We made a change. Mom and I don't drive your brothers to school in the morning. They now take the bus. It picks up in front of the Duke Ellington School in Georgetown. A girl from Joe's class, Marov, is picked up at that stop with them.



It is a long ride, but we think they like it.

I wanted to show you this video. It is about my friend Hugh, who I worked with for the past couple of years. I've written to you about him before, but I want you to see how lucky I am to know him. As I have said in the past, you would have loved him and he certainly would have loved you.



I am also going to put up here a video about the first guy I ever worked for - George W. Koch. He is an amazing guy too. Both of the videos were made when they left the jobs they had for a long time.

Mr. Koch's daughter and Hugh's wife were both very sick. I learned a lot from these two men.

Summer is over. Today was Labor Day. These are some pictures from our vacation last month at Rehoboth Beach. Nothing too exciting or different. Joe made some friends with other boys on the beach and played football with them. Joe doesn't have the close friends you and Jack have. Maybe he'll meet some new buddies in school this year.

You'll see Jake and the rest of the Mitz-Greenfelds in a couple of these. We went to Jake's 12th birthday today. It was baseball just like last year. Couldn't ask for anything better.

There are also pictures of your cousins too. We stayed for a weekend at Aunt Abby and Uncle Andy's beach house. And the craziest thing was we bought a car that is a lot like their fun yellow car that doesn't have the roof - the Bronco. I have a picture of you and your cousins taken in the back of that car. I will find it and put it on here.

Ours is green, one year older than you would be and is called a Land Rover Defender 90. I think your brothers are going to have a lot of fun with it. It reminds Mom of the Willy's Jeep that they had growing up. I think it will be a lot of fun to have around St. Michaels.



Today we went for a hike up Sugarloaf Mountain and brought David Lane along. We took you for a hike there when you were just a little guy. I remember that I carried you on my back. I will find the pictures I took of that hike and put them up here too.

After our hike we went to this new winery -- a winery is where they make wine, course -- that is at the base of the mountain. We went on a tour and learned how the wine is made. In October there is a "Grape Stomp" there that I think we'll do. That's gotta be fun... sloshing around in thousands of grapes.



Here are some pictures from Jake's party. Ari was there. Simon had gone to the National's game. I have a lot to tell you about upcoming B'nai Mitzvahs, including Cousin Hannah's; Michael and Rachel's; and especially Ari's.

By the way, your brothers did really well, but overshadowing their efforts was your Mom. She is a good hitter!

We went to RFK last night to watch the Nationals play the Giants.



I think it will be the last time we'll go to the stadium. The team is moving to a new stadium for next season.

I saw a lot of Senators and Redskins games at RFK. I even saw the rock 'n roll band The Rolling Stones play there. I think them may knock RFK down. That's sad. I guess you have to be a super old survivor like Fenway Park not to get knocked down for something new.

Joe was the Camper of the Day a week ago on one of his last days at Home Run Baseball Camp over at Turtle Park. He really loves going to camp there. A lot of your friends and Jack's friends have gone, like Jake and the Stern boys.



I was there last week when a cameraman from a local TV station came and videotaped all of the campers yelling "Good Morning Washington." The first person you see is Coach RJ. I have told you about him before. He teaches at Beauvior, where you went to camp.



Joe is in the upper right hand part of the bleachers, but it is probably tough to see him. He loved camp. Camper of the Day is given for hustle and Joe has plenty. I am proud of him. He has a pure love for baseball.



We are going to see the Nationals play the San Francisco Giants tomorrow night at RFK. I am interested to see what the guys do when Barry Bonds comes to the plate. Both Jack and Joe call him a cheater.

I saw this post on someone else's blog this morning. They are photos of a little girl who has Fanconi anemia. You can tell by her eyes. She is beautiful and so is her little sister.

KELLEELASER / photographer: The little angel... a year older

It is nice for parents to have pictures like this. The photographer who did these is really good. She lives in Ohio, though. Otherwise, I think I would call her and see about getting shots of Jack and Joe.

I miss you. I was thinking it is time to head out to the cemetery. It is a long weekend. Hopefully I'll make it. Love.

Today is the first day of school for your brothers. Joe is starting kindergarten and his teacher is Mrs. Berliant.



It is nice that Joe has the same teacher that you and Jack had.

The last picture is of Jack. I had to take the picture from outside the door, 'cause class was starting. He began 5th grade today. He said "so long" to me and Mom and that was it. He (and you) was like that from his earliest days at the Gan. He didn't need us to hang around. He was ready to go. No "separation anxiety."

I need to show you some pictures of our vacation at the beach and I have some shots from when Joe was "Camper of the Day" at Home Run Baseball Camp. Speaking of Joe, he had to have a root canal yesterday. That is something really painful that the dentist does when your tooth is messed up. You would have been proud of him. He was really brave, just like you.

We went down to South Carolina for the weekend. That was pretty different for us. Aunt Jen, Uncle Dan, Hannah, Papa Teddy and Jeri were there. We stayed in a place called Folly Beach which is near Charleston.



