The School Conundrum

Where's Falkor when you need him?

Mayor Bloomberg just announced that New York Public Schools are going to be closed for students tomorrow and Friday; however, for teachers, we are expected to return to work on Friday to prepare for the opening of school on Monday.

...would someone like to tell me how I'm supposed to get to school? Here are the obstacles:

1. There are no subways running under the east river, so I have no access to Manhattan via trains.
2. Do you really think getting on a train that goes UNDER a river and THROUGH flooded stations is a smart decision? You're just asking to get trapped. No thank you.
3. I have no access to bus service into Manhattan, and if I did, how long do you think it would take me to get from Crown Heights to Riverdale in the Bronx? I better leave today to get there by Friday morning.
4. How would I get home, even if I made it to school?
5. Seriously, what are we supposed to do at work with half a staff (if we're lucky) and no students?
6. If I get hurt, I'm suing the city.

Possible modes of transportation: Falkor (duh), rowboat, catapult, Pegasus, piggyback ride, steal a bicycle and leave in one hour, get Will Smith or Denzel Washington to lead me through destroyed areas, join a zombie squad to guide me through danger, or teleportation (preferred method...although Falkor would be sweet).

I hope that Walcott is smart and won't dock us pay if we physically can't get to school. There are lots of dumb school officials, so I won't hold my breath. Unless I have to swim to school. Then that'd be necessary. No one wants to drown.

Bizarre Halloween

Who would have thought on a day like today people are still operating without power?

People in Seaside Heights is demolished, along with four other boardwalks that look exactly like this. Rides are scattered, wood is piled everywhere, and houses are flooded.

Long Beach Island in New Jersey won't be open for another 9 days. It is uninhabitable.

Breezy Point in Far Rockaway here in Queens had a widespread fire and the entire neighborhood was totally and completely burned. 100 homes gone. The community already suffered greatly during 9/11 when it lost 29 fire fighters, more than most fire houses. Who knows if the memorial for those men still exists. Read more about Breezy Point.

Halloween parades are canceled, and no one is sure whether or not the city can "cancel" Halloween. Sounds like a nightmare for all of the mothers that slaved for hours creating a cute costume for their kids. What about all of the high school students ready to traipse the hallways in their cool costumes, and the college students that are looking forward to the bar parties? I bet the bar parties still go on.

Now we will have no trash service until...we don't know. We stil don't have to move our cars. Bridges are reopened, as well as the Lincoln Tunnel, but the rest of the tunnels are still closed. There is limited bus service here, and Bloomberg says the subways won't be up and running until the weekend, if not longer. 

How the H are we supposed to get to school? It doesn't seem like such a blessing anymore. People are suffering. I don't think I can celebrate while 4 million people are still without power. So here we sit. In our apartment. Waiting to be able to go outside.

Returning to life

It sounds like our neighbor upstairs is vacuuming over bodies. The neighbors are yelling about who cheated on whom. "You TOLD ME you were HOME LAST NIGHT. (Expletive, expletive) mother (expletive), so on and so forth. Keisha Cole is being bumped on the corner. All appears to be back to normal.

New episodes of New Girl and The Mindy Project are on (thank GOD) and the cable channels have stopped live coverage of the aftermath of the storm. Who doesn't love a good shot of Shmidt dancing around in a red speedo? I think I'm going to continue posting on here until school starts back up again. Just want to make sure my family and friends know that things are calming down here and returning back to normal.

I'm returning to my life and realizing I have a lot of decisions to make soon. I'm deciding if I want to teach abroad or stay in the city. The American School of Madrid is looking for an English teacher. So, so tempting. I'm also thinking of going to grad school (AGAIN, dammit) to be an administrator. Maybe I'd like it more than teaching, who knows. I'm also seriously considering moving back upstate to Mechanicville.

But now, as this state of emergency that has taken over the east coast, I have to admit something. As corny as this sounds, when my home and city goes through something so devastating, I feel like I can't leave. I don't want to leave. I'm proud to be here, I'm proud of the citizens here. I hate the city sometimes, but I am filled with a profound love and pride being a part of this amazing city.

Pictures of NY tunnel

70 million gallons of water

Witch reporting for Halloween?

No, she's for real. NYC MTA representative needs help with her image...

Upper West Side

Thanks Kim Cooney for a look at your street at 109th

More Storm Information

• Most of the bridgers here in the city are opened, but the Holland Tunnel and Brooklyn Battery Tunnel are still closed. Lincoln Tunnel has parts open. 
• The subway stations are crippled, no clue when everything will be running. Bloomberg estimates the subways will be out for another 4-5 days. Buses should be up and running tomorrow.
• LIRR, Metronorth, and Amtrak are suspended. Lots of damage to all three. No idea when they'll be back running.
• NJ Path? Forget about it.
• 90% of Long Island is without power. Could take a week to turn power back on, including areas in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn & Staten Island.
• Cities in New Jersey, like Little Ferry, that never experience flooding are now in water evacuating citizens. A levee broke at the river in Little Ferry. People moved into attics and sat on their roofs waiting for help today.
• People in New Jersey and Long Island have extremely limited cell service. Includes upstate New York as well.
• Boardwalk in Atlantic City is significantly damaged.

Good to know alternate side of the street parking is suspended. Thanks police department, but be warned, the SECOND it is lifted, tickets galore will be thrown on cars. Mo fos...