Stacy Horn

Some pictures out there, post-hurricane. This is my favorite—the best use of a traffic-free street.

These downed trees are on Bleecker Street, in the park next to the playground. I hope they can recover that tree in the back left.

This is on Hudson, just around the corner from the shot above.

That was the only damage I saw. This is along the Hudson, heading downtown. That’s One World Trade going up in the distance. I loved it out there. Especially along the river because it was genuinely windy, and strong with that sea smell that brings back only the best memories of childhood. Maybe it was all the ions or electrons or whatever it is that’s moving all about, but something in the atmosphere made you feel so alive. It was crowded out there so clearly I wasn’t the only who thought so.

Well, North Carolina got it a lot worse than we did. I was looking forward to a good storm, but once I realized how vulnerable I am in this old, rickety apartment, I’m glad I didn’t see the Wicked Witch zooming by on her bicycle.

The news is saying the worst isn’t over, the eye hit Manhattan just a few minutes ago, but it’s not even raining hard. I don’t know what to believe. I was walking on the roof looking for a good shot (there wasn’t one) and the wind was nothing. The lightning last night was the scariest part, because there was still the potential of it developing into something. Tornado watch!

It looks like there was some flooding and power outage on Long Island, waiting for the Suffolk Horns to check in.

I am so glad that just before I went to sleep I thought to put plastic out on my desk. That turned out to be a good idea.

8:30pm: There’s a tornado watch for NYC!

8:20pm: I’m getting a little nervous about the possibility of blown out windows, they’re all half-falling out of the wooden panes as it is. I’ve got plastic and a staple gun ready to go. Just don’t decapitate me. Or the cats.

I was also worried about the roof, that has been leaking for 30 years, but the landlord has made recent patches. I’ve had four landlord in this building, and they never actually repair the roof. They just keep patching.

6:45pm: ZZZZZZZZZ. Wait, what? 900,000 people are without power??

3:45pm: Back from sight-seeing. The internet host for my company Echo emailed me to say they’d been ordered to evacuate and they’re in Zone B so I wanted to see what it was like out there. I’m in Zone C. Right now it’s very quiet, it’s just lightly raining, and a few bars and restaurants are open, so naturally people are disaster-drinking.

1:00pm: Finished my super healthy lunch of brown rice and brussels sprouts and strawberries for dessert. Need to be strong and healthy in case of hurricane apocalypse and I need to help rebuild civilization (and fight off zombies).

11:40am: Just a little rain here. I worry about my pigeon. The picture below is of pigeons huddled against the rain on the building across the street.

Although this is putting me in danger of writing something that will become famous last words, Irene has already been downgraded to category 1?? Do hurricanes ever whip back up? Or is this it? Maybe I’ll go to the movies.

Hey, has anyone read this article about Joe Hill? Bottom line, I can’t buy that neither Joe Hill, his girlfriend, or the doctor who treated him, wouldn’t come forward to explain his gun shot wound. Protecting his girlfriend’s privacy doesn’t seem like a compelling reason. She wasn’t a married woman. Becoming a martyr for the cause? I just don’t see that either. I don’t see his girlfriend keeping quiet for that. It just doesn’t make sense.

An approaching storm, except not Irene, I took this yesterday, on my way to empty store after empty store.

Okay, I don’t want anything bad to happen, and I hope no one is hurt, but I must admit I’m a little excited about the storm. For the first time in New York City history there’s a mandatory evacuation order for parts of the city!!

Hey, Suffolk Horns! How are you doing??

I am mad that after so many years of post-9/11 preparedness I finally stopped being so vigilant and now I feel unprepared. I stopped into my local hardware store this morning, the place was demolished, the shelves empty. I went to Home Depot and asked where I would find the hurricane supplies and they said they were cleaned out too. I really wanted a battery operated Coleman lamp to read by. Oh well. I’ve got all the crucial items.

You can still get beer!