The house where we stayed was right on the beach. Joe is getting a bit more brave. Mom, Jack and I did a lot of body surfing. We are going to Rehoboth starting tomorrow for a full-blown family vacation.

Something really terrible happened. The bridge that goes over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis fell down. It is the one right next to the hospital. We used to drive over it about twice a day going between the apartment and Fairview.

All of the Fanconi families who are in Minneapolis for transplant are okay. Dr. Wagner was on the bridge 15 minutes before it fell. And Stacy Stickney Ferguson was on it right when it collapsed. She is okay. Here is a story in the newspaper that tells what happened.





Vehicles are stopped on a section of the Interstate 35W bridge on the east bank of the Mississippi River after sections of the bridge collapsed near downtown Minneapolis Wednesday. The arrow shows the vehicle being driven that day by former Cedar Rapids resident Stacy Stickney Ferguson.

Aug 3, 2007

Former C.R. resident on I-35W bridge as it collapsed
Ferguson says bridge event 'life-changing'

Stacy Stickney Ferguson, a 1978 Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School and 1982 Luther College graduate, said today she still was trying to return to normal life after being on the Interstate 35W bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis Wednesday evening.

"This was a life-changing event for everyone that was touched by it," Ferguson, a daughter of Bill and Kathy Stickney of rural North Liberty, said by phone today.

A photo showing Ferguson's van has appeared on the front pages of Thursday's and today's Gazette. It is next to a flatbed truck with a white cab, and aimed downward on a slab of highway.

"I was in the lucky part. I wasn't further along (on the bridge) and so I'm grateful for that," she said.

Ferguson, 47, was going home from work when the accident happened. She is with the National Marrow Donor Program, where she works with families seeking bone marrow transplants and several facilities that include University Hospitals in Iowa City. Ferguson moved to Minneapolis 15 years ago.

She said her the Gazette phone interview she she was fortunate and feels for others in the crash who suffered.

Here are excerpts from the interview, starting with what she experienced on the bridge Wednesday:

"The bridge began to rumble. And dust began to raise in front of me. At first I just thought it was the normal vibration as trucks had gone by. But within a matter of a second or two I began to see in front of me the rocking of vehicles. And my car was rocking back and forth. And because I wasn't going so fast I was able to at least think that I was going to stop.

"And the roadway then began to decline and fall in front of me. And within just a second or two we were then still. But it was horrific, the magnitude of what had happened ahead of me -- vehicles continuing to go forward and careen down, a (road) worker careening down and other workers hollering for help. And at the same time the workers were yelling, 'The bridge is collapsing.' And yelling for the people to get off.

"So the group that I was in proceeded to get out of our cars and walk away from the decline as the pavement was broke behind us. So then we crawled over the fence of the highway and we were able to walk away. ..

"Many cars are reported to be in the water. And many people have survived getting themselves back to the surface."

Gazette: What did you see out your front window as you were aimed down? What were you seeing?

Ferguson: "... You're driving along, life is good, the road is flat and then there's the sensation of moving downward. So what I saw was the rumbling and the dust rising and the roadway giving way and falling downward. The back end that I was attached to was still attached so I was not in involved in the section that free-fell down. It's kind of hard to describe."

Gazette: Were you seeing just nothing at the end of that stretch of road or could you see the other stretch of broken road on the other side?

Ferguson: "I couldn't see beyond just the edge of that broken road. I was up higher and everything else had fallen below. And, keep in mind, it's just a matter of seconds. We were then getting off the bridge and removing ourselves, you know, pulling ourselves away from the wreckage."

Gazette: It would seem obvious that not seeing much after that road then would cause some fear for you? Is that a fair assessment?

Ferguson: "I think everyone was afraid. There was a worry that there would be further collapse, even though we were still in those few moments we were moving ourselves off of the bridge. ... Then it was quiet, and then the sounds: the responders, the people in the crowd, people helping people around them. The first responders then came. We're near the university (University of Minnesota) so people came that were in the neighborhood to see what was happening and try and help those that were there."

Gazette: How important was it to let your family know that you were OK?

Ferguson: "Immediately, of course. ..."

Gazette: Have you been able to look back on this and put into perspective the narrow brush that you had with death, to just put into perspective?

Ferguson: "I think that's part of the process in making meaning out of this turn of events. I feel that I was not near death. I was in a place where I did not have that immediate threat. I left the scene without a scratch. I feel that there were other people who were in a more precarious place than I was."

Gazette: Do you think about those folks much?

Ferguson: "Oh, yes. This was a life-changing event for everyone that was touched by it."

I had a dream last night and you were alive. I didn't see you, though.

I met up with Mom at some event and you were asked to leave before I got there, or escorted home by someone in the military who was doing security at the event. You had to leave because you were too boisterous, which means "too loud." I associate that more with Joe and I was struggling with that either in the dream or as I was waking up. I thought it sounded more like Joe but I was wishing it was you.

