sleevicidal_maniac
Weeks 12 & 13 with Sandy memoirs
Nov 19, 2012
Wednesday marks week 13 for me. It also marks three weeks since Superstorm Sandy destroyed my home town and so many areas that we grew up in and around. I was born and raised in NJ. I spent 1990-1999 in FL before returning to the Garden State to raise my own family. I never really knew just how fond I was of my home state until three weeks ago when Sandy turned our lives upside down.
My family was very blessed. My parents and sister lost power for a few days. My wife's side fared even better. I had a few small branches down and my hammock flipped over - otherwise you'd be hard pressed to know it had even rained on Monroe Ave where I live. But... that was just in my little tiny world. At 730 am on October 30th, my phone started ringing and now, nearly 3 weeks later, and it's just finally calming down.
I can hardly describe it. Driving my big truck into the water and looking out the window at the boats operating next to me. Wearing chest waders and towing my kayak behind me, pulling people and pets from their homes. Carrying my Goddaughter and her brother out through 40" of water around their whole house. Wiring a generator to a fuse panel so my best man could have heat and hot water for his family. Working one block west of Army Blackhawk helicopters extracting people from roofs. This is not the third world - it's New Jersey for God's sake. I spent last week in Seaside Park, on the barrier island. Every house on every street east of the Barnegat Bay and south of the Tunney Mathis bridge is uninhabitable. Every belonging and every item that was inside the house, to include construction materials like walls, floors, carpets and insulation are now outside of the houses - every house. Where are they going to put the garbage?
I am just beside myself. The devastation is a bit overwhelming. There are subdivisions that have been here for 40, 50 even 60 years, that no longer exist. They're gone entirely, absolutely nothing left. It's mind blowing. There are entire towns where eight or nine of every ten houses are off of their foundations. I have some video and pictures but I'm not ready to look at them, Maybe by next post.
I weighed 235 today which means I'm down 65 pounds in under 13 weeks, which is a 5lbs/wk average. I like that. At that pace, I have 9 weeks to goal. Probably unrealistic to think I can get there in nine weeks, but why the heck not?
I drilled four more holes in my belt and keep bringing clothes to the goodwill boxes. I bought some jeans but had to bring them back before I got to wear them. I am exhausted. I also haven't been able to eat very much. Pretty much everything makes me feel lousy. Maybe it's all related? I've been at it for 16 or 18 hours a day for three weeks... I don't know. I'm falling asleep on my keyboard and it's only 10:15... It must all be related... I'm going to bed. I will edit this later for a few items I need to remember. God bless us all, and Happy Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for this year.
