September 11

Note: Rereading this, it seems very jumbled, but I really am not sure how to unjumble it. Please forgive the rambling.

My friend (G) and I were talking about Sept. 11 last year at work today.

She and I were carpooling that day (it was my turn to drive so we were in my Cavalier) and were nearly to work when the news gal cut into the morning show to say that the WTC had been hit by a plane. We listened to the rest of the news report in a state of disbelief and shock. When we got to work, we both quickly logged into the network to try to get to a news site while someone else on the floor walked over to the TVs and turned up the volume. People around us were in shock. We were in shock.

We were watching the TVs when the second plane hit.

Brad was home and kept us updated via IM. He told us about the Pentagon (which was about 5 miles from where I lived in Arlington) and the plane that crashed in PA. He was my lifeline to the outside world while G and I worked.

The company G and I work for had 598 people in Tower Two (on floors in the 30s).

Part of our group's responsibilities included getting information out (an externally accessible intranet of sorts) for our NY co-workers to access.

I remember not wanting to leave work until everyone was accounted for (we went home and slept for a while and then went back to work early). We worked incredible hours for at least the 2 weeks following 9/11. We all worked together (both the people in my team and people in other departments) as a group to make sure that someone was always available to put up new content on our employee site.

There was an incredible sense of relief when the last person was finally contacted. All of the employees were accounted for.

We heard stories that while they were evacuating, they were told it was just a drill and to go back up.

I remember having a week off set for mid/late September. I remember the sense that I had to be at work. My managers tried to get me to take time off. We bargained. I think I took 3 days off, but in all honesty, I went home and baked like a madman and brought in goodies for the people who were still at work. And when I was home, I was on IM with my co-workers. If they needed anything at all, I was there.

I remember trying to touch base with my family (my dad and stepmom (in central Jersey), my brother (Boston-area), my mom and stepfather (who were in Philly for a few days), my uncle (who lives on Long Island)) and being grateful to hear from everyone. The distance from Colorado to NJ has never seemed as far as it seemed on that day.

It was a day that will not soon be forgotten.