Like everyone else in NJ, I lost power about 7pm, not long after Sandy made landfall. I'm still without power at home, but we expect it to be restored early today. I'm finally back at work after an unexpected week off, where we now have full power and internet. This is the first time I'm using a real keyboard in a week... Up till now, my internet access was thru my smartphone, which between small keyboard/screen, and charging issues, wasn't optimum for anything but quicky emails. Really nice to be connected again.
I had no property damage, but my neighbors did not fare so well. My Backdoor neighbor's porch overhang got taken clean off the house by a pine tree. (Watch out for those pine trees man, a large percentage of the tree damage I saw came from large pine trees). And lots of other large trees fallen onto (and sometimes into) houses in my my neighborhood..causing some spectacular messes... Lots of downed power lines and snapped utility poles..in various stages of repair... Fortunately no flooding though... Denville is prone to flooding devastation, especially the downtown area...so for the sake of the battered business in town who haven't fully recovered from Irene, I'm glad we dodged Sandy's bullet.
Personally, I was very very fortunate. I rose above and did pretty well with it all. Being a cold weather backpacker and a mobile caterer, I'm plush with all sorts of equipment to keep myself (and others) afloat. In a way, it was kind of fun to deal with it all. It was a bit like backpacking at a really plush shelter. And fun to engineer solutions to problems as they presented themselves.
My quiet little Honda E2000i generator kept the Chest freezer/Kitchen Fridge/Cellphone charger going. I also rewired the heating system into it, giving me hot water too. Due to the gas situation, I'd operate the generator about 3/4 of the day, and kill it at night. Just enough to keep the house warm, shower hot, and fridges/freezers at temp. Candles/flashlights sufficed for lighting. Gas stovetop helped with cooking. The only thing I would do differently is stockplike a little more gasoline, since my 7 gallons of container space was just not enough to deal with the gas situation. I thought I could siphon some gas from my car in an emergency, but the car turned out to be siphon-proof.
In general, the lack of the TV and Computer was a bit of a godsend. During the daytime, indoors was not the place to be, so I kept very busy outside. At first it was the storm cleanup. But then I took the opportunity to gather several truckloads of oak logs from fallen trees. I spent a few days cutting/chopping/stacking wood for eventual use in the BBQ smoker. I was so busy, I didn't have time to endlessly snack on BS too. I proud to say I lost a few pounds this week.
I have 3 vehicles, all of which were gassed up full before the storm. So in regards to transportation, I can avoid standing in gas lines for a while until the the gas situation eases up a little. Like I said before, the generator gas cans being the biggest issue.
Getting thru the hours from about 6pm to 10pm was a little challenging. I found myself quite bored with very little to do. No TV/Internet. I had difficulty reading with the candles/flashlights/headlamps. Due to the gas situation, I avoided all non-essential trips...like to stores or friend's houses. . I'd take a shower, catch up on some emails/phone calls. Take quick catnaps. And sometimes be social with my local friends. But generally, I got a little stir crazy during this timeslot. (recognizing how fortunate I am to have this as my biggest problem).
Anyway, my thoughts are with all those who are severely effected by this storm, many of which I know are far worse off than me. Best wishes for a rapid recovery.
The "Eddie Z is Back" report.
Started by
Eddie Z
, Nov 05 2012 01:09 PM
17 replies to this topic
#5
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- VibeTribe
- 23,810 posts
Posted 05 November 2012 - 04:31 PM
Thanks for sharing, Eddie!! Glad to hear you made out okay from the storm.
Liz and her family are in Unio and are still without power. The neighbor behind them has had power, so they've been running a long power cord to Liz's place so they could charge phones and a laptop, make some coffee, etc. She went back to school and work today, and with the threat of a Nor'easter coming this week, will probably be spending the week with friends in Queens or Brooklyn, until power is restored.
Liz and her family are in Unio and are still without power. The neighbor behind them has had power, so they've been running a long power cord to Liz's place so they could charge phones and a laptop, make some coffee, etc. She went back to school and work today, and with the threat of a Nor'easter coming this week, will probably be spending the week with friends in Queens or Brooklyn, until power is restored.
#6
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- VibeTribe
- 2,204 posts
Posted 05 November 2012 - 06:23 PM
I'm baffled by our ongoing power outage. Around 2 pm *yesterday*, the linesman said that they were doing a final sweep and we could expect the power to be back on in a couple of hours. We were all jumping for joy and doing high fives, and making preparations for normalcy... As I walked around the neighborhood, I spread the good news....made lots of people happy!
24 hours has passed and the power is still not on. ??? The tree crews and line crews are all gone, their work is done.
I'm afraid to take another walk in the neighborhood, I think people will throw stones at me.
24 hours has passed and the power is still not on. ??? The tree crews and line crews are all gone, their work is done.
I'm afraid to take another walk in the neighborhood, I think people will throw stones at me.
#7
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- VibeTribe
- 869 posts
Posted 05 November 2012 - 06:26 PM
Throwing Stones
Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free
Dizzy with eternity.
Paint it with a skin of sky, brush in some clouds and sea
Call it home for you and me.
A peaceful place or so it looks from space
A closer look reveals the human race.
Full of hope, full of grace, is the human face.
But afraid, we may our home to waste.
There's a fear down here we can't forget hasn't got a name just yet
Always awake, always around singing ashes to ashes all fall down.
Now watch as the ball revolves and the nighttime calls
And again the hunt begins and again the bloodwind calls
By and by again, the morning sun will rise
But the darkness never goes from some men's eyes.
It strolls the sidewalks and it rolls the streets
Stalking turf, dividing up meat.
