Silent Night

Hype.
 (hp) Slang n.

Excessive publicity and the ensuing commotion

...at least on the Upper West Side.

Yesterday, I waited in line at the West Side Market for damn near half an hour. I entertained myself by checking out the apocalypse snack picks of those in line with me. Microwaveable vegetables (you know, because you can always thaw them out to eat them if you lose power.), $7 chocolate bars, water bottled in glass, and lots of cheese and crackers. My Nana Nina's fabulous Upper West Side apartment had already been stocked fully earlier in the morning, but I went to put a couple of finishing touches on the Sandy stash. Everyone was stocking their places like they'd be forced to hibernate until Thanksgiving. One woman in line even recommended to me that I fill my bathtub in case something happens to the water, "you know. In case you need to flush your toilet."

I cooked enough eggplant parmesan for a small army, in case we lost power and couldn't cook for a few days. Today, we put towels in the windows and closed all the blinds. We even hit the store again, bringing back an ultra-excessive spare bag of groceries apiece. The weather report has been going in the background all day. It looks awful. Truly! I can't imagine what it's like for those losing their homes and businesses right now. For those waiting in the dark to find out the damage.

Really. I can't imagine.

Because all I can say about my condition right now? I'm watching the TV while using my laptop, drinking a glass of wine, and harboring a tummy ache from eating so much all day. If I turn off the TV, it's dead quiet. I can't even hear the wind. This is the most silent I've ever heard this neighborhood. Despite the lack of weather in Morningside Heights, everyone is inside, scared, glued to their TVs, afraid of the phantom 77 mph winds (that are clearly nonexistent here). If the line at the grocery store indicated anything, Morningside Heights is, I would say, the most well-prepared, least-Sandy-affected area in Manhattan. 

We all stocked up, bought out the local hardware stores' flashlight, battery, and candle supplies, and we got nothin'. I bet if this had been an evacuation area, you wouldn't find a soul staying back -with the way we all prepared here? No way. We all can't believe these poor schmucks who refused to heed flood warnings and evacuate. Up here? We expected the worst! All we got was a government-mandated movie-night.
 

Don't stone me for saying so, but I feel a little left out! This was supposed to be my night to accrue a great story! My own primary-source history account!

I'm going to go out for a walk to assess damage. A good 100 block walk. Because, you know... subways are down. 

Oh, Sandy! How could you?

If this Sandy is anything like they say she is (a real control freak! And damn burly!) I could have moved to New York just in time to experience a history-book-making storm. They say this is the biggest storm in this area that anyone has ever seen in their lifetime.

It's like I just moved to New Orleans just prior to Katrina (sidenote- why are hurricanes all chicks? I'm sensing some misogyny.)

So far it looks pretty normal outside here on the Upper West Side, just a little windy, gray, gloomy, moist. Still, every time I leave the apartment, I pick up another bag of groceries, just in case (you can never have enough arugula!).

I can't believe there are people out there not leaving their homes in areas that are already flooding. Way to spit in the face of a major natural disaster!

If you ask me, we've been asking for this. Scientists have been saying for waaay too long now that we've been neglecting our natural environment. It's pissed, and I think it has all right to be! We keep getting all up-in-arms about these major natural disasters, but they're going to just keep worsening and becoming more frequent.
It's going to cause destruction. People will lose their lives. I hate to be such a cynic, but I take this as a positive. I think if we, as humans, won't take the initiative to become more symbiotic than parasitic, our planet (being much more resilient) will find ways to shake us off, make this planet untenable for our kind. The planet will be ok. But we're goners...

So we've gotta change. As I sit here watching the winds pick up, letting the news run incessantly in the background (I really don't need to see any more footage of that crane dangling mid-air. I get it. It's precarious. Fix it and let's move on.) my mind is racing with all sorts of thoughts about this storm's political, social, and especially architectural implications (hey... where there's destruction, rebuilding must be done!). I hope I start to form them well enough to write about them. Share them.

Instead, I'll probably get too lazy and just curl up with some hot coffee and watch the rain. I'll try and say something smart before the power goes out...

Meanwhile, I've never seen so many hoods worn on the TV in one day. Everyone looks so cozy!

The Rambling Years

The Coroner's report is in...
"The Copenhagen Chronicles" is dead. For good. Died from lack of relevance.

Let's face it, I'm no longer in Copenhagen, I rarely post anymore, because I feel it has to be about Copenhagen. It was time for that blog theme to die.

But reincarnation is real, and all content and web address and cover photo even (for now, due to laziness) are being reborn as....

dun dun dunnnn
THE RAMBLING YEARS!

It makes sense. I ramble. I move. It's still a travel blog about whatever I damn well feel like writing about. I'm not sure anyone reads this anymore anyway? Three cheers and two hip-hips for self indulgence!

I'm bad at keeping a following, due to lack of commitment to posting. But, won't you follow me?

It's a new time. A new day. I move to New York on Friday to start a new chapter. I wasn't about to start a blog called "Natalie in New York". "The Rambling Years" wins.

Let the Rambling begin.