To those who dropped me less-than-kind notes chewing me out about not talking about how the BGG2WL household was handling the Superstorm… I’m sorry! My bad.
For me, I’ve spent so much time in Miami and been through so many storms of different strengths, I’m numb to hurricanes and the damage they produce. You just… you tell me a hurricane is on its way, and I start running down the mental checklist of “things that must be done before rainfall.” In fact, as Ed and I left the store, that was when the rain began. About two hours before the subways closed down for good.
I think New Yorkers were generally split on how to feel about this, but I’m pretty sure the extent of the damage threw everyone for a loop. But, in hindsight, when so much of the transportation system is underground, and so much of the city relies upon that transportation… when so much of the city is forced to park on the street, not in a garage or in a parking garage, even… when you’re used to certain kinds of protections in hurricanes, and you now live in a city that generally never expected a hurricane to ever bethis major… bad things happen.
A very lucky part of Brooklyn.
My family and I are okay. I certainly did go on posting like normal, but that’s because I was trapped in a house with a bored spouse, an extremely antsy first grader who didn’t understand why she couldn’t go to school, and a very… particular elderly almost-mother-in-law who we had no intentions of leaving alone during all of this. If a hurricane was going to hit New York, then we were going to stick through it together.
For nine days.
Nine whole days.
Nine. Damn. Days.
When my daughter’s school bus took off this morning, with her waving from her seat with a tooth-less grin on her face, I don’t think I’ve ever jumped higher for joy. Blogging through the storm helped give me something else to focus on other than the fact that I couldn’t leave the house. No stores were open. No parks. Nada. It was days before I could even check the mail. My home still has no heat – what, with the heating system in this building being gas powered, and all – but all of my complaints are quite privileged in comparison to the destruction the city has faced.
If you’re offended by language, I apologize… but it’s appropriate, right now. Credit: Fish’s Eddy, Manhattan
That brings me to my final note. I truly appreciated all of the notes – even though some of y’all lightweight went off on me! – of concern about the family and I, especially the offers to donate. My lovely little street was just about unscathed, but a walk through the bottom of Brooklyn will bring tears to your eyes. Lower Manhattan was out of power for what felt like forever, and Staten Island is just… it’s unspeakable. If you felt it in your heart to offer to donate to my family and our recovery from the storm, know that we are okay… but many are not, and if you still have your wallet in hand, I’d kindly ask you to give a few dollars to one of the many organizations listed on this website, pulled together by NBC and curated after their telethon, via text message.
If you are in NYC and are able, please visit the places on the list and bring a few things to help both volunteers as well as those in need. Everyone would appreciate it, myself especially.
How’d you fare in the storm? How can we help?
