Hurricane Sandy recently ripped through the East Coast (this is news to those of you who haven't read a newspaper, haven't visited the Internet, haven't watched TV, haven't listened to the radio, or have recently woken up from a coma).
Brace yourselves. And not for the hurricane, but for this blog post. It's a long one due to the fact that I have had a LOT of adventures recently, but I will try to keep your attention by inserting humor and periodically posting pictures (and apparently taking advantage of creative writing enhancements including alliteration).
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| Don't Mess With Sandra D |
I spent the morning in training for my new job with the New York Kids Club. It's basically like a Gymboree. They teach all sorts of classes for kids from 2 months old all the way to 12 years old. My job is actually with the Special Events Crew and that means I will work the birthday parties and special events on the weekends.
After training I got an Emergency Text from my phone telling me about the hurricane and to start making preparations. Technology ceases to amaze me. My afternoon training was cancelled and I hurried home to Staten Island. The Subways were going to close at 7pm and all the ferries and buses would shut down that evening until the hurricane passed.
The clouds were growing darker and the winds were still slow and ominous. I had that feeling you get when you think someone is watching you.
I bought some beer and junk food when I arrived on Staten Island and had a great evening. Forced relaxation. The Pugliese Family were all accounted for as well as their Aunt Marie, who stayed with us throughout this whole ordeal. Her home was in "zone A" and so she needed to evacuate.
Monday, October 29th
The skies were overcast and light rain came and went throughout the morning and afternoon. I just looked at it like a "stay-cation" so I woke up and kept my pajamas on. I read my book for a little bit (the third installment of Philip Pullman's "Golden Compass" series called: The Amber Spyglass) and watched a few episodes of my shows online (Happy Endings is an amazing show and everyone should check it out).
And then it struck. No, not the hurricane..........the boredom.
The power was shut off by the electric company around 3pm and I had a minor panic attack. Not at the impending doom that was about to come ashore, but for the fact that it would soon be dark and I had no idea what I was going to do. Again, technology was ceasing to amaze me, but this time it was at the realization of how dependent I am on it for my happiness and sanity.
Melissa (my cousin and fellow hurricane survivor) and myself began drinking to pass the time. We questioned whether or not this dark new world could ever fulfill us. We played games on my iTouch - clinging to the last little bits of technology that were available. Our souls begged to be given a chance to fly free again someday. And we continued to drink.
The winds began to howl late that night and I kept thinking I was seeing lightning out the window. I then realized that it kept happening in the same place and that it was a strange, blueish flash unlike that of a lightning strike. Later that night I found out that the ConEd transformer on 14th Street in Manhattan had exploded. This video looks like the end of the world (the first explosion begins at about 0:20):
With no more technology (my phone was dying) and no power, I decided to just go to sleep and see what the storm brought the next day.
Tuesday, October 30th
Still no power.
I woke up and had no concept of time. I have no watch and my phone was dead. The only thing I knew was that I should take advantage of the daylight and at least escape into the world of my book (Lyra had no idea what was coming for her, however if you haven't read the Golden Compass series then you're as lost as Lyra).
The storm was dying down and so were the winds. However my restlessness was growing and so was Melissa's. We decided to go on a walk to breathe the hurricane air and find inner peace. Bundled up, we left our stronghold on Egbert Avenue to search for signs of life (and food and beer).
We soon found only one store was open (Forest Bagels) and they had no power as well. They accepted cash and we gladly paid. We now had chips, a cake, fruit pies, bananas, and beer. Since no buses were running we just walked back to prison (home) and felt a little hope.
We had only heard a little bit of news on the crank radio and it wasn't great. So many places were flooded. Breezy Point in Brooklyn had a huge fire break out and 80-100 homes burnt down. We later saw pictures and it looked like the Holocaust. There was nothing but smoking rubble. We started hearing of the death tolls and of missing persons reports. Manhattan had lost power from 34th street down to South Ferry and there were large areas of flooding and damage. The looting had begun as well.
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| Breezy Point post Hurricane Sandy, 2012 |
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| This is the entrance to the Subway at Whitehall South Ferry. I take this almost every day. As you can see - it's flooded. Also, I think that's someone's head poking through the gate to look down at the water, although I can't be too sure. |
Wednesday, October 31st
Still no power. Still upset about that fact.
