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Location: People >> CS For All Ages >> 50s+ Travellers
ALIVE
Posted November 3rd, 2012 - 4:11 pm by  from New York, United States (Permalink)typing on my phone in a bakery with WIFI. We are thankful to be alive and together as a family. kind of writing this in a vacuum because we have no power and have seen a newspaper but no TV.Our basement flooded with 8 or 9 feet of water in it,family room and garage under 4 feet of water. All of our furniture and belongs are on the curb. My neighbor Pam took our tables to burn. We are cold and sleeping under tons of blankets. Some of my sons have friends with power so I am trying to farm the out but they keep coming home at night. We just finished pumping out the rooms with a gas pump. Neighbors helping neighbors. Glad we have our sons. The house smells bad. The other 'levels' of the house are dry,kitchen,dining roomand the upstairs bedrooms. No elec and no gas so no heat and its cold. Gas lines are long but we still have gas and having been working on the house so not driving. Did go to work one day and will go tonight. We have flood insurance so everything will be replaced. I sell furniture so we will get busy when people get settlement checks so I want to keep my job but no one coming in the store. There are no stoplights so driving is kind of scarey. Working til 10pm tonight and a little scared of driving because they have cops and national guardsman at the gas staions because there are fights. My husband is walking about 3 miles today to get tubes for our bikes and I will bike to work and not drive. Not sure when we will get power,heat or power. My boys have been doing a lot of helping for our older neighbors. Proud of my husband and boys. They are ripping out carpets and charging cell phones. I have a sister in Florida and in Atlanta and both have room for our families. No one wants to go but me. I think it may be 'going down with the ship' thing. I canget a train to the airport or drive and if we are still living this way in a week or so I am heading south. Winter is coming and we will have snow. AllState Insurance told me there are one million claims ahead of me. Kind of overwhelming. Took my boys to the local French restaurant where the owners kissed us and gave me a free glass of Red wine. My son Jack reached for the breadbasket and is eyes widened and he said feel this bread Mom,it's WARM. I know people all hav eproblems so I hope I didn't bore anyone. Just wanted to give an update. Don't know what my new normal will be but I think it will be SURVIVING not traveling. Be kind,be generous and help others always if you can. Judy
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Posted November 3rd, 2012 - 5:26 pm by  from Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Permalink)Am glad to read about your family.Time treats as the best doctor. If you or you family members would like to rest a little in a warm location I can host you at my home. Halima
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Posted November 3rd, 2012 - 6:51 pm by  from Langley, United States (Permalink)Good to hear from you, Judy, and that you're safe. Hugs Cherie
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Posted November 3rd, 2012 - 10:51 pm by  from New York, United States (Permalink)This post has been removed by the user.
Posted November 3rd, 2012 - 11:18 pm by  from Welwyn Garden City, England (Permalink)Good to hear from you Judy, Glad that you have your good men around. I too saw the pictures which were shocking. I love NYC. Being cold and damp is horrible. Good that you can have a warm dry escape if you need one. These things will pass... Val
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Posted November 4th, 2012 - 7:19 am by from Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Permalink)Cadence, Matthew posted at:If you could vote in the US presidential election who would you vote for? @”I would love to have you visit and sit on the porch. We could talk politics without harm to each other. I actually do look at both sides of the issue. Love to have you visit”.I answered him: Hi Matthew, Assume that many CS here @"Love to have Cadence's visit"! After reading "В день выборов на США может обрушиться новый ураган". http://news.rambler.ru/16221547/ I believe that 50s+ Travellers must provide a safe shelter,especially in warm parts of the globe,therefore I invite Judy and her family members to stay warm at my home till all things can be installed. BTW ,Omar Khayam's nick name is TENT=Shelter! this is a book published very recently by my friend Dinora,who's moderated the thread at our CS forum about Rubaiyats of Omar Khayam. http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/522832_290587537709652_641959609_n.jpg Halima
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Posted November 4th, 2012 - 9:25 am by  from London, England (Permalink)Judy - so relieved to hear from you. I left lots of phone messages but you had clearly lost power and communications facilities by that time. Having been in your beautiful home, my heart aches for you and the boys. I wish I still had a home in Toronto and I would have you all up. I will try to Skype you again today. xoxoxoxoxoxoCk
Posted November 4th, 2012 - 11:12 am by  from Venice, Italy (Permalink)Dear Judy, I can imagine the situation that you are living now, because my house has been flooded twice, the last one in 2008. We had 40 cm of dirty water in every room of the house. all my furnitures were gone included the kitchen, fridge, stove etc. Luckily we had power in the area after 12 hours, but everything was wet so electricity was not on. For one week we stayed by friends and relatives. We had no insurance because after the first time , no insurance company made contracts in our area. The municipality gave us money for painting walls and changing doors, but we had to by all the furnitures exept fo a couple of things that resisted. I wish you will be able to come nack to "normality" very soon and that this situation will remain only a memory. A big hug Daniela
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Posted November 4th, 2012 - 1:50 pm by  from Curitiba, Brazil (Permalink)Judy: Be kind,be generous and help others always if you can. Be well! (and in case you want to surf, I have a couch down here...) Warm hugs, Emi.
