Stacy Horn's Blog, page 184

Okay, yes. Of course I’m very happy.

But I just worked for nineteen hours straight and then only slept for three hours afterwards. I may post later this afternoon, but for now I’m just checking in to say yay! And I will have a lot to say later about working as a poll-worker.

I took this in the middle of last week, when New York was without power and we were all walking around searching for food and a place to charge our computers and phones, and for places to take showers and be warm for a little while. In the midst of all that the tour buses went on.

At first I was like, what the hell? But then I realized, these poor people. They plan vacations, buy tickets for various shows, events, and so on, and they get here and Broadway is shut down, events are cancelled, and many hotels were closed. Their vacations and the money they spent on them went largely down the drain. Then I felt really, really bad for them.

Working the Polls Tomorrow

I have to report for duty at my poll site tomorrow, at 5am. It didn’t occur to me until yesterday that I am probably expected to stay until the polls close, and a little after. We have to seal everything, and hand the ballots to the NYPD. We might be working seventeen hours straight. That can’t be right! Right?? That’s absolutely insane. I just checked the card I was sent. That is right. Good lord.

Note to all Americans: be very kind to your poll workers, especially if you’re voting late. They have been at it since 5am!!

Bleeck is hanging on Obama’s every word. Or, he’s having a nice nap.

I Could Have Use a Marathon Today

An update follows this post from this morning.

The New York City Marathon would have gone a long way to making me feel better today. I’m fine really, all I lost was the food in my refrigerator, and I was cold for a few nights, and while my friends and family have varying degrees of loss, no one died. (My father went into the hospital though! He’s out and stable, but poor him!) We’ll see how many people leave Echo because we were down for a day, but I’m guessing not many.

I’m wondering how many of the people who thought the Marathon should be cancelled have actually ever attended a marathon. It’s not that I’m insensitive to the fact that people died and lost their homes. It’s in part because all the stories are destroying me. I wish I could explain it. It’s the sight of people who have been training all year, and for years, war veterans running on prosthetic limbs, people racing in wheelchairs, people with cancer, or who have children with cancer, and all the people running for charity—one of which I supported and of course the money goes to the charity anyway.

There’s nothing like it. Maybe it’s because I always position myself somewhere along the last mile, as close to the end that I can get. The runners are almost at the finish line and they know it. It brings something out of each of them. Many look like they can’t take another step, except they all just keep on going even if the best they can do is limp. Through sweat, tears, and blood (lots of blood) they summon something, something absolutely determined and miraculous, and I get to see that happen over and over, thousands of times. I can never watch without crying and walking away believing anything is possible, one can always strive and try again, and even people who have been totally screwed over by life in some way, shape or form, can win.

UPDATE: Well, the marathon runners made me cry even without running. This picture comes via @911BUFF. It’s a crowd of runners boarding the Staten Island Ferry to volunteer instead of running. Thank you wonderful runners!

Con Ed employees by the generator they set up so people could recharge their phones and computers. My grandfather worked for Con Ed his entire life so I have a soft spot for Con Ed employees. He never missed a day of work and one day, when he didn’t come in, one of his fellow employees joked, “Oh! Walter didn’t come in today, he must be dead.” And he was!

Wishful thinking on the part of one of my neighbors. I thought it was a great idea when I saw it, and we did get our power back yesterday morning. But I’d spent the day cleaning up and I was just too exhausted to leave the house last night. I’m guessing most of us were feeling the same.

All the trees we lost. It breaks my heart. God knows how old many of these trees were. It’s one of the greatest things about the neighborhood, all the great big beautiful trees.

Sob. I’m not showing the half of it, because, as I said, I seemed to have broken my camera AGAIN. But there were downed trees everywhere. Oh, and thank you Department of Sanitation! Talk about being exhausted after all the clean-up.

Just Heard Power in Manhattan by Midnight

We shall see! I just finished foraging, (broccoli, apples, and a Cosi sandwich) and now I’m quick checking my email, making this post, checking the presidential polls and then I’m heading home. Hurricane Sandy did not make a dent into my poll addiction.

A enterprising bike shop puts up signs at the subway stops.

