So... Sandy. What a bitch.
For the first time since we moved in, I can honestly say I'm grateful for living so far away from all the fun and the lights of New York City. At one of the highest points in Manhattan, Matt and I barely felt the weight of Hurricane (and what later became Super Storm) Sandy. While friends of ours lost power, lost cell service, and pretty much lost their minds, we were sitting pretty.
A little wind, a little rain... lots of chips and Oreos, lots of delivery (Chinese and pizza, back-to-back nights), and lots of sleep. Aside from not being able to leave Washington Heights due to little or no subway service, and aside from it being beyond strange that we're spending so much time together, this storm really didn't affect us. And, again, we are grateful.
What sucks (kind of) is that Matt's restaurant still doesn't have power. Which means... one less paycheck this week. But we'll deal. Especially since I got paid to sleep until noon, watch The Dark Knight until 4 AM, and proofread a super smutty manuscript of Fifty Shades of Dorian Gray (coming to bookstores near you this spring!). My office just opened today, but we don't have internet yet and most of us can't actually get to the office. It's optional, but I'm going to head in tomorrow for a bit. I just... want to see other people. I need an excuse to wear real pants again.
Matt and I have not spent this much time together (or eaten so much horrible, yet delicious food) since... April. And at that point, we were actually on vacation in Chicago (and the food was much better... and way more expensive!). And before that... oh geeze. Probably our vacation to San Francisco last May? Point is, we have never had five days like this. And although it's honestly very nice to have absolutely no agenda, it's getting to the point where we're both craving interaction with other people and things to do that will get our lazy asses off the couch.
We're not fighting, we're not irritable. We're just... bored. It's one thing to choose to stay in for a weekend or to choose a staycation instead of a vacation. But when you physically can't go anywhere, it's not that enjoyable. One of our two subway stops opened today, but considering they have a "free fare" going on, we decided to stay away from it, knowing it'd be packed. Same thing with the buses—they've been going since Tuesday night, but we know there's no way we're going to get on one without pushing and shoving. And it's just not worth the effort.
We've taken a few walks to get some fresh air. Went down to the bridge on Wednesday (I think? Honestly, the days are blending together now.) and we walked along the river today. Down near the water, the wind is still pretty rough. Tree limbs are down, but you could tell nothing was under water. This part of the Hudson was never a threat. Thankfully.
Watching the news is depressing. Hearing some of my coworkers talk about still not having power and being unable to actually get back onto the island is rough. Luckily, I don't know anyone who is missing or dead. And I don't think any of my friends actually have family that are missing or dead. But seeing the death toll rise and watching stories about little boys getting swept away from their mothers as the water rushed in is heartbreaking. And then seeing the more than eighty houses that burned to the ground in Queens... It's pretty rough. Definitely makes me grateful that we got by without even the slightest scratch.
I'm also happy to learn that everything back home is just as it was before the storm. Unfortunately, some of that stuff is not... great. But. At least it's not any worse, right?
Tomorrow, back to work. And if Matt's still off from work, we're going to the movies. And we're going to stay away from the apartment for as long as possible. I think it's safe to say we're sick of being cooped up, but we're definitely not sick of each other. Which is definitely good!
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