Lost Woobie

I'm lost without Joe right now. He left for Virginia this past Friday morning. He was originally going to leave on Thursay, but that was our 4 year anniversary and I was heartbroken that he might have to leave that day. I'm happy I was able to convince him to stay the extra day.

Our last day was marked by a meeting with the insurance adjuster from Liberty Mutual about my water logged interior in the Eclipse. It's going to get fixed because if we had to pay out of pocket, I would just be dealing with a moldy car. Who knew a car could get so soaked just sitting in a driveway in a hurricane?

After that we had at late lunch at the Gem and Keystone. We both opted to try something new on this visit and the food did not disappoint us! Then it was off to home. I have to admit that I was having a hard time being happy. All I could focus on was that he was leaving the next morning. After moping in the bedroom for a half hour or so, he pulled my into the living room to watch Rocko's Modern Life. Yes, cartoons make it all better.

We headed to bed early because Joe was having lower flank pain. Pretty sure he's got a kidney stone now since the pain hasn't eased. I've got him applying a heating pad, taking ibuprofin every 4 hours and alternating cranberry juice and orange juice with water in between. I know that he is doing ok, plus that's what he tells me, but I still worry. I've had chronic kidney stones since I was 18 and I know how painful they can be, so my heart is aching for him. It's killing me that I can't be there to make him feel better and help him.

9/11 Bud Commercial

On this day each year, I post this commercial somewhere. Only aired once during the Superbowl of the 2001 season, it is, to me, the most beautiful honoring of what happened that day.

We Will Never Forget
2001-2011

Where's My Ark & My Electricity?

I kept a log of what was going on during the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. I finally got around to typing it up on the computer. I originally wrote it with an old fashioned pen and paper. Wow!

Sunday:

Stupid hurricane or tropical storm or whatever Irene was calling herself. We survived the storm only to have the power go out after it was over. Stupid winds. Stupid Poconos. Stupid Met-Ed. It will be at least 1 week until I have power restored! Played a round of scrabble with Joe. I started. 1st word: Insane. Yup, that game started off good. I lost... SOB. 

I'm getting cranky. I'm getting bored. I can't do any homework because the computer is dead.  I knew I shouldn't have been shopping online earlier. I mean, doing my homework and project for school.

Car flooded horribly. My carpets in there look like the would float away if the doors were left open long enough. I guess I'll call the insurance company tomorrow to see if I should bother filing a claim.

I talked to my folks. Looks like they'll be without power for over a week. Sean's is heading out to get a generator at Tractor Supply Co. when they come in today. Mom mentioned the possibility that a tornado touched down on New Prospect. Freaky.

Going a bit stir crazy... still. I took the dogs on a bunch of walk to expand their little world. I can't take them to the creek or they'll float away. Don't want that now... 

As the sun sets, I'm reminded of living in my first apartment. I wouldn't turn the lights on until the last possible minute to conserve electricity. It's the same to night, minus being able to turn on the electricity. I know Met-Ed is going to jack it to the customers to pay for this. We get a 44% increase in rates every quarter. I do believe now it will be 88% every other month to pay for this clean up. I think I'm going to call out of school tomorrow. If the roads are a mess, I'm not killing myself to get there.

I have to say though, without all the ambient light from the surrounding communities, you really can see all the stars. It looks beautiful when I look up. I felt like I was camping. Of course, peeing in the woods gave me the same feeling.  I wonder where I'm going to shower.

Monday:

Joe left for Virginia this morning with his mother. He's heading down there for an interview. I had to bring him to the community parking lot since all the roads are closed and his mother would get lost trying to get to us. I sent him on the road with chocolate chip muffins and cornbread that I baked during the storm.... when I had power! He called later to tell me that they were detoured through Pocono Ranchlands into Pine Ridge to get to Bushkill Falls Road, which was closed, so they had to go up East Sugar Mountain Road just to get back down to Route 209 in Marshalls Creek. At least his mother got a tour of the upper Poconos.

 

My school had classes, despite the town it's in being flooded badly. I opted not to go since I thought it would be too dangerous. I was right.

Turns out the in-laws had no power either. They're in NJ, they'll get it back before we do, right? Nope. I tried to run my thawing freezer contents over there only to have Joe and his mother call as soon as I got to Montague to tell me there was no power there either. Crap.

Tuesday:
I hit the gym this morning so that I could shower. My 3 hour morning class was only 1 hour. I can't complain about that one. Or that my afternoon class was canclled since the professor lives in an area that will be declared a disater area. Now I just wait for a midnight text about clinicals in the morning. *praying*

Since getting home I spent the afternoon pouring over old magazines. I got a nice pile of them to recycle. I tore out the few little things I liked. Once I figure out how to scan them into the computer, I will have no clutter left. I like the sound of that!

The electric company is right up the road. I'm hoping to have my power back tonight. To fend off the bordem, I've been taking the dogs on 4 or 5 walks a day. That has been making us happy though. I'm exploring the neighborhood that I'm leaving in 6 months. ha ha

I was getting texts from Joe all day. Richmond sounds great.  I'm going to let him fill everyone in on his new job there. Looks like we've got a new place to set up a life.

Wednesday:
Never got that midnight text message from the profressor. I got up at the butt crack of dawn and drove to meet my carpool buddies. We got to clinical this morning to find out it was cancelled. Headed home to be bored. If I had known there wasn't going to be a clinical today, I would have gone to the gym. I've really slacked off this week and last week.

10pm, I'm laying in bed only to hear the voice of George clooney coming from my living room. Scary dream or is my power back?? POWER IS BACK!!! So excited. Now to go back to bed. Hey will you look at that, a text messege at midnight canclling clinical. Whoo! Dreams are coming true tonight!

Thursday:
Joe's home. I missed him so much. He'd going to fill me in about Richmond, but now I know this change is for real. To bribe me, he brought hom vegan cupcakes that were to die for! Once I have an IV bag full of those delectible cupcakes, I'm all for the idea of moving!