I Wonder If Its All A Dream?

First of all, I want to truly, truly thank SpaceCity, Lynus 302, Rocketman 95, Rockets Millenium, Jeff, Dreamer and the over 120 people that at least viewed and thought, prayed and wondered about my health and well being. I truly touched when I logged on and saw that people I never met and could be 1000 miles away thought about me. My girlfriend (who is here) thanks you and I am sure my 7 month baby girl thanks you. I am blessed to be alive if you continue to read.

Jeff is correct. I work on 42 and Madison Avenue. But 3 months ago, I got went to 19th Street and Park Avenue South to our Latino agency because they are in the process of a merger. Meaning, that I was about 1 mile from the area of the disaster and about 2 miles from the twin towers which are in clear view when I come to work every morning.

Around 8:30am, I get into the office. This is about 20 minutes or so BEFORE the first airplane crashes. I am doing the normal coffee routine when I noticed that the coffee maker is empty and that there are no bags of coffee available.

Its now about 8:40 when I step out of the building. I cross the street that clearly shows the trade center but I didn't look. I get to the deli, buy the coffee, pay for it and leave. All that took about 5 minutes and as I leave, I pass the Chase Bank when all of a sudden, I hear something like thunder in the distance. First thing I think about is that the stupid weather people never get the weather right.

Its now about 8:55 and when I walk in the door, the monitor is showing the Trade Center on fire. I was like "DAMN". I think about my friends who are there or on their way and I go outside and call my girl who is in Rockefeller Center which is located on 51st street. I am walking towards the Trade Center, following the smoke and trying to see whats going on. On the way there, I pass two of my bosses who are walking towards me but at the same time looking back. Its about five past nine in the morning when I finally take a look from 12th street and I clearly see the tower on fire. I am amazed and wonder if this is truly bad when my girl tells me that a plane did crash into the tower. I know this is not what I was suppose to be thinking but I say to myself "Damn, how can a pilot be so stupid that he don't see 110 stories of high-rise steel?" My bosses and I talk about how weird and surreal is the scene and then, something I won't forget for the rest of my life.

All I did was turn around to get a better signal on the cell phone which is fading because of all the high rises in the area and I just hear a piercing sound in the air and just happen to turn around quick enough to see a "shadow" disappear behind the building and then BOOOM! I freaked out because at that specific moment, I truly thought of all those times we practiced war drills while I was in elementary school in Houston. I truly thought we got hit by something. My bosses and I turned and ran back towards deli and then sprinted back to the office down the block.

When I get back to my office, I turn on the TV and see that CNN is stating what is now apparent. The Trade Center was under attack. I just remember saying to myself "What? Who? How?".

Then, on Good Morning America, they show what I didn't see. The second plane CLEARLY crashing into one of the buildings. I just thought about Chris, Damien, Patrick...God, I am breaking down thinking about all this again. They work there for the Port Authority. We went to highschool and two of them attended college with me. Damien was in the Air Force for 4 years and he went to the Port Authority to try and be in the FBI eventually. As of me typing this post, my friends are unaccounted. God be with them.

While we watch the news, all phone communications die. At around this time, we open the windows to get fresh air rolling in because the AC is down also then the lights soon afterwards. About 10 minutes, we all hear the distant sirens and then the distance thunder which I later learned had to be the second building crumbling. My boss calls the Vice Prez of the company upstairs using his cellphone and just under 10 seconds, its off. No cell calls either. We go upstairs using the stairs and on the way up, the lights return. We get to her office and start watching CNN and are just in sheer horror at what we are witnessing. Its now about 11am and rumors start to fly that there are planes unaccounted for and as soon as I hear that, I ask to be excused. I thought of my girlfriend who is in another major, major financial, shopping and corporate district; she works for AOL-Time Warner in Rockefeller Center.

I immediately grab my crap and head out. I get outside and guys, its like you are in a dream. People are crying, the sky is dark and all I see is traffic, upon traffic, upon traffic. If anyone has seen the movie MIRACLE MILE, rent it if you want to feel what its like if something catastrophic happens. God, thinking about the images brings tears to my eyes. Despite all that, it was rather calm and surreal. I tell you, I can't believe that so many people crying, so many people confused and yet, people calmly walking and gathering around the Wiz to look at the television sets.

No cabs are available and the subway is suspended along with buses. So I just walk 40 blocks to my girlfriends company and go to her office. I hugged her like never before and ask her if she can leave. Mr. Levine (who is the head of Time Warner) already spoke to her and other key people and asked them to stay only if they can. If they want to leave, then go ahead but to stay if at all possible. Guess what I decided?

It took me 1 hour to walk to her job and during that time, I just thought about how all this could of happened. I saw a long, long, long line of people at all the public phones. Many of them were cursing because they could not get through.

After my girlfriend and I walked outside, it was just a herd of people walking away towards uptown Manhattan which is away from the destruction. There are no cabs available and we just decide to walk to the Bronx which is 130 blocks from where she works. Thats about 13 miles. We start to walk and I continue to hear through my walkman about the destruction and how nobody knows anything. I get angrier and angrier.

When we get to Harlem, we were able to get a cab along with what seemed to be 20 other people who were all heading towards the Bronx. We finally arrived home at about 3pm and I immediately hug my daughter to the point where she starts to cry. A little too tight, I guess. I can't make any calls but I get online and my brother is on AIM messenger service and I ask him if everything is fine at my moms house and he says yes. Also, he is a Marine so I immediately ask him if he is on alert. He says they are always on alert and if they need him, they will call. I told him that on a day like today, they don't have to even finish asking me the question before I say "Where do I sign up."

Afterwards, I went to the local hospital and stood in line for 4 hours to give blood and I got home about an hour ago.

I will never forget this day. We are not going to work tomorrow but as tears run down my face, I can tell you that it will be like losing two brothers when I get to work in the upcoming days and look up into the sky and see that the two great, great symbols of this country won't be there for me to view before going to work. I don't know what I am going to do. I don't know how I am going to react on that first day. Its truly a sad day for this country, for Americans, and for New York and Washington.

I am not usually the violent type anymore, Thank God. But if Bush does not rip whoever did this a new a-hole, I will truly lose respect for my country. Many people are saying that this is worse than Pearl Harbor and I agree. I am still in shock. I can't sleep. They can call me right now. I am ready to fight.

These guys who are out there trying to find people still alive and buried, they have all my prayers and hopes. The familys of the people that perished deserver our prayers and sympathy and also revenge for this cowardly act. I have total admiration and new found respect for those people in downtown tonight digging through all the mess and chaos to find people trapped.

Again, thanks to all of you who had thoughts for me and wondered about my safety. You don't understand how much that means to me and how much it means to my family when I told them about it just now. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Alex

PS, at the time of this post, no word yet on my friends. God be with them. I will pray for them heavily.

 

Thanks Dreamer for your kind words and also the rest of you.

I am exhausted but I was online with my sis who sent me some pictures she took from her apartment that is in Liberty Park in Jersey City, NJ. That beautiful view she had when she went there won't be there anymore.

I have 3 more but I am on 56k right now because the cable internet has been down for a while for some reason.

I also have one video where my sisters husband is clearly saying "Oh my God" in the video. If its possible, I will put that up on the site also. If not, the three other pics I will upload and link for you guys to see tomorrow. I am dead tired now.

Thanks again.