Reflections on Sandy

Outside my bedroom window.  It's hard to see, but you may notice the tree trunk going through part of the fence,

Tree in my driveway.

One of the trees that fell on my neighbor's house.

House down the block.

The tree that closed part of my road.  Unfortunately there's usually no signs indicating a closed road until you practically hit a tree.

I've been reflecting on this past week.  It's been unusual, that's for sure.  I hardly had to go to work, roads that I used be able to drive on were closed, traffic lights didn't work, I didn't have electric or internet, and finding gas felt like I was going on a treasure hunt.

Things I'm Thankful For

I still have my apartment and my car; my family on Staten Island is doing ok despite the lack of power; I got a much needed break from work; my power was restored after only 4 days; even without power I could still take a hot shower; there were places that provided free coffee and internet; I had filled up my tank right before the storm hit so I didn't actually need gas until Sat; and it wasn't too cold at night.

Things I Regret

Freaking out about not having any power.  I've never been a fan of the dark or the unknown, so the thought of sitting alone in my dark apartment reading by a flashlight, not knowing when things were going to get back to "normal" got old very quickly.  The first two nights weren't so bad because my landlady and her family were downstairs.  Although we don't really get along, the thought that someone else was in the house offered some comfort.  The next two nights I didn't hear anyone until they came home @4am.  Ray wasn't as sympathetic as I would have liked during this time, so by Thurs night I was on the verge of a meltdown.  In the grand scheme of things, not having electric was the least of anyone's problems.

Things I Learned

Next time I will try to have a better attitude about not having electricity.  I also learned to keep my dairy products in the freezer so that they may last longer.  I'm hoping that by the time the next storm comes I'll be able to afford some battery powered lanterns and a battery powered am radio.  Maybe next time I'll also try to divide my time better.  Only relying on Ray's family can be draining for everyone.