[AlphaSigOU]

I was living in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the time. I'd recently lost my job in a reduction in force at Williams Communications and had a lot of time on my hands in betwen looking for work. So, after a late night of watching TV I fell asleep with the TV on.

Woke up in the morning around the time UA 175 hit WTC2, when I receive a call from my mom in Dallas telling me about the crash... I was practically glued to the TV set and trying to calm down a couple of friends of mine over the phone who were freaking out at the unfolding events on TV. Went online to a couple of other boards (this was well before I joined the eDodo RM) and those on the board were totally confused about what was going on.

Saw both towers collapse on live TV; when the second one fell, I actually wound up saying a Hail Mary, something I rarely do since I'm not a practicing Catholic.

My apartment was practically on the approach path to Runway 36R at TUL, and it was second nature to see and hear planes coming in to land (or taking off from 18L if the winds were the other way.) When the FAA imposed SCATANA (Security Control of Air Traffic And Navigation Aids) and grounded all aircraft - SCATANA was only supposed to be used if the Rooshians were on their way with bombers. It was a strange feeling to not hear aircraft on approach or seeing them line up for landing at TUL.

That evening, I went to my Masonic lodge meeting; all of us stood for a moment of silence in memory of those killed that day.