You know, I've had to be at work at 7 a.m. every morning this week. That's not so unusual, but today I have to stay until 6 p.m. or even later.

I thought I would drive my car.

Driving at quarter to 7 in the morning is kind of nice, traffic is light, and it's pretty. Usually I get to the parking lot and think, "I could have left even later."

This morning was going to be a little tough; I had two video conferences to launch at the exact same time, on two different floors.

Launch time was 7:30, so I was glad to be getting to work early.

In my pretty car, listening to the first broadcast of NPR's coverage of the bombings of Iraq, I pull onto the 5. Ooh. Backed up. I listen to the traffic report, and nothing is mentioned.

Typical. They never talk about where I am. I guess that means traffic everywhere else is WORSE.

I am hopeful that when I pull onto the 110, the traffic will be faster.

I have a lot of time to cherish this hope. It's 7 a.m. before I get on the 110.

There are a lot of very pretty wildflowers at the exit right now. I got to examine them in detail.

I also thought about the fact that I had no back up for the two conferences I needed to start this morning. NO one else was in today.

I made it to my parking space at 7:30.

RUNNING up to the elevator, my cell phone rings. It's the New York site. "Murphy!" my tech says. "Someone has pulled all the cables out of the back of the video unit! I don't know how to put them back!"

I tell her I"ll call her when I get up the room. On the elevator, I try to figure out which conference is what, and which one that New York room is involved in.

Clever tech, she figured it out by the time I got up to the room. With just a few minor adjustments, she was up and ready.

She says, " I don't know WHO would have done this, they had to get all the way behind the equipment to pull it out."

"Michelle, " I said. "It's terrorists."