Davey's way down in Kissimmee (can you spell "one heckofa commute"??).
The weird thing was -- early this morning the boss's wife came in to go to the post office and she came back a bit unnerved because there was some "unidentified package" they'd found and were gonna blow up!! This was about 9:30 - 10:00 a.m. She couldn't get TO the P.O. because of all of this and it unnerved her to kinda get in the middle of all of it. So about 11:00 a.m when we started hearing a ton of sirens we just thot it was the fallout from that.
Was a busy morning and I wasn't checking the news -- and I never listen to the radio at work. Hearing more and more sirens towards noon and wishing they'd hurry the heck up and blow the danged package up or SOMETHING. And one of the gals was gonna go get burgers courtesy of the boss ... she called me about 12:30 to say she hadn't gone more than 2 blocks because streets were closed. I'm thinking boy -- this must be SOME package!! But about then I went to the Orlando Sentinel's site and see all the big deal about the shooter.
OK NOW WE GET IT.
Unwittingly we'd sent this gal straight into it. But she got back ok, and now I'm beginning to get a clue that this is a big deal!!
I called my Mom figuring to get the jump on it and SHE was all ready to phone ME (she's in NY state). About that time I figgered since this had gone national so fast I'd better let somebuddy know I was ok -- but cell phone networks were jammed and the internet was like sludge from everbuddy seeking news.
So since I had Jackie's number I called her from the old fashioned land line.
It's just that it had everyone freaked because he waltzed away!! I mean usually in a shooting like that either they suicide or some SWAT team takes them out in a shootout. Or they're holed up with hostages until one of those two happen. But this guy had just left in his car. I still can't figure out how he did that.
But that's why everyone was so wigged -- because they had to search the building SO stealthily because they thot he might still be IN there.
Because he was at large so long and they were talking about his car, we simply deadbolted ourselves in the office. We weren't that "close" -- probably 8 blocks away -- but we are in the same building with the Bankruptcy court and the Secret Service. Which should make us 'safe' but also figured bankruptcy could be a target if he was of that mind.
Made for a really crazy day -- by 2:00 I had a friend of mine in ENGLAND who had seen it on the BBC -- so heck ... everyone knows I work in "downtown" and in a glass building full of attorneys (so shoot -- wouldn't that make folks think "target?? And that's not an attorney joke either!!).
I just so appreciate everyone's well wishes -- it makes me feel pretty wonderful knowing folks care. Thanks!!!
I can only imagine how terribly frightened folks were. The weird thing is I used to work IN that building. One of the first lawfirm jobs I ever had in a word processing pool. I've always felt bad that I didn't go permanent there ... and I guess today cured me of that!! sheesh.