Last edited Sun Nov 11, 2012, 12:30 AM - Edit history (12)
When I "commuted" from my motel near Newark Airport to my local polling place, I learned that the neighborhood had gotten its lights back on the night before. No Internet though, so there was no point in coming home until yesterday.
This morning, I got up at 8AM, saw that the time on my cable box still read 12:00, and self-piteously went back to bed. When I got up again, the time read 12:43, and it really WAS 12:43 -- my Internet and cable were back! So I guess my chapter of the Hurricane Sandy saga is officially over, and it's time for gratitude to all who helped me cope.
With only a radio to rely on, I bounced between Seton Hall U. WSOU (music), WFAN/ESPN (sports coverage and derision at Mayor Bloomberg's not cancelling the NYC Marathon), and NJ 101.5 (local info and broadcasting the Red Cross benefit NBC-TV did). And thanks to DU and the motel's Wifi, I didn't have to rely on major network coverage (though I did enjoy glimpsing at all the sad faces on Fox). All I had to do keep refreshing the Latest Threads link on my cellphone!
Lessons learned? I have a radio, and I've always kept a supply of batteries, lights, candles, and matches, so I was prepared in that sense. Though I didn't lose gas, I also have some chafing dish burners so I can cook over tin cans supporting an oven rack. And since Hurricane Irene, I've followed a DUer's advice to keep a gallon jug of water in the freezer, which kept my food cold for three extra days. If there's anything I regret, it's not having a personal hotspot for my cell phone -- I couldn't make calls until Saturday.
But for thousands of others, Hurricane Sandy won't be over for a very long time. There's still much to be done, and I hope you won't forget them just because there will be less media coverage. Join me in doing whatever you can to help.
Well, until the next perfect storm...
http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations
https://civ.moveon.org/donatec4/sand...76-gzCw9ux&t=1
rocktivity
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