I got dressed for school, still a little groggy. I had to drop off some stuff for a Geography Club bake sale and get to work at the bike shop soon afterward. Putting my pan full of bake sale contributions (probably brownies--they're a favorite) on the passenger's side floor of my '81 Toyota 4x4 pickup, I clicked the thin door shut and went around to the other side and hopped into the driver's seat.
To pass the time in traffic, I turned on the radio. I was still listening to KROQ at the time, a station whose morning deejay show is earmarked by a pair of smart(aleks) named Kevin & Bean. Another personality, Ralph Garmin, was a regular guest at the time. Bean and Ralph weren't having a jovial conversation as usual. I remember Ralph saying "the World Trade Center towers are no longer standing." It was hard to fathom.
The mood was somber at the Cal State Fullerton Geography department when I got there. I dropped off my baked goods and high-tailed it to the bike shop. We had a relic of a TV set in the bike shop work area, and the staff stayed glued to the screen for the rest of the day.
How could this have happened? Why would anyone hate the United States so much as to perpetrate such a slaughter? We collectively found out in the ensuing weeks.
Bin Ladin is still out there, and the United States of America still carries on. This country is still screwed up, but I still believe it's the best in the world.
That's my 9/11/01 in a nutshell.