The Sandy Six

I just spent 110 hours in my apartment. Alone. From 7pm on Friday to 9am today (Wednesday).

I'm on the 28th floor. During the worst of hurricane Sandy, my walls creaked, the building swayed, and my windows bent. I was glued to Channel 11, WPIX, the entire time.

I stress-ate my weight in mac & cheese.

And I inhaled a whole bag of marshmallows.

I took this pic on my way home from work tonight. It’s 2nd Ave, looking south, from outside my building.


You’ll notice it’s dark in the distance, where 40-story apartment buildings should be. I missed the blackout by a block. The East River also rose over its banks and flowed past 1st Ave. That means I missed the flood by a block too.

I got pretty lucky.

That doesn’t mean I wasn’t scared.

It’s chaos out there. Taxicabs under water. Army trucks in the streets. Flooded subway tunnels. Failed hospital generators. Dangling 7-ton cranes. Boats in living rooms. Houses on fire. Rollercoasters in the Atlantic Ocean.

So many people that we know, that we’ve read about – and that we’ve yet to discover – are struggling. Maybe even you.  My heart and prayers go out to anyone suffering as a result of this storm.

I know I couldn’t have stayed sane the last few days without what I’m calling The Sandy Six (and no, I’m not referring to the weight I gained from eating all that pasta – that’s more like nine).  A big thanks goes out to...

1. Local News Anchors:
I love WPIX. Always have. Every night I go to sleep to Friends and I wake up to their morning "news." It’s the only news I ever watch, mainly because it contains a healthy dose of fluff. And since they’re located just a block away, when they show PIX Plaza, that’s my neighborhood. This week, their tireless anchors worked 8-12 hour shifts, around the clock, to keep us all informed. I felt like we were all in it together with familiar faces like Suki, Tamsen Fadal, Kaity Tong, Howard Thompson, and Larry Mendte. That was immensely comforting.

2. Weather People:
I typically feel like it’s ridiculous to try and predict the weather. Stick your head out a window – that’s the weather. But there was a science to this storm, and the minute-by-minute updates from Linda Church and Mr. G helped curb my anxiety. Bonus: they were right-on.

3. Field Reporters:
Everybody from the President to the Mayor urged people to stay indoors, so I’m sure it was hard for reporters and crew to be tossed about, all wet and cold and hungry, for hours on end. Monica Morales and Dan Mannarino in lower Manhattan, Mary Murphy on Long Island, James Ford and Mario Diaz in Jersey, and so many others did an amazing job. My imagination is always my worst enemy, so I was thankful to have their eyes and ears on the streets.

4. Phone:
Calls, emails, and texts with family and friends were the next best thing to having them with me.  That Alexander Graham Bell was really onto something!

5. Facebook:
I may have complained about a few “friends” last week, but I took your advice and hid them from my newsfeed. This left me with nothing but updates from people whose well-being I actually cared about.

6. Fridge:
Thank God for food. I must’ve eaten 10 times a day. I might not fit in my pants anymore, but it's a small price to pay.  A warm meal is a form of comfort too. Right? Anyone who needs one should come on over. I still have half a tray of homemade mac & cheese left.


I also enjoyed Mayor Bloomberg's Spanglish and the animated woman doing American Sign Language during all his press conferences.  Plus, I'd like to give Chris Christie a hug.

To everyone in NY, CT, and my beloved NJ -- here's hoping your blessings outweigh your losses and you too were able to find some comfort in this storm. 

To donate $10 to relief efforts, text REDCROSS to 90999, or find other ways to help.


tags: city life, jersey