September 11, 2001 seemed like a pretty ordinary day at 105.5 Triple M in Madison. I was trying to get over a cold, Jonathan was back from a week long vacation and the 4th annual Madison Blues Festival had just happened a week earlier.
But quickly it was apparent that this day was like no other for me, Jonathan, or anybody else.
We had just finished the news and sports around 7:50 when we got a call on the M line. It was Triple M listener and Madison singer Lynette who called to tell us she just saw on TV that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.
"What?" I dashed into the newsroom down the hall to check out the Associated Press wire, and at that point there was only a one-line story that had come across. It wasn't even an "urgent" story much less a bulletin. It read, "Plane crashes into World Trade Center, according to television reports." I went on the air with it, and didn't think much of it. (Read the Associated Press timeline here).
Then came news of the second explosion, and I remember saying on the air that I hesitated to consider this a terrorist act.
But as the news kept coming in it became more and more obvious that it indeed was the work of terrorists. Regular programming was suspended on Triple M, and there was little any one could do but watch in horror. We only had one tiny little TV in the radio station. It was in the newsroom and staff members kept coming in to get the latest news.
I called my friend whose husband worked for American Airlines and found out he wasn't working that day, felt relief.
I couldn't leave the radio station...there was really nothing I could do to report on this huge story, but I didn't want to be alone.
When I did leave work, the gravity of the situation really hit home when I turned on my TV and found coverage on every station..even MTV! What in the hell? I know this seems ridiculous, but when I saw it on MTV, the situation became surreal. I remember just sitting alone in my apartment in silence.
Later that night when I knew my family members would be home, I called them to touch base. None of them lived in New York, but I just needed to reach out. Hear a familiar voice. Something that I knew was real, and could hold onto..even it if was just over the telephone.
So on this tenth anniversary, I'm reminded how important family and friends are. Hold them close. You never know when you won't be able to.
This is something I promise to make a bigger priority from now on.
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Have you heard the song "Rumble and Sway" yet on Triple M?
The singer sounds like a raspy blues dude who's definitely been around the block a few times....but surprisingly, Jamie N. Commons is only 23 years old!
He was born in England, but...
Last week, I decided I would try one new, healthy food a week, and asked my facebook friends to make some suggestions.
The first thing I tried was mango. I'm sure I've had other mango flavored things, and mango as part of something else, but...
There's only one thing that might be worse than the Neil Diamond/Barbra Streisand duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." And that's Jonathan Suttin doing his best crooning...doing both parts. Most unpleasant.
A lot of people liked this song...
Artist: Alchemilla
Hail From: Boston
Song: 'The Wheel'
Album: Diamonds From The Penny Arcade
Sounds Like: Hole, Pearl Jam
In Their Words: "Alchemilla had been trying to write a ballad for a little while but it wasn't happening. There...
Last weeks challenge we thought went excellent! Of course we are a little biased.
The drinking song couldn't have been any better, or any less fun. We had a blast through out the whole process, and our performance rocked.
This week is an easy...
So the story goes Michael Jackson completed this song while watching cartoons with Paul McCartney. We'll just let that sink in for a moment.
Not sure what cartoons they were watching, but it must have worked because this song made it to number 2...
The Dalai Lama is back in town, sharing his message of peace and kindness with likeminded individuals, and the Wisconsin legislature. He also held a private meeting with Gov. Walker, who said he mostly listened to what His Holiness had to say (wise...
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