I woke about 6am.turned on the computer and got dressed to walk to the deli. Bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll. Large coffee regular. On the way back to my apartment, watching the runners in the park, I looked up into a cloudless sky. My favorite time of year. Leaves would be changing and falling soon. Sitting at my desk, feet up, loading symbols into RealTick, finishing my coffee, it happened. Mark Haines says a plane has hit the World Trade Center. I immediately thought of a small Piper or Cesna losing control. I thought of the days working on the 62nd floor, and the times I met my father at Windows on The World. And the again. Something must be wrong with the TV cameras, they must be playing film from the original crash. They are not. It's another plane. Nothing but numbness. Disbelief. Click. Speed dial to my parents house. Busy. Try again. Busy. I cursed my Mother for never having call waiting. Dial my grandmother's. Busy. Aunt's. Busy. F$ck! I can't get through. I've got mail. It's from Kristen. "Are you watching tv? How close is your Uncle's firehouse from the WTC?" What are the chances he's working today? He's midtown...no way he could be down there. Sh*t! Busy! Busy freakin phones. I went outside into the park. There were people who obviously did not know yet. Ran back inside. Gotta try the phone. Busy. Then I see the smoke pushing out....and it's gone..in slow motion. I felt so useless. Phones not getting through. Hours go by. And finally an e-mail from home. "Your Father went to Bellevue Hospital. Uncle Armando is there. Tried calling you but can't get through. Please call home. Love , Mom" Damn, why is he at the hospital? Next day more e-mail. "J, Uncle is ok. Broken foot, arm, missing a tooth. but he's ok. Call me when you can. Dad P.s. Get today's NY Post if you can" This is what I remember from that day. A year has gone by. In November of 2001 I went to the city. My excuse was to visit some trading shops(worldco,echo,Leiber)...I got off a few subway stops early. Walked past the site. Standing on Broadway, trying to look over the baracade, I put my hand against a sign post. It was covered in dust. I wiped it on my pants and headed across thestreet. Before I went to the Worldco office I went to sit on a bench looking out onto the East River. There were many people sitting there, like me.....trying to figure out if any of it was really happened. This is the picture of my Uncle. My Godfather. Being pulled out of the rubble. He is back to work.