I’m blogging right now from One World Financial Center, across the street from the WTC site.

It’s smaller than I recall from the last time I was here. Of course, then it was a five story high heap of smoking rubble and many of the streets I just walked were closed off.

I compromised on the whole thing; drove down here from Worcester at 3AM, got into town and was parked and on the street by 6 AM. I decided — rightly, I think — that staying in the Embassy Suites on the other side of the street overnight was too triggering (and way too expensive for my budget, since I have to pay for my room upfront — even with the D&T corporate rate it was well above 300 bucks for the night).

As it is right now, being outdoors and up close to it was OK this AM, but I did have to get away from it after a bit. Kinda hoping the training room doesn’t overlook the site; 8 hours of it might be a bit much. One good thing: no sense of presence here for me right now; I expected to be haunted by memories of my coworkers, but all I keep thinking about is the smell, the way it smelled last time I was here. I can still smell it, but it’s OK.

In retrospect, I should have canceled, gotten someone else to cover this session, if only because I will miss TheKlute tonight in RI at Gotpoetry if I run into the slightest bit of traffic on the way back (and leaving NY at 5 or so, I think the odds of that are reasonably good).

Last time I listen to you guys. 😉

See you on the other side.