9/15/08 9:32 AM
“Today is getting a tough start. It IS finally cool enough to sleep in the house, with a sheet even. But when Bill’s CPAP went off at 3:30, I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. As unusual as living without power is, it has gotten familiar enough that I’m starting to think about broader challenges. Like what will my Gran do when Sharon starts work? And even if Sarah’s building is okay, what of her caregivers? And was Carol, who was fretting about missing a bus while she was helping Sarah pack, able to get off the island in time? Or whether now that it’s Monday, my husband needs to head back to his office in NYC as room at the airport reopens, since they have power and there is work to do?
I had so many thoughts I had to write them down. So I crept out to retrieve my laptop, propped it on the trash can by my pallet, and wrote in the dark. I _never_ get insomnia, so this felt really foreign. But four pages and 90 minutes later, I had stopped crying and felt ready to try sleeping. I finally fell asleep sometime around 6:30 AM… only to be awakened just now at the sound of a loud leaf blower. It’s funny how, with the windows open, our busy, urban outside seems louder.
I can hear now that I’m the last one up, which is different since the storm. So I should brush my teeth and fire up the stove for tea…”
9/15/08 4:52 PM
“Good things are happening today. Izzy has heard us say that ‘Ike’ made all this mess. So she said to her mom, ‘If I always have to clean up my own mess, why is everybody cleaning up for Ike?’ Too cute!
It’s 76 indoors instead of 84. We had City garbage collection as scheduled this morning. Sarah finally braved the outside and joined us for lunch. Tibbs finally relaxed enough to eat regularly and sleep amongst the interlopers. Right now we’re enjoying shrimp, ravioli, and spinach sauteed with garlic by maglite glow.
Have I mentioned that Sharon is awesome? Also, we’re dining to the hum of a new generator. Bill has a TV image, but no sound yet… Oh, actually, Dad just found the simulcast on the radio, so we have news! Yay!”
9/16/08 9:26 PM
“Only a short update: Today has been hard. Sarah has grown impatient with the unfamiliar environment. Chris’s boss wants him to come back to work, even though his apartment isn’t habitable for them without power. And Jean and Chuck made it onto the island for about an hour before the curfew. Their house took 3+ feet of water. They’re back now, but we’re each some mix of tired/sad/angry/daunted/frustrated/anxious. Bill, Sharon, and Sean are bravely making dinner for the rest of us. But it’s going to be a quiet, thought-full evening.”