On a personal note…

Now that we’ve all gotten past Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene, I just wanted to bring everyone up to speed on the details that it would be difficult to share individually with people.

First and foremost, thank you to everyone who’s extended birthday wishes. Each time I had a chance to turn around and briefly check Facebook today — I’ll get to why I could shortly — it was heartwarming to see that (insert names) and 70+ other friends have posted on your wall. Thanks for taking a bit out of your schedules.

We survived Irene pretty well, save for the 2 feet or so of flooded basement that in turn tripped circuits and shut down hot water and the like, but we never once lost power (good work, Orange & Rockland/ConEd) and the Mombasha Fire Company was nice enough to give us a hand with the water drain out. When you consider that these folks also left their own floods to volunteer helping others, it puts your community in a whole new perspective. So major props to the Harriman Fire District — thanks, guys! Glad you’re there for us.

My town fared pretty well from the storm. From the reports I could see, a village north of us had its main business district flooded through and virtually wiped out. There also wasn’t much going southbound from our part of the world today. Anyone who lives near Tuxedo, New York recognizes that the bridge separating the East Village from Tuxedo Park isn’t high enough to allow flood waters to pass. The condition is made worse when debris blocks the underpass of the bridge, and the ripple makes its way for about 2 miles north, making NY Route 17 impassible from flooding. It’s like nature’s bathtub.

Making things a little worse, we thankfully have wetlands that absorb most of the rain. If we didn’t, there wouldn’t be a New York State Thruway south of Harriman that would be even mildly passable for a week. As it stands, I understand that wasn’t open this morning, nor was the alternate: US Route 6 over the mountain and through Harriman State Park toward West Point was closed due to multiple toppled trees and debris. The Palisades Parkway was no prize either. So as for me, I spent the day working from home while our clean-up was underway, rather than fighting the constant detours around the mess.

As I hear the stories of my colleagues who’ve had roof leaks, basement floods, and power outages projected to last for days, the mere fact that I’m working comfortably and have most luxuries and little in the way of damage (other than some mildewed boxes that should have been trashed long ago) is cause to consider myself pretty darned lucky.

Oh, and please don’t ask about my disposal of the flood waters, they didn’t make it to the rain garden because frankly the ground is already super-saturated. Ordinarily, I’d have looked toward best use of the thousands of gallons of water flushed out of our basement. Today? The most expedient way possible, thanks.

My dad

I wish I had better news — or specifically, much news at all — to relate about Dad at this point. It’ll come as no surprise to anyone who knows him that he’s been evasive and somewhat cryptic about what’s been ailing him, though I’ll get to see firsthand in slightly less than two weeks. For those who haven’t been aware, he is suffering from COPD due to nearly 50 years of a 2-pack-a-day habit (2-pack is not a Rap Star in this case). He’s on Oxygen, but he’s not as ambulatory or has anywhere near the stamina he once had, which was never actually that much. I won’t share much more private detail, but as I know people have been aware and asking, I felt compelled to somehow get the word out to the family and others who’ve been asking. Thanks for keeping him in your thoughts, if not your prayers.

So thanks for all the well-wishes, thoughts and the like. Cheers!
- Andy