Back in NY with Hurricane Irene

It is enervating to watch the Weather Channel, yet we are addicted to its radar maps, and its experts in storm tracking.We have grown fond of Jim Cantore, the man in the LL Bean raincoat whose job it is to be blown about by wild and fast winds.  He was the man on the street first in Battery Park City when people were being asked to evacuate, and the sun was shining, and then this morning at Battery Park (which is further downtown, and an older location) where the waters could be seen on top of the walkway where you go to take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty.

We came back from Sullivan County on Friday hoping to avoid having to unpack the car in the rain.  We especially wanted to acclimate the young kittens to their new home before the storm really took hold.  Something told me to stock up on batteries and water before returning to New York.



All the news about Hurricane Irene was bad.  It was the widest storm ever.  Its path was straight up the east coast of the US.  The European model showed it to have more speed than rain, the US model showed it wrecking havoc everywhere it went.  First there was the wait for the landfall on North Carolina, and many nearly tearful press conferences with the governor whose people were the most at risk, especially in the beautiful barrier islands.

Then the question became how long before Irene hit New York.  Mayor Bloomberg weighed in and said that this was an unprecedented storm.  Governor Christie of New Jersey said the time for tanning was over.  Get off the beach.  Not to be outdone, Governor Cuomo suggested shutting down the MTA in advance of the storm.  Bloomberg countered that Con Ed might turn off power in lower Manhattan and low lying areas.  I yearned to know the definition of low lying area.

Then the people were forced to evacuate from public housing because if they didn't they were threatened with the turning off of power and elevators.  It looked like the mayor and his advisers were determined to avoid a New Orleans type situation where the poor nonwhites of the city looked stranded.  But in this case it looked like the poor nonwhites were being forced into shelters that may not have beds.

This morning I woke up as if hungover from the news and did not turn on the tv or go to the computer.  Out the window, it was very grey, misty.  The rain began to fall but not as hard as some storms where accumulation was an inch an hour.  The streets were empty.  Only police cars with their lights flashing rode ominously down the street.  After a few hours, after much rain, Irene was gone.

By midafternoon I took a walk to see what things looked like.  People were venturing out.

Beautiful Women

It is hard not to notice how shapely and trim and well styled the women of New York City are.  After being in a rural area where many people are overweight and wear clothes to disguise it, this is a big change.





















I love the geometry and shapes of the taped up windows in contrast with the architectural detail of the loft buildings.   Sadly, the subways are still not working.

Simple X

Grids with xes

Rectangles with triangles

Chevrons

Diamonds
 

Security grill