Election Day

Tomorrow is Election Day!

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Once the waters that invaded our city as a result of Hurricane Sandy subsided and we were able to evacuate our apartment safely, one of the remaining concerns Shep and I had was where and how we would vote.  Our apartment was slated to be a polling site for this year's election, but as of Thursday was still without power.  During a press conference we attended at our local City Hall that afternoon, residents without electricity asked our Mayor how our city was going to be able to vote.  Unfortunately at that time, the Mayor had no answers.  I briefly wondered what would happen if the power wasn't restored and they couldn't develop an alternate plan in time.  After all, due to the destruction Sandy caused, our local, state and federal governments were preoccupied with keeping residents alive, healthy, warm and fed.  Thankfully, by Saturday, arrangements had been made and we were confident we'd have the chance to vote -- we received messages from our state senator's office informing us that arrangements were made for paper ballots to be cast early at County Clerk’s office during the weekend and that displaced residents would have the opportunity to vote electronically.  Luckily for us, power has been restored to our apartment building and we will vote as we normally would, tomorrow morning on our way to work.

Voting is a right, but it's also a privilege.  This year, I was reminded how lucky I am to have the right to vote and I am so relieved and excited to exercise that right tomorrow!  I urge all registered voters to please, please, please get out there tomorrow and exercise your right to vote.  I know voting is going to be difficult for some people.  Some of our neighbors and friends are still suffering and devastated from the storm.  But if at all possible, please take the time to cast your vote at the polls.

On this Google site, you can type in your home address to find your polling place, ballot information, links to candidates' social media sites, and voting rules and requirements:

https://www.google.com/elections/ed/us/vote

You can also check your state voting information website.  Click here for the New York state site and click here for the New Jersey site.

And if you live in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota or Washington, please vote for equality!

Frankenstorm: Tracking Sandy

By now, many of you East Coasters are already feeling Sandy's effects.  Flooding, power outages and hurricane-force winds have been hitting the tri-state area for hours now.  I'll admit it, when talk of the hurricane first started, I was skeptical that we'd get hit hard.  Yes, our Caribbean vacation had been cancelled due to Sandy, but I was convinced that the storm would simmer down before it hit the coat.  Nevertheless, while we were grocery shopping on Saturday, we picked up a case of bottled water and some non-perishables.  Knowing our luck, I figured if we had the supplies then we wouldn't end up needing them.  ;)  Even until yesterday when they actually shut down NYC mass transportation, I wasn't too worried. But since this morning when meteorologists began reporting the storm as worse than predicted, I started to get a little nervous.  I've been keeping a watchful eye on Sandy since I woke up and I can tell you right now, I'm not a fan.

According to this side-by-side comparison, Sandy is going to be much worse than Irene:

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If you're without a television but have internet connectivity, you can view live coverage from The Weather Channel on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXMU2qwCVag

The Google Crisis Response Team has set up a site to track the storm.  Details about forecasts, public alerts, traffic conditions, evacuation routes, emergency shelters and more can be found right on one page:

(Source: http://google.org/crisismap/2012-sandy)

I hope everyone stays safe!!!  Keep tracking the storm, follow instructions from emergency personnel and stay inside!  Good luck to all...

Frankenstorm: Preparing for Sandy

"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success."  ~Alexander Graham Bell

In preparation for Sandy's arrival we:

• Brought in all items from our balconies.  Since we live on the top floor of a high rise apartment building, the wind is especially strong which means that any items left outside could turn into dangerous projectiles.
• Closed and locked all external doors, and inserted towels into the tracks to pick up any water that may seep in.  We've had issues once or twice with heavy rain filling the tracks of our sliding glass doors, so we plan to keep an eye on them during the storm.
• Filled our car's gas tank.  It's unlikely they we would/could evacuate by car since the roads surrounding our apartment complex often flood to form what I like to call a moat around our building, but a full gas tank doesn't hurt, just in case.  We also parked our car on the 6th floor of our parking garage in case of flooding.
• Purchased an additional flashlight {which brings our total to 6 of various sizes}.
• Checked our candle + match supply = plentiful.
• Bought a case of bottled water.  {On sale for $3.33, woohoo!}
• Gathered and bought extra non-perishable foods.  {I'll take any excuse to eat Nutella!}
• Are keeping our cell phones on their chargers in case the power goes out.

I hope all you readers out there in blogland have your storm supplies ready, too!  Good luck and stay safe!!

Caribbean Escape (Almost)

Yesterday morning we awoke at 5am, sleepily got ourselves together, and headed to JFK airport.  We arrived in record time - no traffic at all and we were checked in, through security and at our gate more than 2 hours before our flight was scheduled to depart.  As we sat and waited, in came a flight from Fort Lauderdale, out went another flight to Fort Lauderdale, and as 8:40am approached (our scheduled boarding time), we were oh-so-excited for our long-awaited Caribbean escape to Turks & Caicos.

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We've had this trip booked for about 5 months, but I've been dreaming of visiting the islands of Turks & Caicos for about 3 years now!  For the past couple winters, each time the winter chill really sets in, my frantic flight searching begins... which is usually followed by cursing and pouting as I realize I've (yet again) waited too long and the flights are way too expensive.  Well, not this year!  This year, thanks to a bunch of expiring frequent flyer points, Shep and I booked our Turks & Caicos flights back in May!  At the time, I thought it was crazy.  We are not the type of couple to plan so far in advance!  (We didn't even book our honeymoon flights until 2 months before our wedding!)  But our points were expiring, so we went ahead and randomly picked some dates and as the summer came to a close, I was so glad we did.

Until...

Despite our advanced planning, thanks to Hurricane Sandy the only Caribbean escape in our lives right now is the soap from Bath & Body Works.  :(  Which, by the way, if you haven't tried it, smells wonderful!

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The good news is that we were able to reschedule our trip.  And, of course we're happy to be safe rather than sorry.  Luck is just not on my side when it comes to vacations!!!  A few years ago we went to Aruba, and although Aruba is practically never affected by hurricanes, one hit when we were there.  The whole hotel panicked and closed up the restaurants and pool for a day.  Then, in January 2010 an awful NY winter derailed our flight plans to Barbados, not once, but twice.  We eventually made it.... in March.  ;)

We've waited this long to visit Turks & Caicos.... we're willing to wait another few weeks, and I'm sure the wait will be well worth it!  We just hope that Hurricane Sandy calms down soon!

In the grand scheme of things, our rescheduled trip is only a minor inconvenience.  Luckily, our travel dates are flexible.  There were several people on our flight headed to weddings, including a best man of a wedding!  I feel so terrible for anyone whose wedding had to be cancelled, rescheduled, or held without loved ones in attendance due to the hurricane.  That would really stink.  :(

Did anyone else out there in blog-land suffer from rescheduled or cancelled vacation plans due to the hurricane?