beccastareyes

So, most folks might know I live in Ithaca, New York. And it looks like we're getting a visitor named Sandy in a day or two.

The good news: I'm 3-4 hours drive from the coast. Thus, the hurricane has to travel overland to get to me, weakening as it goes (hopefully). I also live several hundred feet above (and a few miles away from) the lake. There are no streams near me, and I suspect the worst flooding will be turning the grass near me into a swamp.

Also, as an apartment owner, it's someone else's jobs to worry about the gutters and the Dumpsters and stuff like that.

The bad news: Well, you heard the news about how Sandy + cold front = OMG perfect storm. Also, Sandy's route inland and north is supposed to go maybe 20 miles west of my town. We're supposed to get tropical storm force winds, at least in gusts and we're under a wind warning (and a flood warning) Monday and Tuesday. Winds mean downed trees which probably means power loss.

So, I picked up bottled water*, flashlights and batteries, charged my cell phone and made sure my laptop was home and not at my office. Also, I have sandwich fixings and such. If the winds look bad when I get up, I'll work from home. And if I lose power, well... there's always writing I can do on the laptop. (Work is probably not an option, as I need to talk to the computers at Cornell.)

Despite all I have to do ($%&*(@&$ job applications + paper writing), I almost wish I could take two days off to sip hot chocolate (if we don't lose power), watch the storm and read novels. I suppose that's a normal thing.

* Only one gallon, and it's technically distilled water, but it was the last thing the store had unless I wanted to carry a dozen individual bottles home. It's safe to drink, even if it's not intended as a beverage choice.

I'm sitting here in the dining room (well, dining area of the living room). It's snowing hard and the wind is blowing. My sister and brother-in-law are supposed to drive down from Omaha after he gets out of work and stay overnight at his family's place. Mom is trying to convince Jenn to stay home, but Matt is determined to come. Considering what it looks like out of my window, I think anyone who can avoid going outside is crazy.

It's a bit sad, since it's the first Christmas we might not have Jenn around. Even when she was in the college band, the team never got into bowl games that required her to leave -- sometimes she had to leave at noon on Christmas Day, but she was still there to open gifts in the morning.

Ironic, considering one reason I am running around like an idiot this holidays -- a triangle trip from Ithaca to Lincoln to Orlando and back (well, to Syracuse) -- is because I wanted to see everyone this time.

Also noticing my connections. The friends of mine from high school who don't do things like Facebook or LJ are people I have to re-connect with every time I come back. Everyone else I tend to keep up with, but I still like to see them again.

Still cold. Except today I have to do grocery shopping.

( Long bit about New Years Resolutions )