Surviving Sandy

So, how did my second hurricane go? Much more lively that the first, that is for sure.

Actually, in real life it wasn't very funny at all. At first it did sound funny - a hurricane making a left turn in NJ, impossible! LOL etc, but pretty soon we knew Sandy meant business. We were at a pastor party on Sunday night and we were all laughing about the "curfew" but the next day we woke up and it was already windy and rainy. The wind and rain got worse throughout the day and our power went out about 5:30 PM, earlier than I had expected. We had our downstairs neighbor over for dinner by candlelight and ate some of our leftovers and some other things we bought that we didn't have to cook. We played some games and read by candle, but I was really uneasy about the wind blowing. We went to bed, and through the night we could hear the wind and also trees cracking. The next morning, still windy, but not as bad. Then we looked outside.

Nearly all the trees right outside our apartment complex had collapsed right on top of the power lines. Power lines and trees in the street. For a while we weren't even sure we could even get out. But PSE&G was there pretty soon and blocked off a place to drive that was safe. Then we got to our first intersection - no power. Treat it as a 4-way stop, right? Wrong, according to so many drivers around us. I was really freaked out about that. Fortunately by the end of the day most busy intersections were being directed by cops or left turns were blocked off. But I guess I didn't expect Jersey drivers to be..., well Jersey drivers! Not all, mind you, but enough to make me nervous!

Just about every day for three days straight we warmed up, charged up, and ate up at a friend's place nearby (the Clarkes - they live very close!). I never really knew the value of a HOT meal until this week. You never really know what you can and can't live without until you have to live without it.

Slowly as the days went on more and more power came back on in the neighborhood, and more and more things opened up. We just about did a happy dance when we were able to get some Wawa coffee! We even got mail and UPS before we even had power! I was a little annoyed that down the street from us one house used their power to light up their Halloween decorations. At a time like this, light up decorations just don't seem to matter very much, not when Halloween has been postponed out here until Monday night.

We got lots of offers for aid and comfort, for which we are thankful. At our friend's house we were able watch the news and see the devastation on the shore - people being rescued from their houses by boats, walking through the water barefoot and holding their shoes in their hands. Not an image I will soon forget.

On the night that our power came back, we had a feeling that it might be SOON - we had been watching the guys deliver the poles and string the new lines earlier that day. Our downstairs neighbor, who works with one our our friends (the Clarkes) and he called a coworker who called her who told us that our power was back! We turned up the heat, ran the dishwasher, and played our Wii!

Beau's church has power, but mine does not, nor is it likely that it will be getting power very soon. But Sunday we will be having a regular schedule, though no bulletins. I was able to write a sermon but I will have to print it elsewhere!

For some, the saga is over and things will be pretty normal on Monday. For others, things will never quite be normal again. Please keep the people on the shore and in NYC in your prayers as they literally pick up the pieces.