Kitt

Hello Solo. Don't limit yourself to just posting stories! Come visit with us in the forums and the chat room too! There are lots of wonderful people around. We get some pretty spirited discussions going.

Centex has an excellent point ladies and gentlemen. Not just the story will be bringing back memories for millions of people today, the anniversary. The news media will be broadcasting memorial services and all manors of reminders, and that is not going to be easy for a lot of people. Lets all try and keep that in mind today and be what help we can to the people around us. You never know when a little gesture will make a huge difference.

I was at work at a before and after school care program at the local elementary school. We were just moving from the auxiliary classroom out back where we had the care center set up to the main building for the day. Where we are you could see the towers from higher elevations like upstairs windows etc, but where we were we could not see the skyline. As we waited to go into classes we could smell the smoke ( we lived in the cloud for days on end it seemed). After the children went into their classes i got home to a ringing phone, my mother telling me to hurry and turn the TV on. We spoke for a while and I split time looking out the window at the real thing and at the TV reports. I literally watched the second plane hit. The office from the school called and asked me to come back in about 9:30 to help with the kids while teachers spent time with their cell phones reaching family members of children who had family in the area of the destruction. The goal was not to tell the kids what was really happening, but with so many parents picking children up it became too difficult. We were instructed to give just the barest of answers - that bad people had hurt a lot of people in the city and thats why mommies and daddies were picking children up early. As bad as that day was - the first anniversary was almost as bad here. I had a kindergartner run in to my classroom the afternoon of the anniversary screaming "Mrs G Mrs G they did it again!" The school had run an assembly to let the children watch the memorial services that day and the little ones didn't understand the images were replays.

I have to agree about JJ - being at odds with his mother if/when she is killed in the collapse will definitely mess with his head. Hope someone that survives has his shrinks number on speed dial. You are also right about the evac orders. Even if they waited till the second tower was hit there would have been many more lives saved if they had started evacs immediately. The shelter in place order may have seemed right at the time, trying to keep as many people off the streets as possible, but even if tower 2 had never been hit, the eventual collapse of one would have compromised the integrity of all the surrounding buildings. Everything for blocks should have been evacuated immediately. As for the summer of '05 and Katrina - Leave Mark alone to finish this one will ya??? Don't go getting his mind running off on other evil tangents! He gets quite enough ideas on how to torture his characters and us readers all by himself!

What I found surprising was that Hank didn't insist that Janine start down with the boys and Maddy. I can understand her following the command's instructions and being there to carry out what ever instructions they manage to pass to her, but one would think the safety of her lover would be as important to her.

I had thought I had prepared myself for reliving the day through your eyes Mark. Apparently I was not as prepared as I thought I was. I found myself sweating as Stef slipped on the ladder, growling at Janine's decision to stay with Hank and wanting to slap JJ upside the head when they were evacuating the hotel. I think the multiple viewpoints are very powerful, and very realistic. Some of the things you have described so far come very close to things friends said after walking out of the city that day. I can't wait to see how these things affect the way the family feels about things. You have shown us our first glimpse when John sniped at Marie and then walked out leaving her gaping like a goldfish. I find myself wondering just how long it will take Brad to realize Will's "impossible" behavior saved both his and Stef's lives. Had they not delayed for that argument they would have been above the impact. Looking forward to your next post sir. Kudo's for a wonderfully powerful chapter.

LOL just cause I can't do that doesn't make it right Z!

Bet that would work nicely substituting rice as well!

Turn my back for one day and I miss things - hope you had a great day!

Isn't exactly a recipe - just a fast throw together dinner. Hubby calls it "Cheaters Scampi" Prepare a package of frozen fried shrimp ( more depending on how many people you are feeding) Cook an appropriate amount of pasta al dente ( did i spell that right?) Saute garlic in butter and toss with the pasta and shrimp.

**Pulls hood down over my face** Chem and Chem II were my favorites.

I get that babe - i just think people should stop trying to cram each other into categories.

lol was more than i knew. At least i got the sheep inside bits right.

Umm - what is "straight acting"? Shouldn't people just be people - not straight people or gay people? You are who you are. I act like me - i am a straight middle aged lady - i don't just act like it.

Ok, ignorant here! I thought haggis was a dish made with sheep innards of some sort as a primary ingredient? How could you have vegetarian haggis?

When i was working at the school some of the parents barely had time with the little ones. One 5 yr old was dropped off and had breakfast with me and was picked up at 6. ( latest pick up time) Mom and dad barely had time to feed the little one before he passed out for the night.

The whole point of the prompt is to send your imagination off and running Ron. I write what ever the little voice in my head whispers at me. Sometimes it is only loosely related at best!

Just FYI? Fort Dix has not gone away - it is still there although greatly reduced, operating under the new title of "Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst"

Maybe we shouldn't be giving him any bright ideas - he gets plenty of his own!

Tony wouldn't be the first to use the military's old policies to help hide being gay/bi. Don't ask don't tell seems to fit right into his philosophy at this point. I can see a lot of the appropriately aged kids from Claremont enlisting post 9/11. There was a surge in enlistments after the event, and while i am not sure its is true and not just perceptual there always seems to be a slightly more patriotic feel to smaller towns as compared to metropolis' like NYC. I can see Claremont revamping some older health care facility to welcome recovering vets into the area, some of whom tend to stay close to their rehab facilities. There is in fact several VA facilities in Ohio including Clermont County Community Based Outpatient Clinic (Cincinnati, OH).

You already know what I think of the poem, I have been saying it for years now. What you don't know is I am proud of you!

I have to admit as much as I am looking forward to each chapter, as the dreadful day approaches my nerves get a little tighter every time I think about the story. I appreciate how so many of you feel, recalling the events as they pertained to you. Nothing I can imagine can compare to the way i felt as i watched the plane hit tower two from my upstairs window. There are two things we all need to brace ourselves for beyond the event. The effects of that day were widespread. Phones both land lines and cells were next to useless this close to ground zero. All air traffic was grounded for days, rail service in and around NYC either at a standstill or so overwhelmed trying to take up the slack it was impossible. Bridges were monitored closer than they ever have been before or since. The "Tunnel to Towers" marathon run was named for a first responder who literally donned his equipment and ran thru the Lincoln tunnel to ground zero because no traffic was able to move. Remembering the events as we watch thru Mark's eyes will be difficult. The other thing we need to brace for is that Mark researches thoroughly and will not miss the details that never fail to pull at our emotions. Hang on tight people- we are in for a rough one i am sure!

Doesn't everyone in love think about it when a friend gets married? And if I had been the man of honor through all the headaches this wedding had been i'd elope too! Ty dear.

Damn well told!

I'm glad you could enjoy. My own wedding had me threatening my aunt, uncles and father that if they started arguing at my wedding i would throw them out myself wedding gown be damned!They all behaved thank goodness!