to be asked the security questions and check our bags in. We had already made sure that any sharp metal object was in the checked bags, but they made us put all of our bottles of alcohol in the checked baggage as well. Then we went through airport security, which also checked boarding passes and IDs.

As we were walking down the deserted corridor to the gate area, the announcement was made requesting a moment of silence. It was already so quiet, you couldn’t tell a difference. When we got down to the final hallway to our gate, there were tables set up and German guards armed with automatic weapons standing by as airport employees hand-searched all of our carry-on luggage item by item. They looked at every crystal glass, inside every item of clothing and smaller bags, and even took my camera around the corner. I guess they were making sure it really worked. After repacking all of our previously perfectly-packed bags, it was on to the next table for the metal-detecting wand and a slight frisking. Finally, we were clear to go to the gate area.

At this point, we decided to call Andrea's mom and give her the flight information and have Julia email it to Mom so that they would all know if we got out or not. There was only one telephone in the gate area, which was a secluded room, so as people waited in line to try to figure out how to use the German telephone, we shared stories again about how long we’d been stuck and where we were trying to go. I did manage to get hold of Andrea's mom and give her the information.

As we were waiting in the gate area, the ground crew announced that the airports in New York were closed again and that the flight would now be going to Cincinnati, which was fine with us since we could get a direct flight to Huntsville, which we would not have been able to do from JFK. Shortly thereafter the flight attendants showed up en masse and the gate area erupted in applause for them. They were followed in short order by the pilots who also received a round of applause.

Finally, it was time to board at around 1:30. After they called first class, a girl a few rows away from us noticed that a black bag had been left unattended. Everyone scattered and an agent went running up to the counter. The girl yelled to the crowd to ask if anyone had left a bag and, to everyone’s relief, a man checking in realized that it was his. We all breathed a sigh of relief.

The flight was originally scheduled for 12:00, but the extra security measures and ticketing/check-in issues caused a lengthy delay. We actually didn’t end up taking off until about 3:30. They filled the plane slowly as they were able to change people’s tickets and get them through security to the gate area. As we waited after boarding, the main pilot wandered through the cabin speaking to anyone who was interested in saying hello. He assured us that he had every intention of getting us home safely. Once he spoke over the intercom, he told us a little about his family back in Texas and said he was ready to get home to see them.

There was a large group that boarded right at the end and a gate agent who accompanied them on-board to help out with last-minute logistics. As she left the plane, the entire group of about 20 applauded for her. She must have worked really hard to help them arrange their schedules.

The flight itself was uneventful. I found it hard not to look at everyone suspiciously, particularly those who looked Middle Eastern. The other language on the video and announcements on the plane was Turkish, which was rather odd. I kept reminding myself that Turkey is a safe country to visit and that I should not judge someone by the way they look. Once we got out over the ocean I felt better about being on a large plane with a full tank of fuel.

We landed in Cincinnati later that evening to another round of applause and easily made it onto a direct flight to Huntsville. It felt amazingly good to be home, even while we waited at the Cincinnati airport. Of course, when we got to the Huntsville airport and met our friends who came to pick us up, we felt much more relieved. The kitties were ever so glad to have us home and tried to keep us from sleeping those first couple of nights home.

I wanted to record my own memories of this strange vacation that was so wonderful at the beginning and so clouded by tragedy at the end. I will certainly always remember where I was when I heard about the attack on America and the world.

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When I woke up this morning, September 11, 2011, I realized what today is. Hans and I now have four children and two companies of our own, things that those who perished on 9/11 lost the opportunity to do. We Americans have not forgotten and will never forget. We do not go on as though nothing happened. We go on as though something significant and life-changing happened ten years ago today.

Feel free to post here where you were on 9/11. It is always fascinating to me to hear what others were doing on that fateful day.

Barbara

PINK! PINK! PINK!

Yes, the Baby Dipper bowl is now available in a vibrant PINK color! I have received many requests for pink since the Baby Dipper bowl debuted in 2008, so I am happy to be able to announce the arrival of pink bowl/spoon/fork sets.

Also new to Baby Dipper's line of products, we now have spoon & fork sets in either blue or pink. Again, there have been many requests for replacement or additional utensils, so here we go!










These products are currently available at Baby Dipper's web site or through the Baby Dipper Facebook page (fans get 10% off). Shipments are on their way to the retailers and to Amazon.com, so keep an eye out for pink Baby Dipper bowls everywhere.

Thanks to you all for your support of this mom-invented product!

Barbara

Time for a giveaway!

Hi everyone!

