The Storm

[lynn cates]

Don

Hello All. Just received a message from Don Souden. His area is having a rough go of it. They are just getting their power back.

Cheers.
LC

[mariab]

Cool that Don has power back, Lynn.

[Phil Carter]

Hello Don,

Welcome back to the Western World of 2012. It must have been horrific. My sympathies for any damage or loss occured, and hope all is well with you and yours.

best wishes

Phil

[Supe]

It was not fun, shall we say, but I also want to make it clear that there are others who suffered much more greatly, sometimes losing homes and belongings.

Basically, we were without electricity, water (well water requires an electric pump), heat or most any other modern amenity. Our part of New England is famed for its many beautiful trees (even a few surviving elms) but in storms like Sandy they become a real liability. Such that trees -- hundreds upon hundreds -- fell down all over town,taking with them power lines and making roads impassable (that last was a real problem for those needing emergency vehicles like fire engines or ambulances).

Moreover, with so many trees blocking roads, it was difficult to get anywhere: Like one of those tricky mazes, you would drive on an alternate route for a bit and then suddenly be blocked, turn around, and try another equally impeded road . . . and another and another. And even that had to wait as a curfew was imposed at the start that would keep us inside (naturally, like a fool, I was wandering around the neighborhood at the stormn's height with my only concession to safety an army surplus British steel helmet on my head).

The drill is now well known and I had the bath tub filled with water, to be used sparingly for ablutions and, ahem, flushing. It lasted until power returned . . . just! But the fact there was no hot food and I lost much of my appetite helped. I did cold shave once as well as wash my hair in a little cold water (luckily, I'd gotten a haircut the previous week) and taken a cold (very cold!) sponge bath.

Indeed, the cold seemed the major problem throughout as it continued to plummet, hitting the freezing mark on Sunday morning. So, I spent most of my time sitting under a blanket, wearing two pairs of socks on, two pairs of sweat pants, two sweat shirts and gloves. And all the while cursing fate -- a totally unconstructive activity I might add.

But it is now over and I feel for those poor souls still without power, of which there are far too many.

Anyway, the who week is hardly likely to make for a star attraction at DisneyWorld.

Don.

PS: My brother, an Alexander, has been known throughout his life as "Sandy," but I think he has now adopted Alexander as being much safer in the Northeast.

[lynn cates]

comeback

Hello Don. Speak of the devil . . . heh-heh.

Delighted that you have come through it. Can't keep a good bloke down.

"my only concession to safety an army surplus British steel helmet on my head"

You wouldn't have a photo of your good self thus adorned?

Cheers.
LC

[curious]

You wouldn't have a photo of your good self thus adorned?

Cheers.
LC

Lynn,
Any photo he might have can not be any funnier than the way you asked.

V

[mariab]

Don, nice to hear that you made it out OK, with a cool story to tell.

Did this lack of running water make you appreciate more the conditions in Victorian Whitechapel?

And I have to confess I can't believe you wasted energy to wash your hair under such circumstances. A dandy worthy of Oscar Wilde proportions!

Cheers for Don! ;-)

[sleekviper]

Glad to see that damage was minimal, and hopefully life will return to something of how it was before the storm soon. Will make for an extra special Thanksgiving this year I would bet. Sometime this upcoming summer you may want to make an extra special search of the entire home for signs of black mold. That much water thrown around with that much force may lead to problems of that toxic mess growing without knowledge until it truly is a nightmare.

[Robert]

Sounds like an awful experience. I imagine that within a few years, satellite pics will be available in such circumstances, to show which roads are blocked - provided residents have some means of downloading them.

[Beowulf]

Can you believe it? New Jersey just had an earthquake.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/05/us/new-jersey-earthquake/?hpt=us_c2