California

Will never forget it. Was the day before my then-boyfriend's birthday (we're still friends all these years later). We worked in the same business park and had just left to drive home in my ancient 70s Cadillac, turned onto Oak Grove in Menlo Park and suddenly thought I had four flat tires. Pulled over, he got out to check the tires and was tossed into the side of the car and then we realized what was going on. Had to drive home through three towns without any traffic signals working and everybody was panicking and ignoring right-of-way rules. Got home, power was out, we sat in my car listening to my neighbor's police-band scanner reporting deaths out of the tragic Cypress structure collapse.

My brother and his friend would normally have been on the Bay Bridge at that time, too, because they were both dating girls that went to UC Davis and they decided to skip that day because of the World Series...a butterfly in Indonesia flaps its wings...

Love and hugs to everyone who lost a loved one that day, or their livelihood or home...