I know it has been a VERY long time since I posted anything to the blog, so I thought I would reward a lucky fan with a giveaway of a Baby Dipper bowl set. This is in celebration of our recent passing of the 3000-fan mark on Facebook. Needless to say, life with two sets of twins is insanely busy. I had thought that once my girls were in school (they just finished first grade) that life would get easier. Uh, nope. I had to do a lot more shuttling around of the kids these past few months. Summer really hasn't been much calmer, what with having to keep them all entertained at home or run them around to various activities. Maybe (just maybe) it will be a bit calmer this fall when my girls can ride the school bus (no bus to their school last year) and the boys will be in three days of preschool....

Speaking of these past few months, don't think that Baby Dipper has been ignored. Quite the opposite! Big things are on the horizon, but they all take a lot more time than I ever imagined. Keep an eye out for announcements from Baby Dipper coming soon!


Here are the details of potential entries in this giveaway (be sure to leave a way to contact you):

Since this giveaway came about because of Facebook, the required entry for the giveaway is to be a fan/liker of the Baby Dipper bowl Facebook page. You must post here that you are a fan/liker before completing the additional entries:

1. Follow Baby Dipper on Twitter @BabyDipper (1 entry).
2. Blog about this giveaway, including a link to this giveaway. This is worth 5 extra entries. You must leave 5 separate comments and include the link to your blog entry.
3. Put our button on your blog (in the sidebar to the right). This is worth 1 extra entry and you must leave the link to your blog to verify.
4. Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect. Leave me your name on GFC in the comment (1 entry).
5. Tweet daily - Up to 3 times a day, at least 2 hours apart! Include the link to this giveaway and @BabyDipper in your tweet. Post your Twitter status here (1 entry per tweet). Here's a sample tweet: "#Win a @BabyDipper bowl at #Baby Dipper's blog, My Double Life (ends 7/10)! http://t.co/yiV2wNo #giveaway #contest #toddler"
6. Subscribe to the Baby Dipper newsletter (1 entry).
7. Follow Baby Dipper, LLC, on LinkedIn (1 entry).
7. Have a suggestion for a new retailer for the Baby Dipper bowl? Suggest a retailer, either brick-and-mortar or online that you think would be a good match for us (and that does NOT include the Big Box stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Buy Buy Baby, Babies 'R' Us, grocery stores, etc.). I'm looking for something that maybe I haven't heard of. :o) (1 entry per store, up to three stores).
8. Share with us what you think is coming from Baby Dipper. (1 entry - I will not verify if you're right until the official announcement)

This giveaway will end at midnight CST on Sunday, July 10. The winner will be notified by email (be sure to leave that for me!) and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Previous recipients of Baby Dipper bowls (in giveaways or for reviews) are not eligible to win.

Thanks to all of you for being loyal Baby Dipper fans!

Barbara

OK! The winner was selected by Random.org: 23 out of 54, which is katers2714. I will send an email and the winner has 48 hours to respond before I select a new winner. Congratulations, katers2714!

Behind the scenes at Baby Dipper

I thought it might be interesting to share what happens "behind the scenes" here at Baby Dipper, LLC when an order is placed through the Baby Dipper web site or when other bowls need to be packed for shipment for reviews or giveaways. Here is a glimpse of my little helpers at work.

Actually, first of all, the order, review request, or giveaway winner must be finalized and that part is all me. Then the shipping information is entered into the U.S. Postal Service's online Click-n-Ship program to print the labels for the packages. It's still all me through those things, too, but next come the parts where my two-year-old twin boys, Franklin and Carlton, get a chance to help out. Though they try to "help" with the computer part, especially with the printer, their net effect during that part actually detracts from my overall efficiency.



BUT, once the labels are printed and the handwritten notes are completed (by me, not the boys), the packages are ready to be assembled. We start by applying the shipping label to the appropriate USPS Priority Mail envelope or box. Next comes the preparation of the envelope or box to receive the Baby Dipper bowl(s) it must hold, sometimes involving the insertion of packing material (oh, what fun!).



Then Carlton and Franklin take turns placing the Baby Dipper bowls in the packages and removing the wax paper from the adhesive strip on the envelopes. This is followed by a trip to the front door to stage the packages for their final placement on the front porch for pick-up by our postal carrier.





I hope you have enjoyed this look behind the scenes at Baby Dipper. By the way, that's Franklin in the yellow-orange shirt and Carlton in the dark orange shirt with bugs on it. I'll try to post a bit more about what goes on around here when something fun or cute happens again.

Barbara

New retailer in Australia for Baby Dipper bowls

Baby Dipper is excited to announce that starting next week Baby Dipper bowls will be available for purchase from Think Twins, located in Australia. From the owner of Think Twins: "Think Twins started in 2007, and our aim is to make life easier for parents with twins. So not only do we seek out products which really help streamline life in those early months, but we provide a range of free services, including tips and articles for twin parents, a free pram buying guide, and links to all the twins clubs in Australia. We support the Australian Multiple Birth Association and are delighted to be able to help fellow twin parents enjoy the early years with their beautiful babies."

