(no subject)
Aug. 28th, 2003 09:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chelseagirlSeems like I've had a journalling block lately; I think it's called "the end of summer." I've missed you all; a lot of catch-up reading to do . . .
M. reached his year anniversary of living in the States on the 23rd. We bought him a Union Jack t-shirt and had a small get-together at the Irish pub he frequents -- Katherine, the Irish bartender, nearly laughed herself sick when he walked in. (This isn't a shirt with a union jack *on* it, put it that way.)
The blackout story I promised:
Luckily, we were at home. In fact, when the a/c went off, I was working at my laptop and said "Honey, there goes the air conditioner," since my power had switched over to battery. M., who could see the tv, the clock and various other electrical appliances from where he was sitting, said he thought it was more widespread, but since our cordless phone went out it was only in stages that we learned it was not just our building or our neighborhood but the whole Northeast. M. was going through his margarita mixing stage at the time, so we figured we'd have a tall cold margarita and wait it out.
A few hours later, a knock came on the door; our friend Felicia couldn't get home to the Bronx without subways or trains running and with the buses all crazed and overcrowded, so we handed her a margarita and adopted her for the duration. In some ways having a houseguest made things more festive! One of our neighbors was inviting various tenants as substitute guests to a dinner party he'd planned for that night; it was a lot of fun getting to meet neighbors we'd mostly ever said hi to and the intrepid guests who did make it, as we dined by candlelight. Good food, too -- scallops and couscous and nifty arugula salad. Made our way home (down the stairs) by flashlight.
The next day was less fun, as it was the hottest day of the summer, we were nearly out of food, and also nearly out of cash (*somebody* had planned to go to the ATM the day before and blew it off . . . ) Some entrepreunerial types had their restaurants open although egg and cheese sandwiches were pretty much all that was on the menu. At some point in the afternoon, Felicia's friend who lives near her in the Bronx called (by this point we had bought an old-fashioned plug-in phone) and she learned that she had power at home, but that she still couldn't get there. I have never heard so much jubilation as when a neighbor told us that Western Beef (a grocery store down on 14th st.) had its own generator -- off we were and food was had. We were very lucky since we have a gas stove and our water never went off.
Finally, we started getting calls from friends in other neighborhoods that their power was back. Chelsea, along with the Lower East side, were last, around 9. By that point, we'd gone down to the Village to get some food and sit in some light. We went to Markt, a trendy Belgian restaurant on 14th; we sat outside because M. and Felicia were immensely cheered by the notion of smoking along with the eating and drinking. Just as we paid our check, the waiter came out and with great jubilation announced that he'd just heard from his partner and power was back on in Chelsea. As we walked up 9th Avenue and saw the lights on, we were amazed by how happy a small thing like, oh, light, could make us.
It was amazing how quickly life went back to normal. It look NY1, the local news channel, a full 20 minutes to get around to giving us a subway report the next a.m. (There was a 6-8 hour delay in getting the trains back up and running.) Our houseguest happily departed and poor M. had to go into work and sterilize things . . .
Most distance covered award goes to Jacqueline, who made it from the literacy center where she works in the South Bronx, through Manhattan, and back to Brooklyn -- the only person I know who covered not just one or two boroughs, but three! Person I felt worst for was my friend J. who is 8 months pregnant, has a toddler, was on the 8th floor of a high rise with no water and her husband was away on business. (The cavalry, in the form of her mom, drove in from the 'burbs to rescue her the next day, though.)
M. reached his year anniversary of living in the States on the 23rd. We bought him a Union Jack t-shirt and had a small get-together at the Irish pub he frequents -- Katherine, the Irish bartender, nearly laughed herself sick when he walked in. (This isn't a shirt with a union jack *on* it, put it that way.)
The blackout story I promised:
Luckily, we were at home. In fact, when the a/c went off, I was working at my laptop and said "Honey, there goes the air conditioner," since my power had switched over to battery. M., who could see the tv, the clock and various other electrical appliances from where he was sitting, said he thought it was more widespread, but since our cordless phone went out it was only in stages that we learned it was not just our building or our neighborhood but the whole Northeast. M. was going through his margarita mixing stage at the time, so we figured we'd have a tall cold margarita and wait it out.
