Well that was fun, wasn’t it? The mayor and the media whipped us up into a frenzy that not even Irene in New York City could match. Better safe than sorry, though, and since it wasn’t too inconvenient I stocked up on water and a little nonperishable food like the rest of Manhattan. I was amused when a couple stopped me on the street and asked where I got the water, incredulous when it happened again a block later.
Saturday night, after an interminable shabbos and a quick late-night tour of the neighborhood, where nothing much was going on and the only people out and about were cops and people who looked like the cops should be after, I found myself unable to think. So I washed all the dishes. And then I swept and mopped the floors. And emptied all the garbage cans. And took out all the recycling. I turned off the news, because the media’s determination to have a catastrophe was driving me crazy. I called my parents, who, 20 blocks south, were trying to figure out how to keep their pre-war French balcony doors from flying open if the wind blew at expected speeds. We argued. I hung up and decided to eat some apple pie, which was a very good idea because afterwards, I filled the bathtub with water, took out my flashlights and batteries, blew up the air mattress so I could sleep away from the windows, put away all the papers on my desk, backed up my laptop, recharged all my essential electronics, took a teeny little bit of Ativan, got as comfortable as I could on the air mattress, and didn’t wake up until the phone rang late this morning.
Obviously, I’m relieved that we were spared death and destruction here in the City. But I have to admit that I was a little disappointed when I looked out the window and saw people walking their dogs. It was hardly raining and not at all windy. The reports from the other boroughs were bad and people were without power, but here on the Upper West Side it was just another Sunday morning.
As I write this, Sunday evening, the wind is gusting pretty furiously. I’m a California girl and know nothing about hurricanes. Is this Irene on her way out, Irene coming back, or just what always happens after a hurricane? Do I need to refill my bathtub?
6 months ago • 2 notes