Posted November 6th, 2012 - 7:20 pm by  from Delaware, United States (Permalink)Judy - So sorry it has taken me so long to express my sympathy for your "challenge", after Hurricane Sandy! Best to you and your Family! Ray
Posted November 7th, 2012 - 4:19 am by  from Clarington, Canada (Permalink)Judy So sorry for all that you and your family are going through. I can't imagine it. I look at the news reports and the pictures/videos are unreal. Stay strong, we're all wishing the best for you.
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Posted November 21st, 2012 - 2:56 am by  from Victoria, Canada (Permalink)This post has been removed by the user.
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Posted November 21st, 2012 - 10:07 am by from New York, United States (Permalink)The storm hit on the Oct. 30,so we are on day 21 without heat. That is the hardest part. It has been cold and even snowed. We got a hot water heater installed two days ago so now we have hot showers. We are living in half of our house. I am not a complainer and always look on the bright side but this is really hard. Many days it is warmer outside than in the house. We got power less than a week ago. As a family we still get up every morning and go to work and school. The mornings are the worst part for me because I have spent another cold night not sleeping and heading off cold again to work. The area I live in on Long Island is devastated. My couches,tables,TV's,washer and dryer etc are all out on the curb. Thank God for Glen and the volunteers. I can drive 2 or 3 miles to a park and get hot food. Usually i pick up a 'Papa John' pizza for my sons. I am so tired of eating bad food that I have been just been drinking coffee. I usually have a good cry in the car because I am alone. It is hard on everyone. I am afraid of mold and mildew forming in the part of our home that was under 7 feet of water. I am going through the motions of everyday life but I think I may really have to leave here. I have a bad cough and feel like shit. Because I sell furniture work has been busy. but it is not a good busy. People are walking in like zombies buying mattresses and couches etc.
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Posted November 22nd, 2012 - 1:13 am by from Clarington, Canada (Permalink)@Judy Toronto is just a hop, skip, jump away (you know that, you were here for TIFF)...It's cold here now too...8C through the day, but if you need a break from it all, you're more than welcome to come here....and the furnace is running! :) Nice and warm...can't imagine what you are going through there
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Posted November 5th, 2012 - 6:17 pm by  from Seattle, United States (Permalink)Oh, Judy, your story is hard to read. We all watched the devastation minute-by-minute as it was happening, but now the media will be moving on to other stories. Meanwhile, your challenges are mounting. I am glad that you have options to leave for a while and that you think that might be the best choice. Not just for your own comfort (i.e., survival), but because if you stay, your needs will be in competition with all the others there. I know it is hard to even think of shutting up your place and walking away from your community in this time of crises. And your family has been a great help to those around you. But, you will all be very stressed and possibly unable to help others if you get run down or sick. You might even be able to do more good from afar. There will be plenty of rebuilding to do three months from now -- even in a year from now. This was a horrible wound.
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Posted November 22nd, 2012 - 1:21 pm by  from Battle Ground, United States (Permalink)Hope beyond hope things will be looking up for you there. Wish I could help, as I have an empty house and empty bedrooms here in Midwest Indiana. My children have grown and moved out. Take care!
Posted November 22nd, 2012 - 2:20 pm by from Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Permalink)ANNIEMD, Really we are in our comfort zones ...But how to support CS, people staying so far? Only praying for them...Inviting to stay with us... Are there other ways? Halima
Posted November 22nd, 2012 - 2:40 pm by from New York, United States (Permalink)On this Thanksgiving Day I just want to say thank you for all the kind and generous offers. J |