2001-09-15. Due to a Tornado in the Area...
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Here I am. I am okay. We're alive. I don't know what to say that hasn't already been said...

I awoke at 8:30 with a start... Thinking "phew, I'm not late yet...hmmm"

At 9:15 I was waking for my gyno appointment, hitting snooze, and I heard the phone. I heard what sounded like Alyx's voice. I figured he was telling me to get up for my doctors appointment (even though I knew he didn't know when it was). I get up and go to the bathroom and play the message on the machine... He's telling me what happened. He watched it from the roof at work. I called him back and walked the dog seeing the smoke cloud for the first time. I call my parents to let them know we're okay and I attempt to get to my doctors appointment. I've never been a gawker, so I deceided to go on with my day if possible.

I get on the bus seeing an antenne on the WTC roof, I get off to no antenne. I thought it was just because of the smoke and a bad vantage. The bus was not going the whole way due to all the traffic and roads closed so the emergency vehicles can get over the Manhatten Bridge. I walked through downtown Brooklyn, through the mobs, the people lined up in groups of 10 to wait for payphones. People frantically studying bus maps because the subways were stopped. I get to Planned Parenthood and the building was evacuated.

So I head back towards the bus, figuring I'd have to walk home. But I wait, thinking about the two weeks I temped at the WTC, hoping for those nice people I met. Thinking about how they offered me a job there and I said no, because it was sucky ass clerical work. How I felt like such a slacker for that. How that same week I blew off the job fair at American Airlines, how when my friend Sandra got the job I thought I blew that, too. Praying she was not on those planes. Worrying about my frind who lives 4 blocks away from there. Thanking the Goddess that Alyx didn't have to go straight away to do any deliveries that morning.

I got off the packed bus and stood with a crowd of others outside the electronics store watching the news... I have no TV... I remember feeling strange as I did it, because as I said, I tend to not gawk. But I was glued and shocked. Lost.

I got home and answered the frantic messages as best I could. Reassuring people. Mike figured I was still sleeping and clueless to what was happening. No, no, I knew.

I debated on going over to our old loft to go up on the roof, but I knew I'd run into Steve or Simon, so I stayed put. Shut up in the house.

My mom finally got through and said that the message she kept getting a message that said that "Due to a tornado in the area, all lines are busy"

My sister finally got though, my mother seemed to make her think I was dead. Even though she knew I was okay. Laura was very worried.

I missed tuesday and wednesday at work, and the extra hours I was going to put in filing. Alyx had a big week at work, but it's all been cancelled. One of the buildings that housed many of the studios they do work for has been siezed by the FBI because they have large frieght elevators that you can drive trucks into, so they're using it to take all the evidence to.

We were supposed to move into that phat sublet in Harlem yesterday... It's fallen through, his flight was cancelled. So we're scrambling to find a place. The people who's place we're in now finally got through to us and are being understanding about our situation...

We're just trying to struggle through as best we can... As much as anyone else...