A number of very kind businesses (and Con Ed) set up generators on the street and let anyone who came by power up. But this shop, a UPS store on … 7th Avenue I believe, I should have noted it, they gave out power AND CANDY. So a big thank you to UPS! I’ll bet it was the idea of the guy looking at the camera. He has such a sweet face.

There’s Got To Be a Morning After

Or so they sing. I’m sitting in a Starbucks right now, but I’m going to move onto the New York Public Library soon. This connection is painfully slow because it’s packed with people like me.

And, as usual, I need to forage for food. I had a salad and an orange last night and having fresh fruit and greens felt like a banquet. Now I want a real meal. I’ve been living on rice and beans and warmed up pizza.

The only casualty in my house was Bleeck’s whiskers above one eye, which were singed by a candle. I now have to block off the candle because he continues to be curious about it. (I will be getting a coleman lamp for the future, clearly candles are too dangerous in my household.)

Oh, and my camera needs to be repaired. AGAIN. Water must have gotten into it somehow during the hurricane. (That’ll teach me. I should be glad that’s the worst I suffered when I went out.)

There are two Manhattans. Those of us downtown, without power, and those who live uptown, for whom it’s business as usual. It was like this after 9/11. Not that people uptown weren’t affected, of course they were, but I’ll never forget going uptown a couple of weeks after, and people really were walking around like nothing happened, it was like being in another world.

I forgot: Thank you, Atlantic Metro (our co-location host) for getting us back up so insanely fast. And for being so helpful last night when I showed up, and for getting the serial console reconnected. And thank you to Echo’s tech, Jonathan Kay, for all his hard work (and sense of humor) during this emergency.

Hurricane Sandy Got Me

But not as badly as some horribly unlucky people. I am without power, and my company Echo, which hosts my blog, is hosted by a company a few blocks away and they are also without power. They had backup generators that had a problem, but apparently they fixed it.

I’m there now because our other machine didn’t come back up so I’m working with my tech guy to fix it. I have SO much to post about but I have to get back to work.

I took this the day before the hurricane, when some kids were getting trick or treating in. Which was a good thing because Halloween has been postponed here.

Live Blogging Hurricane Sandy

8:00pm: There’s nothing much to report now. I’d have to go outside, and I want to go outside, but part of me thinks I’ll feel pretty stupid if I die after being hit in the head by the lawn chair my neighbors in the back left out on their balcony. The good news: I still have power!

7:00pm: Heard a ton of emergency vehicles go by a while ago, and now I’m hearing a building collapsed at 14th and 8th. That’s a two minute walk from here and I’m dying to go, but then all the first responders would hate me if something happened to me and they had to leave an emergency to help a stupid rubbernecker.

6:35pm: Wind picking up. I’m a little scared. My Amy’s pizza is ready now though. That should be comforting.

6:20pm: Earlier I wished I had some hot chocolate in the house. Now I wish I had some ice cream. I have to say, I suck as a panic shopper.

6:00pm: Nononononononono. The Con Ed guy just said at the news conference that they might be shutting off power to everyone south of 14th Street. That would be me. Okay, and a few others.

5:50pm: You know, so far, this really does feel like a repeat of Irene. I go out in weather a lot worse than this all the time. This could all change of course, but that’s what is going on now.

New Jersey is experiencing something else. Speaking of which, Chris Christie is such a mixed bag. I just listened to him give an update. On the one hand, he was a complete dick to the mayor of Atlantic City, who told people to remain in their homes and in city shelters, which is apparently not what Christie decreed. Christie’s call may absolutely be the right call, but he’s acting like a little kid who is picking up his marbles and going home because no one is listening to him. I wouldn’t put my faith in a guy like this either. Then, seconds later, he was very gracious about a call from Obama and their subsequent conversation. Completely put politics aside. Why couldn’t he be this adult about the other matter?

5:10pm: Sandy is supposed to make landfall within the hour. Bleeck is getting bored waiting.

4:55pm: I’m glued to the tv, can’t stop watching, and it’s just the same shots and same information over and over. I did break away to go up to the roof, where I felt the strongest winds so far. And noticed that my neighbors haven’t cleared off their balconies. Future projectile alert:

3:55pm: Finney and Bleeck are panic … napping.

