We Interrupt This Blogging Silence For a Post to Catch Up On Things

Hello.

Is it me you're looking for?

Oh, sorry, this isn't a Lionel Richie song.

In my most recent post, I referred to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Oy.

Unfortunately, this event will go down in history (or at least my history) as one of the ones that I'll always remember what I was doing, where I was, etc... when I found out the news. (Same with Challenger explosion and 9/11.)

I was in John's and my bedroom relaxing on the bed and just happened to check Twitter on my phone. I saw this:

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I immediately went to Boston.com but saw nothing. I then turned the TV on and it was already on a local affiliate of a major network.

An explosion.

Finish line of Boston Marathon.

People hurt.

Maybe people killed (which we'd later find out to be true.)

I went out onto the porch to tell John. He'd been taking a nap and when I told him there'd been an explosion at the Boston Marathon, he looked at me in disbelief.

I immediately wrote a message on our niece's Facebook wall to make sure she was OK, as she'd posted that she was going into Boston to watch the Marathon. Luckily she responded right back and said she was OK.

From Monday afternoon through Monday night we were glued to the TV. It got to be too much at one point and I had to walk away.

Tuesday I was in a daze, as were others.

Over the next few days, we came to some semblance of normalcy, as on Thursday, my Dad arrived in town. Friday morning he was to take a bus to western Massachusetts to see my family.

The entire world knows what happened on Friday morning (and late Thursday night.)

John got a call from his boss early Friday morning telling him to turn the TV on.

More killing.

More explosions.

Chaos.

Chaos in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Watertown.

My aunt lived in Watertown.
My close friend from high school grew up in Watertown.
I used to work on the border of Watertown.

Forty miles away from me geographically, but close in my mind.

John didn't go to work as he works in Charlestown and Boston was on "lock down." My Dad didn't take the bus to western Massachusetts, as the bus terminal is in Boston.

I went to work. A former co-worker who now lives in Japan sent me a message and asked if people were at work and were they working. Most people were streaming news. Again, a lot of disbelief.

I got home and John and my Dad were watching TV (what else was there to do?) We saw the press conference wherein the "lock down" was ended and people were allowed to leave their homes.

At that point, we headed out for Chinese food. I mean, the show was over, right???

About halfway through our meal, the waitress turned on the second TV in the restaurant.

Something must be happening.

Something was happening in Watertown.

The suspect that escaped had been found.

We finished our meal and rushed home to sit in front of the TV again.

Unbelievable.

The guy was in a boat. In someone's driveway. Just outside of the perimeter of the search that had taken place in Watertown. He was alive.

The whole ordeal was just a nightmare. Innocent lives taken. Innocent people injured. A great event marred by tragedy.

I guess I should've named this post, "We Interrupt This Blogging Silence For a Post to Catch Up On Thing" singular. I'll have to wait to catch you up on the rest of things...this was a looooong one.