Water...

(empty shelves where water once lived at my grocery store)

Hey All,

So just because there is so much to do to get ready and there is no way to be able to contact you all and give you all updates... I am hoping this blog can serve that purpose for the time being. I am preparing for Hurricane Irene to hit the city I love, my home, New York.

Thankfully, in general, I am a person who is happy to prepare or plan ahead, and have felt relatively ready for it even before the warnings. I have of course been stocking up on extras though... just to be triple safe. And am gearing up for tomorrow to be a day of battening down the hatches (or taping windows up as it were). But I want all of you to know that I am in as good a spot in the city as I can be. My home is well above the flood zones. So much so that I am not even listed in a zone evacuation area on the map. My building is filled with wonderful caring and loving people who I have deep friendships with and know we will all be looking out for each other.

I have to say as I have been preparing for the worst I am hoping and praying for the best. Subways are shutting down at noon tomorrow and will soon be followed by the bridges being shut down. I have been back and forth how I feel about this, being here on the island. Yes, I feel prepared and ready for it, but I do like the idea of land around me.. it is that midwesterner in me I guess. I am ready also if I decide tomorrow morning I should evacuate, but for now the plan is to stay and ride the storm out.

I could not help but chuckle as on the news tonight the said the worst of the storm should be from 2:00 Am sunday to 2:00 pm sunday... lol, only 12 hours.. sigh. I am just assuming we will not have power. But if we do I will try and post updates here for everyone.

To all of my dear friends and family who have been calling and e-mailing me, Thank you so much! Your thoughts are so kind and much appreciated. I wish that I could just call you all up and have a nice long chat after the storm to tell you I am A-Okay. But I will have to play that by ear based on electricity and cell charge-ability.

I will keep you all posted to the best of my ability,

Much Love,

Gaby