3:05pm: Our choir director just emailed us. Choir rehearsal is cancelled. The only other time rehearsal was ever cancelled was on 9/11. Not a good sign. Also, the wind is picking up now. Because of the Con Ed call I broke down and filled the bathtub with water, vacuumed one more time, got everything I might need out and within easy reach (plastic and a staple gun for the windows, candles, matches). They say the worst is going to be at 8pm.

1:55pm: I just got a robocall from Con Ed (our power company) saying they were turning off electricity in parts of Manhattan to prevent … something or other. I’m guessing they called me because I live in a part of town where this is going to happen?? Damnit to hell.

1:15pm: I went down to the river and took some shots. The rain is picking up a little, but it’s still not terribly windy. Down at the river the water level is higher, but nothing to write home about. That’s One World Trade in the background.

There were people there who, like me, were there to see what there was to see. The river was fenced off and I was proud to be the first one in my spot to climb around the fence and go down and look. The police who saw me let me be. Thank you, NYPD.

I like the Diana/plastic camera feel of this. My lens must have gotten wet. I hope it’s okay. And I don’t have to pay to have my camera repaired. Again.

11:05am: Nothing is happening. The tiniest bit of wind, no rain now. Maybe I will go out and take a walk down to the river. Oh wait, it is raining a little. Be still my heart. (I’m going to regret those words later, aren’t I?)

8:20am: A little bit of wind, a little bit of rain. My window is wide open without a problem, which is not at all what I was told to expect when I woke up. I’m going to update throughout the day.

I saw this pumpkin earlier in the week. Let’s hope it is not a precognitive pumpkin, and that it’s just a pumpkin who is messing with us.

Hurricane Sandy is on the Way

Well, our mayor has changed his tune a bit. They’re shutting down all mass transit at 7pm, and telling everyone in Zone A in Manhattan to evacuate. I just read a tweet that said this area has a population size equivalent to Minneapolis! I’m Zone C, but only a few feet from Zone B. Still, I’m not overly concerned (yet). My biggest concern is I’ve got the oldest, ricketiest, most falling-apart, barely-holding-on windows in New York City. I could be screwed if the winds get as high as they say. Not sure what to do about it.

I want to go out and buy candy. Except I’m feeling lazy and my face hurts (waiting for pain killers to kick in). I was thinking of going out with my camera during the storm, like up to the roof to see if I could get shots of the Hudson River during the surge, or even down to the river itself, but I decided that would be insane. Still, as long as no one is hurt, it’s all very exciting.

Fun with the macro setting on my camera and kitten tongue and whiskers.

Dr. Who Has Trouble Parking on Perry Street and Other Halloween Views

I love the effort people put into decorating for holidays. This was one of the simplest and also one of my favorites. Creepy, but sad.

Three happy, fez-wearing skeletons on Bleecker Street (which was named after my cat).

I wonder why the manufacturer of that fake tombstone picked the dates 1805 – 1882. Did they have any meaning to him or her? Of course the first thing I did was calculate how long the fake dead person lived (to 77, not bad I suppose, but certainly not great, I hope to make it to my 90s).

Another happy skeleton, hanging out by the trash in the cornfield on 11th Street. And a detached limb. And a spider. Damnit, what else did I miss??

Giant spiders were a recurring theme. The movie Eight Legged Freaks, which is wonderful, has been playing a lot on tv, by the way. As fun as it is, I still have a hard time watching it. Spiders!

Okay, the Tardis crashed into a building on Perry Street. I was never happy with how my pictures of it came out last year, and I was determined to do better this time. This is a slight improvement, but it doesn’t really capture how truly great this is. The thing also glows and smokes, like a Tardis that has just been in an accident might. I’m going with: it’s the camera.

Another view. My photographic abilities aside, thank you whoever did this. It’s awesome.

Who am I? Where have I been?

Where did the last two days go? I actually started writing this post yesterday, when I got back from my dentist appointment. This is a behind-the-scenes view of a photo shoot outside Gramercy Park. I love that shade of blue. I was so influenced by it that when I went to buy an umbrella this morning they had one a shade close to it and I bought that one.

So what is the deal with the storm? I haven’t listened to the news since this morning. Should I panic shop? Or should I worry more about Cara and our other friends further south?