A few hours later, a knock came on the door; our friend Felicia couldn't get home to the Bronx without subways or trains running and with the buses all crazed and overcrowded, so we handed her a margarita and adopted her for the duration. In some ways having a houseguest made things more festive! One of our neighbors was inviting various tenants as substitute guests to a dinner party he'd planned for that night; it was a lot of fun getting to meet neighbors we'd mostly ever said hi to and the intrepid guests who did make it, as we dined by candlelight. Good food, too -- scallops and couscous and nifty arugula salad. Made our way home (down the stairs) by flashlight.
The next day was less fun, as it was the hottest day of the summer, we were nearly out of food, and also nearly out of cash (*somebody* had planned to go to the ATM the day before and blew it off . . . ) Some entrepreunerial types had their restaurants open although egg and cheese sandwiches were pretty much all that was on the menu. At some point in the afternoon, Felicia's friend who lives near her in the Bronx called (by this point we had bought an old-fashioned plug-in phone) and she learned that she had power at home, but that she still couldn't get there. I have never heard so much jubilation as when a neighbor told us that Western Beef (a grocery store down on 14th st.) had its own generator -- off we were and food was had. We were very lucky since we have a gas stove and our water never went off.
Finally, we started getting calls from friends in other neighborhoods that their power was back. Chelsea, along with the Lower East side, were last, around 9. By that point, we'd gone down to the Village to get some food and sit in some light. We went to Markt, a trendy Belgian restaurant on 14th; we sat outside because M. and Felicia were immensely cheered by the notion of smoking along with the eating and drinking. Just as we paid our check, the waiter came out and with great jubilation announced that he'd just heard from his partner and power was back on in Chelsea. As we walked up 9th Avenue and saw the lights on, we were amazed by how happy a small thing like, oh, light, could make us.
It was amazing how quickly life went back to normal. It look NY1, the local news channel, a full 20 minutes to get around to giving us a subway report the next a.m. (There was a 6-8 hour delay in getting the trains back up and running.) Our houseguest happily departed and poor M. had to go into work and sterilize things . . .
Most distance covered award goes to Jacqueline, who made it from the literacy center where she works in the South Bronx, through Manhattan, and back to Brooklyn -- the only person I know who covered not just one or two boroughs, but three! Person I felt worst for was my friend J. who is 8 months pregnant, has a toddler, was on the 8th floor of a high rise with no water and her husband was away on business. (The cavalry, in the form of her mom, drove in from the 'burbs to rescue her the next day, though.)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-08-28 07:26 am (UTC)People are so amazing sometimes, the way they pull together like that.
I can't even begin to imagine being 8 months pregnant, with a toddler (who was probably very fussy if he/she was hot). I'd probably sit down on the floor and start crying. Thank god for her mother.
no subject
Date: 2003-08-29 04:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-30 02:36 am (UTC)You're the only one I know (either OL or RL) that' currently living in NYC, so when I heard the news I thought, 'Hmmm... I hope chelseagirl and her M are doing alright.' :)
I read in the newspaper how there was a huge drop in street crime that night, and that instead a camaraderie was formed among those sleeping in the streets. As I tend to be a horribly cynical person, I was wondering if that was actually true or if it was some kind of media spin. But neighbors getting together for the first time and having a candlelight dinner of scallops and couscous and arugula salad... perhaps there was some kind of magic in the air that night. It's a story you can tell your grandchildren!
Anyway, I read in your other post that you have to start teaching again. *pats you* I have a love/hate relationship with autumn. I hate having to give up all my summer laziness, and going to lectures and stuff, but on the other hand, autumn is sooo lovely. And you get to wear pretty trench coats :D :D :D (I have a trench coat fetish :P)
no subject
Date: 2003-09-03 02:31 pm (UTC)Anyway, it was absolutely true. We were all pretty cranky towards the end, but New Yorkers are cranky even on good days.
Oy!
Date: 2003-09-04 11:11 pm (UTC)We did the neighbors-coming-together thing, too. My sister's new upstairs neighbor came in to use her wall phone and ended up having dinner (R. has a gas grill) and hanging out all night. (Well, *someone* had to see to it her melting ice cream didn't go to waste. . . )