1. Hurricane Sandy - 10/29/12 - "You Bitch"!!! (Love this line from Legally Blonde). That's right....whether you called it the "Storm of the Century"...."Frankenstorm".....or some other cutesy name in quotes, this storm came and kicked NJ's ass (as well as NY, Conn, Delaware, and many other ocean front properties from NC up the east coast). Unfortunately, the NJ shore took the brunt of this monster, and destroyed most of it. The most amazing thing to is that although there is so much destruction in NJ that stretches for hundreds of miles, the news continues to focus on one area....Staten Island/NYC. Yes, these areas were also hard hit...and yes people lost homes and lives.....but what about NJ?? Now that I am a NJ resident I can see the disproportionate news coverage and it kind of sucks. The news should be more focused on telling all stories equally....oh wait, that NEVER happens!! But seriously, people are starting to panic. Long lines at gas stations.....power still out for many...no heat...no food. Even more interesting is that the gov't has provided shelters for people who are displaced, and yet, some of these refuse to go. They instead yell and bitch that nothing is being done for them. Now, I am not saying everyone is doing this, but I have been fortunate to see the news lately and many people who are being interviewed are complaining. What needs to be explained to these people is that rebuilding will NOT occur overnight. It will take months....mostly years before things are fixed. So the news needs to start focusing on this....explaining to people that a magic wand will not be waved, and POOF, their houses and possessions will be restored. Help is here, and more help is coming...so take advantage of it and above all else, be patient. It took New Orleans 4 years to recover following Katrina (and they are still recovering). Hurricane Sandy was bigger, and caused more damage across a huge area that is grossly over-populated....so this is going to take a long time.
Currently, I am still without power...no heat...no internet. My good friend (and fellow ED resident) Jess has graciously allowed me to stay at her place and I have happily accepted :) And although I am very grateful and thankful for Jess's generosity, I am hopeful that my power will be restored soon and I can stop eating out almost every meal...and I can sleep in my own bed :) And now for a few pics....of a giant tree that fell outside of my apt....and my bike's narrow escape!
And of course, my running path was devastated....poor Johnson Park and poor trees :(
2. Tough Mudder 10/20/12 - after much convincing by my fellow residents (Jess and Chris), I decided to pay $200 and run in the Tri-State Tough Mudder. I diligently worked out for this race....long runs...push ups...pulls ups. The day of the race was gorgeous...60 degrees...sunny. This race was really fun, but also a beast. The running through miles and miles of mud was fun, but extremely tiring. Some obstacles were awesome....some were very dangerous (Peg Leg...I'm thinking specifically of you). Our team finished the race in 4 hr and 35 minutes!! And we got our cute orange headbands, and a t-shirt, and a free beer. And then I thought, that's the end. And I was grossly mistaken. Because since that day in October, I have had lingering injuries....my left shoulder...my left foot...my right achilles tendon. And because of all of these wonderful tough mudder gifts....I have not been able to get back to my pre-race work-outs which are kind of disappointing. What does this all mean?? Well, when I do this race again next year with my best friend, I will be sure to prepare my muscles even more for the beating I will force on them.
Before (nice and clean)
After (all muddy :)
Alright, time to get going. Need to study some toxicology!!! Just a friendly reminder to vote on Tuesday...our country depends on it!!! :)
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