9/11 - where were you?

[Greg_W]

trask said:

Greg_W said:

I told you that in the STRICTEST confidence, you asshole!

 

[eternalX]

Heard about it on the short 3 mile drive to work. Couldn't figure out what was going on at first because they kept talking about the governor sealing up the space needle. THen a co-worker says something like "It's like a fucking Tom Clancy novel out there" as we walk into the building.

 

Spent the morning refreshing The Drudge Report and talking to friends on IRC. Finally, 4 or 5 of us left work and walked across the street to the Pyramid to drown our sadness in pitchers of micro and talk about the whole thing as it blazed on the TVs above.

 

Some people kept working. I don't know how. We have a pretty cool office, I couldn't believe they didn't just send everybody home when it happened.

 

 

[babnik]

i was at school in canada. my b-day is the 12th and i tried to go home. ne eh. but i beat the shit outa a pakistani that was using a memorial a girl had made as a crickett backstop that day. i usually stay outta shit like that, but that was say over the top.

[AlpineK]

I woke up to a phone call from CJZ telling me to turn on a TV or Radio. My employee showed up a while later, and we sat and watched the TV for a while; then we headed out to work.

[chelle]

Just barely caught something on the radio before I snoozed the alarm. Figured I misheard what they said. Then my phone rang and my Dad told me to get out of bed and turn on the tv. Decided not to go to work because they'd send us home since we were in an office tower downtown. Watched tv for a few hours and then went shopping with EddieE for therapy and went to pub club in T-town. Got flack for haveing a pub club, but since I had just moved to town and knew very few people in Seattle I needed people to be with. Thanks to those few who came out to share some brews and discussion.

 

My former employer lost almost 500 people in the tower and several of my clients lost a lot of people - one nearly lost everyone on their money management and trading staff. The death and destruction is still hard to believe. Osama should be brought to justice, but I am pretty conflicted about how Bush has handled his war on terrorism and about the continued death of innocent casualties and destruction of what little infrastructure overseas in countries where the people had little control over what their leaders chose to do. I don't think we will fully realize the implications of our president's/government's actions for many years. We are the 800# gorilla and I think we lack true leadership in both thought and action on these issues.

[layton]

Perfectly safe on the S.Ridge of Gimley in the Valhalla.

[TIGHE]

I spent the morning trying to get money from the ATM and all my cards wouldn't work. Went inside a bank that I don't normally use and they had TV's tuned to what I first thought was an earthquake or some kind of bombing. As I watched more the sceen unfolded. As Bronx born Oregon implant I couldn't help fear someone I knew was hurt. It was surreal. No one in the bank even seem to care. My card didn't work at the bank either and I was starting to feel like I was in a Twillight Zone episode. I grabbed my son and left in search of someone I knew to confirm it was real.

I still can't believe it happened.

 

[Beck]

i was watching the second plane hit the tower live, then rode the bike to work with the first aid kit in the saddlebags. The next flights i took soon after 9/11 were in the Chinooks.

[sobo]

Driving the short hop to work and heard it on NPR. Couldn't believe it. Both towers had been hit, but only one had fallen down as yet. Got to work a little late, and everyone was already in the conference room huddled around the tube. Saw the second tower come down live. I was dumbfounded.

 

The "office asshole" (not our boss, but his brown-noser) came by and gave us the "Let's all get back to work - nothing more to see here - go back to work" speech. We all looked at him a scant second with the squij-eye, and turned our collective attention back to the TV. Fuck you, Loser!

 

What really got me enraged was the scenes from the Middle East - reaction to news there of the attack. The image of that Palestinian woman "yodelling" her satisfaction at the death of hundreds aggravates and enrages me every time I think about it. I hope that she is dead now, and died horribly on her way out.

 

We all went out for a long lunch at Jack-Sons Sports Bar and watched it all again on the big screen, and drank a lot of beer. Nothing much got done that day, nor much for the rest of the week for that matter.

[To_The_Top]

Heard it on the radio while getting ready for work. Watched the first tower fall on TV-oh shit, at first on the radio it sounded like a cessna had hit it the way it was at first unconfirmed and reported.

Was listening to the radio that had a guy live inside the Pentagon, and you could hear the boom and all the commotion in the background.

I was on top of one of the towers a week and a half before, so it hit home. Those towers were bigger than they looked on TV.

Made the first scheduled flight out of seatac a few days earlier, and talked to some that just got back from the Wonderland trail while in line, and they barely knew what happened. They said the first time they knew anything was wrong was while up in MRNP the planes stopped flying, and there was a silence.

Talked to several on the plane that were forced to sleep outside after their plane was forced down in Seattle.

 

[Dan_Harris]

I was online with cc.com and the news on the TV. Stopped reading and watched it all unfold including the seeing the second plane hit live. I felt sick to my stomach. I had to leave for work as the buildings were burning. Got to school and turned on the TV in my room in time to see a tower fall. Nothing much happened in class that day. Pretty somber.

[Coopah]

On duty at the fire house. I had gotten up early to finish a few reports when a another firefighter called and adamantly told me to turn the TV on. The replays of the planes being swallowed by the buildings seemed like a hollywood movie. Today has been a day of reflection and appreciation for everything in my life. Family, good friends and the freedom to climb in this great part of the world we live in. May you all do the same and to all a long and safe life.

