***Note*** This was started on 29 August 2011. I'm just getting around to posting. Enjoy!
This last week was quite an exciting one weather-wise in NYC. First, there was an earthquake. Did I feel it shake my desk, rattling my pens and papers? Nope. Didn't feel a thing! I was actually taking a walk around the neighborhood (it was a particularly lovely, sunny day) during my lunch. When I was coming back inside, I was checking Facebook on my blackberry, and everyone was posting about this unknown-to-me earthquake. But it sure made for a good conversation piece.
The next gift of mother nature was Hurricane Irene. It seriously consumed my thoughts for the better part of Thursday night and Friday. There were FLOODS (pun intended) of emails being sent around from my ward and stake members, informing us all on how to be best prepared. So what did I do? I stocked up on water, granola bars, crackers, fruit, veggies, magazines, books, etc. The roommates and I also brought in everything from our terraces (the hallway looks like a greenhouse at the moment with our plants), so nothing would fly away during the storm.
On Friday afternoon, it was announced that all subways and buses would close at noon on Saturday. This means, if you wanted to get anywhere you'd have to walk. And that there would be no church on Sunday.
Saturday was more stocking up - I wanted to be sure I had plenty of water. You know, just in case. I stayed inside for most of the morning/afternoon. Then our stake sent out an email asking any of us who were able to go to Red Cross to help with evacuees. I wanted to go, but how on earth was I supposed to get to the volunteer center that was so far away? I'd never make it in by the time they wanted people there. Luckily, my roommate was going there with one of our friends who had a car (for work). So she picked us up and off we went! Red Cross sent us out to Queens to an evacuation center. We helped set up cots and distribute hygiene kits and blankets for people who would be staying there. It was really great. One of my favorite parts was seeing the teenage guys (probably about 14-16) help set up all the cots. They just wanted something to do! And I was really impressed by what hard workers they were. After a few hours, they didn't really have anything else for us to do, so we drove back to Manhattan in one crazy rainstorm.
I went to bed Saturday night in anticipation for the worst of the storm, which was supposed to hit Manhattan Sunday morning. When I woke up on Sunday, I had missed the whole storm! I slept right through it. In the afternoon, I met up with some friends (Ashley and Sharon) to take a walk around Central Park. It was kind of crazy to see all the trees down. {But it wasn't as crazy as a storm in 2009 was, which literally uprooted or knocked down hundreds of trees. They're still doing some cleanup/restoration from that one.} Here are some pictures of Central Park post-storm.
My favorite thing about this photo is the family roaming the park in the background, when it's clearly "closed".
See those fallen trees?
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