The link for the Baby Dipper bowl at Think Twins is here and their Facebook page is here. Please join us in welcoming Think Twins to the Baby Dipper family and help get the word out to all of your friends Down Under. Thanks!

A little baby bowl makes a big difference (guest post)

This is the first guest post on the My Double Life blog. I'd like to introduce you all to my husband, Dr. Hans Schantz, father, scientist, engineer, entrepreneur, and author of the AetherCzar blog. AetherCzar's slogan is "All things antenna and electromagnetic (and more)…" but occasionally the Czar (I'm the Czarina!) strays onto only semi-scientific topics. This is one of those occasions. Hans and I decided to test the Baby Dipper bowl versus three of its competitors to see if the patented Baby Dipper bowl truly helps the children efficiently empty the contents of the bowl more quickly. The answer is that the Baby Dipper bowl does indeed facilitate more efficient scooping of the bowl's contents. Read below for the full post from AetherCzar's blog. Oh, and here's a photo of the Czar himself testing the bowls before the actual test with the kids started. :)







Guest post from the AetherCzar:






If you are new to ÆtherCzar, you may be wondering about the Amazon ad for the funky looking baby bowl in the right side bar. With the holiday season around the corner, it’s a good time to revisit the ideal gift for babies, toddlers, or new parents – the Baby Dipper bowl. Faced with feeding twin girls, the Czarina was appalled at how poorly conventional bowls worked. So she invented a bowl that would stay put without tricky suction cups, a bowl that would guide food to a collection point, a bowl that could be used one-handed – the perfect bowl for feeding babies or for young self-feeders trying to master feeding themselves. This two minute video shows how it works.

The Baby Dipper bowl is normally the number one result on Google for “baby bowl.” But how much better does the Baby Dipper bowl really work compared to conventional bowls? I helped set up an experiment to find out. The difference was really amazing.

To assess the ergonomics of baby bowls, we loaded each of four bowls with a quarter cup of navy beans and timed how long it took each of four girls to empty each bowl. Note how the sloped Baby Dipper bowl naturally collects beans in the spoon-shaped depression.

There doesn’t seem to be any standard experimental protocol for evaluating bowls, so the first step was to create one. We chose navy beans as a no-mess proxy for typical foods. Then we timed how long it took for our subjects to spoon out a quarter cup (about 125ml) of navy beans from a baby bowl to a standard bowl.

We used a 4 x 4 Latin Square experimental design to randomize any bias due to order. Four subjects tested each of four bowls – the 4 oz. Baby Dipper bowl and three leading competitive bowls in four successive trials. The subjects were six years old, one (Child #3) with a broken right arm using her (non-dominant) left hand. Both Child #2 and #3 had prior experience using the Baby Dipper bowl. We used the spoon that comes with the Baby Dipper feeding set for all four bowls to control for differences in spoon size.

Then we did four trials in which we timed the subjects emptying the bowls as quickly as they could without spilling.


The average time to empty the Baby Dipper bowl was just over one minute. None of the other bowls averaged less than two minutes. This factor of two improvement is really remarkable. Here’s the raw data (all times in seconds; smaller = faster = better):

Child #1 Child #2 Child #3 Child #4 Average
Bowl #1 152 76 144 183 138.8
Bowl #2 88 93 144 201 131.5
Bowl #3 107 79 179 126 122.8
Other Bowl Average 115.7 82.7 155.7 170.0 131.0
Baby Dipper Bowl 47 66 57 72 60.5

When I tried the experiment on myself, I found only a marginal improvement in time using the Baby Dipper bowl, probably because I’m able to compensate for deficiencies in the other bowls’ ergonomics with my better-developed adult motor skills. Less dexterous eaters need all the help they can get, and the Baby Dipper bowl makes meal time much easier for children and the parents who must either feed them or clean up after them. In fact, the last time I mentioned the Baby Dipper bowl, it was to pass on the story of a five-year-old girl with special needs whose mother had given up on her daughter spoon-feeding herself. When the girl used the Baby Dipper bowl, she was able to successfully spoon-feed herself for the very first time (here’s her story).

You can order Baby Dipper Feeding Sets (bowl, spoon, and fork) from Amazon – eligible for free “Super-Saver” shipping if your total order is over $25.

BLACK FRIDAY to CYBER MONDAY DEAL!

Baby Dipper is pleased to announce that we are offering a special sale on Baby Dipper bowl/spoon/fork sets starting now and running through midnight on Monday. That's basically Black Friday to Cyber Monday including the weekend. So, what's the deal???

FREE SHIPPING on the purchase of 2(two) to 6(six) Baby Dipper sets for purchases made through the Buy Now page of Baby Dipper's web site. Take advantage of this limited-time offer to get a Baby Dipper set for yourself, for a friend, for a family member, and to stock up for future baby shower gifts. Please feel free to share this sale with your friends and family.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and find some super deals this weekend!

Barbara