[Scott_J]

My daughter called and told us to turn on the TV. It was a horrible sight. Then the school district that I sub for called me and and requested that I show at the school where they have a high Iraq student ratio.

It was weird. The campus was loaded with cops and not an Iraq student was to be found. All were gone!! The students that were left there wanted to watch the TV, but orders from the Super were that all TV's were to remain off. I had mostly 11 and 12 grade students so I said fuck it, and we watched TV. Kids were very quiet and focused. They thanked me for allowing them to watch. Some asked if I was afraid that I'd be fired for allowing them to watch the TV. I said, "No, that I was looking for a job when I found that sub job, so I figured that were more". Hey when you don't give a flying fuck it does not matter and ya skip the ulcers.

[carolyn]

I was on my first trip out to Washington during this time. Up in B'ham that day. Called someone I met through this site to get together and/or get ideas of my next adventure. When he told me, I didnt quite grasp it. I went on my way to Baker. Got a little bit here and there on the radio, but it was pretty fuzzy. Hiked up the heliotrope trail and camped that night at the footof the glacier (coleman?). It was REALLY quiet...kinda eerie.

 

The next day I stopped in town to get some food and saw the paper. Radio was still fuzzy. Camped nearby, read the paper. Eventually it started sinking in.

 

I felt a lot of guilt....guilt that I didnt comprehend or chose to ignore something of such magnitude...that I was selfish to continue my 'vacation' despite the fact that something terrible was going on in the world. I still feel a little guilt.

 

Flying out of Seattle a week later was a bit nervewracking. It took me a while to get out due to the number of cancellations....then a number of layovers. I will never forget the intense expressions on the other passengers faces (as well as my own Im sure). I looked around at all the people and thought, "this could have happened to anyone of us". The compassion I felt was pretty overwhelming.

 

It wasnt until last year, 9/11 that I saw the television footage all of you saw on that day. I sat in front of the tv all day...waiting...to see what really happened. On one hand it was like torture doing that to myself. On the other hand, it offered me some closure.

 

Today I woke up for the official ceremony and participated in the moment of silence. Then I turned off my tv and went climbing. I think it is important (for me ) to acknowledge the tragic event. then move on and celebrate living life to its fullest in memory of the victims and those who fight for our safety everyday.

 

 

[lummox]

i was climbing today. fukin a it was great.

[babnik]

Hey when you don't give a flying fuck it does not matter and ya skip the ulcers.

 

yah guy!

[Greg_W]

babnik said:

Hey when you don't give a flying fuck it does not matter and ya skip the ulcers.

 

yah guy!

 

It also helps to be a crazy-ass Finn from Alaska. Sisu's got sisu, for sure.

[lI1|1!]

i was really busy at work and people started talking about planes flying into the world trade center and i figured it was some weird accident or something. then an email from my brother who lives in wash dc pops up saying him and the wife and kids are safely home and will stay there the next couple days. that's when i started checking cnn etc. i couldn't believe it. i grew up in the suburbs of NYC and could always see the towers on the manhatten skyline. i didn't think they could fall down like that. it dazed me.

 

my cousin's husband was one floor below the first impact. he and a his coworkers barely got out of there alive after ignoring loudspeaker messages to stay put, chopping through walls, fighting through smoke, and timing their sprints across the plaza to dodge falling debri.

 

about 40 alumni from my high school died, including this kid that was in my history class. dude was always joking around.

 

[IceIceBaby]

It was my first day back at work in Jersey city after a vacation in BC as I’m getting out of the PATH train stop in the financial district at 9:05 I saw everyone looking at WTC I looked back and there were flames and black smoke I ask WTF they said someone with a small plain had an accident and smashed right in to it I said poor bustard have to take an eye exam after release from jail and went to watch the towers as I’m watch I saw a second object coming close to the building and a second later a ball of fire and I’m saying to myself WTF is wrong with pp today so I’m getting my latte and sitting on the border walk across the river looking at the towers drinking my coffee and watching the events like a wide screen TV my phone rings ….do u see all of that????….Yeah…some morons…who gives them flying license anyway…

No dude, it was deliberate…it is an attack…

WHAT???…WHO???

And as IM looking thorough the corner of my eye the I saw the first tower starting to collapse

Man….the Fucking tower going down…WTF I think I got to get out of here….

I got to call work to tell them I cant come today….shit…WTF

 

[Ratboy]

I had pretty nasty cold and got up to email my boss to tell her I wasn't coming in. Fired off the email then went to Yahoo News on a whim before going back to bed. Read the single headline and thought it was a joke. Half way through the article I still cound't understand why Yahoo News was printing a fake article like The Onion. Then it struck me and I turned on CNN just in time to see the second plane hit. I sat in front of the tv for the next 15 hours. It is the single most horrifying even I've ever seen. I can't imagine what it was like to be there. One of my best friends lives 2 blocks from Ground Zero and took these photos.

[sketchfest]

I was flying in a small private plane from Portland to Boise when the radio went quiet for about 10 min. when it came back we were being ordered to land, along with all commercial aircraft at the nearest field that would accept us. Air taffic control would not answer our requests of "why?" It wasn't until about 2min before landng in Baker City that we finally heard that an airplane had crashed into the trade towers and that a national emergency had been oredered. as soon as we were one the ground, we watched, in horror, as the first building fell the ground.

I will always remember 9-11 because of the personalism attached with being in the air when it happened. The sunrise over the eastern skyline was amazing that day.