My Aunt Pam (God bless her) took our phones and electronic devices with her to the hospital she works at so she could charge them throughout the day. I was momentarily relieved, knowing that I would be able to check my texts and emails in the evening. We found out that the supermarket down the street had opened and some businesses had power again, so Melissa and I (my cousin and my bodyguard) decide to get some food, get some air, and get some more beer and wine (we were almost out again). It was nice to see a bus or two back on their routes.
Back at home things took a turn for the worse. We had no power, no phones, and had heard that it would be three or four more days before our power would be turned back on. We were freezing and the temperatures were dropping pretty drastically. I was in two pairs of sweats, two pairs of wool socks, a big sweatshirt, gloves, and my furry winter hat. I was also indoors. I was shivering.
A few people had the audacity to Trick-Or-Treat. I had completely forgotten that it was Halloween and found their attempt at normalcy a bit jarring. Also, we hardly had enough food to eat ourselves, so why would we hand it out? ALSO, we were not in top mental health and didn't care for the frivolity of Halloween. ALSO, there was no power, so why were these parents letting their kids walk up and down the streets?! Luckily, one of the "kids" at the door remained persistent, even after I yelled "Sorry, we don't have any! Go away!"
Turns out it was my cousin's friend Megan (Baby Kims). She had come searching for us because we had been unable to text or call. She took us away with her back to her home, which had power. We watched the news, updated our Facebooks, continued to drink, and checked emails.
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| Melissa found some crayons and we colored this sign for the Trick-Or-Treaters. |
And of COURSE, when the power goes out, public transportation is at a stand-still, and the East Coast is in a state of emergency, my agent FINALLY decides to send something my way. The appointment was for Friday and I willingly accepted. After all, this would be a better shot at getting the part since not as many people would be able to audition. It was for a new musical called Big Fish (based on the movie) and will eventually end up on Broadway.
I slept that night and prayed for a day where I don't have to search for the toilet in the dark.
Thursday, November 1st
5:30AM - There was a strange buzzing coming from somewhere in the house. Of course, I was too tired to get up and check it out, but not tired enough to actually go back to sleep. Suddenly I couldn't see. My eyes burned and I had to squint. I almost started laughing at the joy of the situation - the power had come back and the light in my room had kicked back on!! However, I was still tired and it was early, so I got up and turned it off and went back to bed.
I spent the day preparing for my audition. I sent emails, read my book at night since I could turn the lights on. I was happy. I had made it through the darkness.
Friday, November 2nd
I woke up (again) at 5:30a.m., only this time it was my choice. I needed to make sure I had enough time to figure out how to get to Manhattan for my audition at 11a.m. I packed my backpack with extra essentials, just in case I got to Manhattan but couldn't get back.
The bus driver told me that the ferries still weren't open and I almost gave up. Luckily he told me about a bus line that goes into the city and dropped me off where it could pick me up. I made it onto the new bus and traveled through New Jersey, through the Lincoln Tunnel and was finally back in the city where dreams come true; dreams of one day getting power to the buildings below 34th street.
The audition went well and I was so happy not only to be in the city again, but to start auditioning again. There haven't been a whole lot of auditions available lately along with the fact that I've been focusing on training for my part-time job. I decided to walk from 34th street all the way down to South Ferry. My cousin (Melissa, if you hadn't guessed) texted me that the ferries would open again at noon. As I walked I noticed the gradual decline of my surroundings. Dirt and leaves and debris were all over and lots of places were blocked off to keep people from getting crushed from falling cranes and such:
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| This busted crane was all we heard about for so long on the news. I understand that it DOES pose a threat, but there were other things worth discussing. |
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| Oh thank HEAVEN!! 7-11 |
That evening we stayed home and listened to Pam, Steve, and Marie play poker. We also drank some amazing Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat beer and I highly recommend it.
Saturday, November 3rd
I woke up to my light coming back on and was tentatively happy. I wasn't sure I could trust it will stay on. However, I needed to move on.......................so I typed up this blog.
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So you're all informed now. Hopefully you are able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing I'm safe. However, if you're still a bit tense from all the action and adventure, take a listen to this song. It sums up a lot of how I felt this past week. In more than one way.
