Dose of Happy

Hugmonkey became interested in all things weather last summer, when my dad started showing him weather maps on the iPad to calm his fears about thunderstorms. Ever since Hurricane Sandy, he's been absolutely fanatical about knowing the weather.

We had our first big post-Sandy windstorm last week. I wanted him to be prepared, but I didn't want him to freak out. As I drove him home from preschool, I pointed out a truck from the electric company, "See? That man from the electric company is here to make sure the electrical grid stays on during the storm." I was probably lying, but it could have been the truth. 

"How do we get our electricity to our house, mom?" he asked. 

I have no real clue, but I babbled convincingly about electrical grids and transformers for a good 30 seconds. 

"Is Optimus Prime our transformer, mom?"

"Well, it's not the same kind of transformer. . ."I started to say. And then I realized all I really know about our town's transformers is that the all blew up during Sandy. So I changed my answer. "Yes, baby, yes he is." 

Wordful Wednesday: Halloween

I realize it's November 14th. And while normally I would just skip over pictures that were two weeks after the actual holiday, I'm not going to this time. Our town just finally celebrated Halloween on the 11th. It was with a trunk-or-treat in the high school parking lot instead of the huge street party and all town trick-or-treating like we usually do, but at least our kids got some kind of Halloween.

Just let us get our candy, mom. 

Also, let me say something to the people leaving nasty comments on various pages that talked about trick-or-treating after the storm. I know that we're damn lucky that missing Halloween and days without power were the worst thing that happened to our kids. But to spew venom because we're hoping our kids get to have Halloween even though there are kids out there without homes, clothes and toys is so fucking stupid.

First of all, we weren't talking about it on a Hurricane victim or volunteer page. Second of all, there are always kids around us who don't have homes, clothes, toys, books or families. Always. There are always kids around us whose problems are so much bigger than Halloween.

And if you broaden your view beyond this country, you'll realize that kids in 2012 are still dying of starvation and curable diseases.

So, venom-spewer, did your kids celebrate Halloween last year? Even though there were all those children living in homeless shelters and domestic violence shelters within minutes of your home? And all the kids starving to death on the same planet?

Thought so.

I have an idea. Why don't you collect some stuff for the kids hurt by the hurricane? Or donate to Save the Children? I realize that's a little more difficult than typing insults, but think of how morally superior you can feel.

Out of Sorts

I am out of sorts.

I have been out of sorts since Sandy hit on the 29th. That's like 10 days ago and I still can't seem to get it together. We've had power back for almost a week. My parents finally have their power back today. Everyone I know is okay.

We didn't even lose power during Wednesday's lovely nor'easter. And by lovely, I mean are-you-fucking-kidding-me. 

Still, the kids are back in school. I've spent all our extra money on batteries, lanterns and food donations. And by extra, I mean money-I-really-should-have-used-it-for-bills. 

I should be back to writing blogs and articles and working on my reading website, which will be called "The Reading Witch" because someone already bought thereadingbitch.com. And by someone, I mean that bitch.

Instead I just really want to curl up with the entire Harry Potter series, some chocolate and Rachel Maddow reading election results in the background. Actually, what I really want to do is take Donald Trump's American Express card and buy all the things on the Sandy Volunteer Amazon wishlists:

New Jersey's List

New York's List

And then I would like to donate a lot more than $10 to the Red Cross. Also,  I would like to invite all the people still living in shelters and in schools and wherever to stay in the apartments in NYC that people use as second and third and fourth homes.

This does not make me a socialist. But it might make me a communist. Though I don't expect anyone to give up their New York home permanently, I'd just like them to share while people are in need. Maybe some of them are, I don't know. The only people I know who had second homes had them at the Jersey shore.

So yeah. I'm still out of sorts.

Rizzo Was Totally Right About Sandy

So. Fucking hurricanes. 

I'd like to thank all of the people who were sympathetic to me while I bitched about not having power for 5 days. We're totally buying a generator, I swear. But we had a gas stove top and hot water, so it could have been worse. And sure, we couldn't leave our town for 2 days because all the roads were blocked, but at least we still had a town. 

I guess I'm trying to apologize for being so completely wrapped up in my own plight while so many have it so much worse. I feel like an asshole. 

The first beach we took Ironflower and Lovebug to is gone. 

Businesses are gone

Homes are gone. 

Entire towns are gone. 

People are gone. 

We heard things, on our hand crank radio. And I read things on Twitter and Facebook. But I didn't see any pictures. I still haven't seen any video. I mean, there's the memory of the wind that sounded like a train and what the trees behind my house looked like in that wind, but that's it. When I used my precious phone charge, I was mostly looking for information about how to get out of my town or whether there was gas anywhere. 

This road is still blocked. 

I thought I would be all over the news, once I had my power back. But I can't watch it. 

My heart hurts. I feel so very blessed and lucky. I told myself that throughout the storm, that we were lucky to be together and safe. Every time I lamented the fact that my parents didn't have power either, I tried to remember that the trees that crashed into their power lines could have just as easily hit their house. Or their neighbors' house.

The trees in front of my parents' house. 

 I would catch updates from my aunt in Maryland, living without power and with two feet of snow and feel relieved that at least we didn't have any snow. I tried to only vent on social media, to only whine after my kids were asleep. 

My kids, by the way, were amazing. So resilient and positive and able to entertain themselves in the half-dark. They are way tougher than their parents. 

Now I'm just looking for ways to help the people not as blessed as I am. Mashable has a good list for people not in the area.