Nightmare spook, piece of heat, you and me, you and me.
Click, flashblade in ghetto night. Rudies looking for a fight.
Rat cat alley roll them bones. Need that cash to feed that jones
And the politicians throwing stones
Singing ashes, ashes all fall down.
Commissars and pin-striped bosses role the dice
Any way they fall guess who gets to pay the price.
Money green or proletarian gray, selling guns instead of food today.
So the kids they dance, they shake their bones
While the politicians throwing stones
Singing ashes, ashes all fall down.
Heartless powers try to tell us what to think
If the spirit's sleeping, then the flesh is ink.
History's page, it is thusly carved in stone
The future's here, we are it, we are on our own.
If the game is lost then we're all the same
No one left to place or take the blame.
We will leave this place an empty stone
Or this shinning ball of bule we can call our home
So the kids they dance, they shake their bones
While the politicians are throwing stones
Singing ashes, ashes all fall down.
Shipping powders back and forth
Singing "black goes south while white comes north"
And the whole world full of petty wars
Singing "I got mine and you got yours."
And the current fashions set the pace.
Lose your step, fall out of grace.
And the radical he rant and rage, Singing "someone got to turn the page"
And the rich man in his summer home,
Singing "Just leave well enough alone"
But his pants are down, his cover's blown
And the politicians are throwing stones
So the kids they dance they shake their bones
Cause its all too clear we're on our own
Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free
It's dizzying, the possibilities. Ashes, Ashes all fall down.
Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free
Dizzy with eternity.
Paint it with a skin of sky, brush in some clouds and sea
Call it home for you and me.
A peaceful place or so it looks from space
A closer look reveals the human race.
Full of hope, full of grace, is the human face.
But afraid, we may our home to waste.
There's a fear down here we can't forget hasn't got a name just yet
Always awake, always around singing ashes to ashes all fall down.
Now watch as the ball revolves and the nighttime calls
And again the hunt begins and again the bloodwind calls
By and by again, the morning sun will rise
But the darkness never goes from some men's eyes.
It strolls the sidewalks and it rolls the streets
Stalking turf, dividing up meat.
Nightmare spook, piece of heat, you and me, you and me.
Click, flashblade in ghetto night. Rudies looking for a fight.
Rat cat alley roll them bones. Need that cash to feed that jones
And the politicians throwing stones
Singing ashes, ashes all fall down.
Commissars and pin-striped bosses role the dice
Any way they fall guess who gets to pay the price.
Money green or proletarian gray, selling guns instead of food today.
So the kids they dance, they shake their bones
While the politicians throwing stones
Singing ashes, ashes all fall down.
Heartless powers try to tell us what to think
If the spirit's sleeping, then the flesh is ink.
History's page, it is thusly carved in stone
The future's here, we are it, we are on our own.
If the game is lost then we're all the same
No one left to place or take the blame.
We will leave this place an empty stone
Or this shinning ball of bule we can call our home
So the kids they dance, they shake their bones
While the politicians are throwing stones
Singing ashes, ashes all fall down.
Shipping powders back and forth
Singing "black goes south while white comes north"
And the whole world full of petty wars
Singing "I got mine and you got yours."
And the current fashions set the pace.
Lose your step, fall out of grace.
And the radical he rant and rage, Singing "someone got to turn the page"
And the rich man in his summer home,
Singing "Just leave well enough alone"
But his pants are down, his cover's blown
And the politicians are throwing stones
So the kids they dance they shake their bones
Cause its all too clear we're on our own
Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free
It's dizzying, the possibilities. Ashes, Ashes all fall down.
#9
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- VibeTribe
- 23,810 posts
Posted 05 November 2012 - 06:59 PM
I'm baffled by our ongoing power outage. Around 2 pm *yesterday*, the linesman said that they were doing a final sweep and we could expect the power to be back on in a couple of hours. We were all jumping for joy and doing high fives, and making preparations for normalcy... As I walked around the neighborhood, I spread the good news....made lots of people happy!
24 hours has passed and the power is still not on. ??? The tree crews and line crews are all gone, their work is done.
I'm afraid to take another walk in the neighborhood, I think people will throw stones at me.
Yeah, seriously. Some other parts of Union had power for most of the day on Friday, before it went out again!
#13
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- VibeTribe
- 2,204 posts
Posted 05 November 2012 - 11:19 PM
My power was restored the minute I got home from work, roughtly 5pm! Pretty psyched to "De-Blackout" the house, clean up a bit, get the support equipment back to it's hiding spots, and get my stinking laundry spinning, etc.
This 7 day outage has given me a lot to think about for the next one... Although I fared very well, better than most.. I think I could be an even more prepared Boy Scout here. Decisions range from buying a few more gas jugs, to trying to somehow figure out how to shoehorn a wood burning stove into this small cramped house...all the way to dropping big $$$ on a whole house natural gas supplied generator. But the time to strike is while it's still fresh in my mind. Once this event becomes a memory, it's easy to become complacent and not enact any plans.
Anyway, again, best of luck to those who are more severely impacted.
This 7 day outage has given me a lot to think about for the next one... Although I fared very well, better than most.. I think I could be an even more prepared Boy Scout here. Decisions range from buying a few more gas jugs, to trying to somehow figure out how to shoehorn a wood burning stove into this small cramped house...all the way to dropping big $$$ on a whole house natural gas supplied generator. But the time to strike is while it's still fresh in my mind. Once this event becomes a memory, it's easy to become complacent and not enact any plans.
Anyway, again, best of luck to those who are more severely impacted.
