irene takes new york by storm, part 2

7:00 AM

It's still raining but the darkness seems to have passed. I am on the floor cocooned in a comforter having slept in the living room so I could monitor the sky from the window and avoid a startling awake from water flooding my bedroom. Luckily nothing of the sort has occurred. The rain rocks me back to sleep.

10:30 AM

I wake to the sound of text messages. Irene has come and gone overnight, flooding some areas, leaving behind fell trees in its wake, downgraded to a tropical storm. The sun is attempting to break through the clouds. I think the worst of it is over.

12:17 PM

I go outside. And there is nothing earth shattering to report. My biggest fear was that the massive tree across the street would fall, striking neighboring homes but luckily the block didn't lose one tree, of the few we have left.

And save for a few overturned garbage cans there is little to no damage. The wind is still strong but not with a withering force and unlike many, we have power. Bloomberg is encouraging we stay local and inside if possible. Personally I am perfectly okay to stay put, have breakfast, watch movies the rest of the afternoon; if I can figure out how to get the DVD player to work.

1:00 PM

40 minutes of struggle but I can both see and hear the Harry Potter DVD inserted into the player now. Seems like an appropriate movie to watch given the surreality of the last few days.

I don't know that I would criticize the government officials, I understand that they were trying to safeguard against the possibility of another catastrophe and their lack of response to past incidents with Mother Nature. I can't help but wonder if the random earthquake didn't contribute to the overreaction from everyone. It's hard not to think apocalypse when nature's stage show falls upon you over the course of a few days. Luckily Nostradamus didn't predict this one.