A little strange and a bit confusing, but I am glad you were battling for a spot in my dreams. It has been a while.

Mom and I were trying to figure out what to get Baby Max. Both of us thought that this would be a good gift.



But that baby doesn't look all that happy. Maybe Max should be Superman instead.



By Halloween he'll have all the big muscles he'll need to fill out this costume.

It has been a while since something made me cry when walking down the street. I was looking at my Blackberry this morning while crossing K Street and I read this.

Dear Laurie and Allen (and family),

We hope these e-mail addresses works.

Ali gave birth to a boy on Saturday morning. We are naming him Max Henry (Max is for Jeremy's grandfather; Henry is for Henry). We've been waiting for a boy. We wanted you to know as we honor your Henry's gift to us and the world.

We hope you are doing well. We have plans to be in DC a number of times this year . . . maybe we can all meet up.

Love,
Ali and Jeremy

This is what your little brother is listening to these days. It will be interesting to see how this changes over time. I will do one for Jack so you can see what he likes.



I think these are tools you can use to have this show up automatically. I will try to figure that out.

Love you.

Cal is being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame today. His streak of consecutive games ended about a month before you were born. I think that your buddy Jake was born the same day the streak ended or the next day. Jake is going to Bristol, Connecticut this week to represent Washington, DC in the tournament that feeds into the Little League World Series. He had a sleepover last night with Jack and Joe.

Everyone is proud of Jake and his team's accomplishment. It is very exciting. If they win a few games they'll be on ESPN!





And in more baseball news, Barry Bonds is about to break Hank Aaron's all-time home run hitting record. It might happen today which would be a weird thing to happen on the day Cal is inducted. This is the baseball card the Big Michael (Barr) and Hannah gave you when you were born. Mom saw Michael on Friday. He was in Annapolis visiting. He and Hannah and their kids live in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Remember when we all went there and had lunch with Dr. Hughes.



Lastly, A-Rod is about to hit his 500th home run. He must be doing so well because of the pointers you gave him in batting practice at the Metrodome.

Uncle Dan was in the St. Louis newspaper today!



INNOVATING WITH: Daniel Low
By Rachel Melcer

07/27/2007

The project — Daniel Low, a radiation oncologist, is leading a team in developing more accurate ways of delivering pinpoint radiation treatments to lung tumors.

The challenge — Lungs are dynamic, constantly moving in changing patterns. The location of a tumor within the lung shifts with changes in how quickly or deeply a patient inhales or exhales, whether he is nervous or relaxed, his level of activity on the day of a treatment, and even how recently he has eaten.

Radiation kills healthy lung tissue, affecting the ability to breathe, so it is crucial for doses to be precisely applied. But there is no clinical way of accounting for these dynamic changes in movement, Low said.

The aha! moment — Low was working on a grant application that required him to write down a mathematical equation for calculating human breathing motion. It needed to account for changes in depth and rate of breath.

"I had a deadline and that forced me to sit down and think about it," Low said. "And I realized there was no such thing — the model didn't exist."

What he did — Low drafted the equation he needed. Dr. Parag Parikh, an instructor in radiation oncology, designed a device called the 4D Phantom to do the calculations and display predicted movement of a lung tumor.

Now, they're checking to see if it works. They are comparing the computer-generated model to dynamic images taken of real patients over time. The team uses a cutting-edge Philips CT scanner to image a patient's lung in 64 "slices," each just a half-millimeter thick, every four-tenths of a second to track tumor movement.

If Low's model proves to be an accurate predictor, companies and researchers can use the 4D Phantom for early tests of new therapeutic approaches, before patients are involved and put at risk. It also can be used to develop new software, devices and protocols for improved radiation therapy treatments of lung cancer.

Progress report — Low's lab has sold the 4D Phantom to research institutions including Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital for academic work.

The National Institutes of Health in July awarded the St. Louis team a grant to use Low's model in improving nuclear medicine imaging therapy. Low expects Royal Philips Electronics, already a research partner, to provide a multiyear grant.

If all goes well, "in terms of it being a turnkey approach, that's probably three years from now. That's where the patient will walk in and it will all be a part of the process and the (radiation treatment) appliance," Low said.

I was excited to see that they had new super hero stamps at the post office.



I was even more excited when I found these in the bin that was in the garage. These are photos of the 3 astonauts who flew on Apollo 11. They were the first mission to the moon. On the photos are stamps that were issued to commemorate the lunar landing. They are marked "First Day of Issue." I bet they are worth a lot.

I had a lot of cool pictures of astronauts when I was growing up because our friend Mr. Medway worked as NASA. I showed all of this to Jack tonight and he was definitely more impressed by the Marvel Comics super hero stamps. I said the astronauts are super heros too, but that didn't register.

This video shows some of the action at the Harry Potter parties. You would have loved it.



Sick muggles! Ha, that's a good one.

Mom got a little choked up when you see her talking about the books. I knew at that moment she was thinking so much about you.