My Sandy (and Windy) Adventures

On Sunday evening, my venue of work, Harney & Sons, shut its doors at 5pm instead of the usual 7pm, in accordance with the early closing of the subways due to an impending visit from Hurricane Irene's big sis, Sandy. Instead of making my way back home to New Jersey, I walked just a few blocks to the Chinatown apartment of some friends whose cat I am taking care of for the week. Sandy, who had not yet made her appearance, was already proving to be a nuisance. I had planned to go home on Monday to pick up some clothes for the week, and now that the subways were closed, my plan had turned to dust (sand?). Not sure when I'd have a chance to get back home, I thought that I'd just have to wait until Tuesday to go shopping.

When I awoke on Monday to a little bit of drizzle, I was dismayed that everything was shut down, because I would have seized the opportunity to buy a couple of clean items of clothing. Let's just say, in light of what happened in the next 24 hours, I am lucky that I am a neurotic Jew who packed 4 pairs of underwear for what I thought would only be a couple of nights before I could get home to pick up more clean underwear.
After an uneventful Monday (when I actually got all caught up on emails and such, by being house-bound), Sandy showed up that evening. The blackout came at around 9pm. It still didn't occur to me that the power outage would last beyond a day. My electronics were charged up, candles were lit, and my book about reincarnation was entirely appropriate. I read by candlelight, having fun with the whole romantic aspect of an otherwise dreary situation. And, at least the kitty was still sane, if not a little anxious and confused.

My romantic inclinations ended on Tuesday morning when I woke up to find that I had no phone service or wifi service. Oh. Okay. Well, no biggie, I could deal with a day of nowt. I thought it might be an adventure to see what was happening in the aftermath of Sandy (whose visit I kind of just slept through), so I headed outside to scope things out. Absolutely everything was shut down. Okay. There went my (entirely imbecilic) idea of relying on restaurant food post-Sandy. I had boiled 4 eggs the night before, so I had some protein, and there was some fruit in the apartment, and cereal. Hmmmm. That would be sufficient for me, but I wondered if I could possibly find something a little more exciting. There was one grocery shop open, and though I really didn't need anything, I joined the line to get inside just to, you know, get the full 4D experience of the day after tomorrow. I bought a can of Cola. As I walked the streets, I saw a lone vendor selling wontons. Hmmmm. If I didn't find anything else, I'd go back for some. Trust a foodie to be picky about food under such circumstances. I DID find something else. A Halal cart! Yup, there it was, a miracle within the rain and the bleak and palid streets! You don't have to convince me to eat street meat, even when it's not post-hurricane, so I got on line for some hot food. I must have waited a good hour. Well, not like I had anything else to do that day. I got my street meat, and passed by the wonton stall again. 4 wontons for $1. Okay! I got 8 (lukewarm) wontons. For the rest of the day, I read, and when it got too dark to read, I worked on my laptop until it was almost out of juice. Oh dear. By the night time, I was lonely and anxious that I wasn't able to receive calls and/or texts. I knew my parents wouldn't worry, that they'd assume that I would be okay, but it would have been nice to send them an assuring email (they live in Spain). I went to sleep at 9:30pm, slightly perturbed, and wondering how long this lack of contact to the outside world would last. I had spent the day with no electricity, no heat, no hot water, no phone service, no wifi service, no real food, and one book. A repeat might have driven me more insane than I already am.

I awoke at 3:30am and turned on my phone to see if there was progress in cell service. I had received a text! Another miracle! One of my friends who lives in midtown had graciously offered use of his apartment, should I need it. By this point, I hadn't eaten a proper meal since Sunday, hadn't showered since Monday afternoon, and both my phone and laptop were about to die. I text him immediately, saying, "I'm coming over. Text me when you wake up."

On Wednesday morning, I packed my bags with my dirty laundry and laptop and headed to Midtown. On foot. That's like, over 50 blocks. On my way to my friend's house, I passed a hotel which had generously set up a phone/laptop charging point. What a relief! There were people huddled about, and though everyone was desperate to re-charge (we're New Yorkers; if we can't access email in 10 minutes, we start sweating), everyone remained calm and patient, and waited for an outlet to become free. People were in good spirits, despite the situation, and my heart was filled with the kindness and generosity of strangers. Strangers helping each other; it exists and it is amazing.

I spent the rest of the day hanging out with Seth, and letting people know that I was okay. I did laundry, drank tea, ate hot food, and took a hot shower, all of which felt novel. Feeling human again at 9:30pm, I headed back to Chinatown. It's a little unnerving to be a pedestrian at night in a city where there is no light, and cars are driving without the aid of traffic lights. Though the streets were not entirely deserted, it was almost pitch black, and I kept thinking, "I could totally get raped, and no one would know because it's too dark to see a thing." Oy. I made it back home without being touched, thank goodness.

Thursday and today have been spent walking into Midtown and spending the day hanging out at people's houses whose power hasn't been effected (lucky buggers). I even managed to get to ballet class yesterday. Gotta work off that street meat! As work has not been open since Sunday due to the lack of power, I have the exciting task of going in to empty out the fridges of the rotting perishables. Can't wait!

I received word this morning from my flat mate that the power and internet at home in New Jersey are back on, hallelujah! But the kitty needs me until his parents get home on Sunday, so I'm racking up karma points by taking care of him. He's a fickle one, too. Just like every man I've dated. He loves me one minute and can't stand me, the next. And yet, I walk 3 hours a day to make sure that he is fed and taken care of. And that, my friends, is the way a loyal Libra shows her unconditional love in the aftermath of Sandy's hectic visit. Stay warm and safe, New York City.

Oh, one more thing. I am sure that the men and women at the power companies are working tirelessly to bring us back to normality. We can place blame all we want, but the fact is, we had a natural disaster, or, as the Brits say, "an act of God." It is not easy to prepare for Mother Nature's unpredictable wrath. People are doing the best they can. I'm just glad I'm still here. It'll take more than a hurricane to blow me away!