life with Sandy

It was maddening. Our power flickered on and off for about ten hours, while it was still light. It finally went out at about 9pm. 

And, I think it was just before that that the the wind hit its peak and a very large tree fell, taking large branches of two other trees with it as it plunged into our roof.

The noise was incredible - K leapt over the coach as I screamed for Youngest (his room is next to another huge tree I thought had fallen), but it was the other side of the house that was hit.

We are fine.

We are lucky.

We have taken a couple of drives to inspect the devastation - and devastation is not an exaggeration. Giant trees have pulled down wires on nearly every street we visited. Houses have been crushed and there isn't a block with electrical wires intact.

We have no electricity, no wifi, no cell coverage and no heat. We do have hot water.

The area of the city where I work is without power which doesn't matter as I have no way to get to the city: the railroad has been shut down and there is no subway service. The tunnels are flooded and neighborhoods have been evacuated. This is unusual. This is historic.

And, so, we sit..in the living room, at the table, trying to eat the food in our fridge before it spoils. Fish sandwiches tonight, chicken must be eaten tomorrow and we'll move stuff from the fridge into the freezer if it's still cool in the morning.

We are safe but Tuvalu, well, that's another story. 

It's a mess.