Technical Difficulties, September 11 Remembered, And Plutus Awards

Phew, it’s been a whirlwind start to September!  I don’t know about you, but Labor Day weekend flew by for me, as did the entire summer.  The markets are crashing again and our politicians lack the leadership we so desperately need.  It’s exciting to see the leaves starting to change, students back in school, and the grape harvest “crush” in full swing next door in Napa Valley wine country.  (If you ever get to visit the San Francisco Bay Area, a stop in Napa and Muir Woods are a must, especially this time of year.)

Bugs Be Gone

Part of the reason things have been hectic for me so far this month were due to some technical hiccups with my phone, email, and the site.  Why do things always like to break at the same time?!  It drives me nuts when things don’t work, especially when I can’t figure out how to fix them right away.  I have terrible patience when it comes to technical bugs and such, so my stress levels were definitely higher than normal lately, but luckily things have settled down and are back to normal (for) now!  PHEW!

United We Stand

September 11^th is all over the news lately and I want to touch on it briefly because it is really is hard to believe it was 10 years ago now.   It still doesn’t feel that long ago to me because I remember that day so vividly.  Seeing current pictures of the kids who were just babies when it happened really puts time into perspective though…

I visited ground zero in 2009 and it was a numbing experience.  NYC had been my playground for a couple years before 9-11 happened.  I used to rollerblade and walk near the towers almost every weekend, and I will never forget how one day I felt compelled by an inner voice to stop and take a picture of the 2 towers.  Something told me I just had to stop right then and capture on film how the buildings looked that day.  I still have the picture…

It’s hard to put into words all the emotions I feel when I reflect on 9-11.  What I can say without a doubt is that it made me love our country in a much deeper way, feeling united with complete strangers because we stood up and got through it together.

Plutus Awards

On a much lighter and happy note, I’m honored and extremely excited to announce that Untemplater is a finalist in the Best Lifestyle Blog category of the second annual Plutus Awards!  A big thank you to all of you for supporting Untemplater in your readership, comments, retweets, and likes!  It means so much!

If you’re unfamiliar with what the Plutus Awards are, it’s an annual awards ceremony for the best in personal finance products/services and blogs, established by Flexo of Consumerism Commentary.  The name Plutus Awards is derived from the ancient Greek god of wealth, Plutus.  Cool, huh!

Great Reads For the Weekend

Lastly, here are 4 great reads I think you’ll like, all of which are Plutus Awards blog finalists.  Have a great weekend!

I like it, but I don’t know why – Really fun post on subliminal ad influences by Suba at Wealth Informatics.  Definitely check out the video to the very end!

Stop Letting the Government Screw You – An important read on fighting for your rights and helpful tips on lowering property taxes by Financial Samurai.

Change Your Habits, Change Your World – Learn why it’s rewarding to keep your mind guessing and stay fresh by Paula at Afford Anything.

Launch Your Career Sideways in 30 Minutes – Clever tips on how to move your career forward in an unconventional way by Hunter at Financially Consumed.

Untemplaters, how do you cope when technology fails and freezes?  Do you still think about 9-11?  What’s the coolest award you were ever nominated for/won?