I spent a great deal of time this weekend relaxing — reading, walking with Mox, cooking — with no fixed agenda. It was lovely. Now I am back in the grind and realizing that I have less than a week to get my act together for the holidays. I'm not even going to mention the fact that I totally missed Chanukah (luckily my family is fairly lax about on-time gift-giving), but the timing means that this week/weekend is going to be a bit crazed with making toffee and granola, tips, donations, and gifts. Why did I relax so much this weekend!?!

Just walked outside to see the Empire State Building lit up in blue and hear the whoops and cheers of fellow Obama supporters. FOUR MORE YEARS! Halle-fucking-lujah.

Despite many kind offers of hospitality, I stayed in my building during the storm. It wasn't that bad, really, and I was certainly in better shape than many.  In preparation for the storm, I had filled the tub partway, located my flashlights and candles, and charged up all of my electronics (helpful hint: you can charge cell phones from a laptop battery). I had a decent amount of food in the freezer, some produce, eggs, milk and cheese in the fridge, and plenty in my pantry (I have some food hoarding tendencies). When the power went out, I was drinking wine with my neighbors (something I ended up doing quite a bit of during the week).

It became clear very quickly that certain things became crucial to my living situation. My apartment is quite dark, even during the day, so my headlamp was probably my most frequently-used item. My grandmother had gotten me a gift of a battery-powered flashlight with a transistor radio built into the handle. I listened to copious amounts of WNYC this week. They are getting a donation from me this year for sure. I had gotten a crank-powered flashlight from the Urban Justice Center at one of their events. I have a gas stove, so I could cook and heat water. Brugal rum had given me some cardboard speakers, designed to use for picnics. Given my charged iPod, I was able to listen to music and podcasts when I wasn't listening to WNYC.

I cooked every day, partially for sustenance, partially for something to do, and partially to ensure that I wouldn't lose the goods in my freezer and fridge. I'll post the run-down on that later. I also checked in with our building staff to see if anyone in the building needed food when I was cooking. When I wasn't cooking or eating, I was out and about, often with Moxie, trying to get a phone or blackberry signal and searching for power (thank you NYU, for letting us use your outlets).

On Wednesday, our office was open and buses were running, so I decided I'd head to work, and perhaps use my gym for a hot shower. On the way, my dog walker cancelled, so as I sat in gridlock on my way to work, I realized that I would have to get back sooner than expected. I got into the office, charged my devices, did some work, and learned that my gym had no hot water. After a few hours, I went back on the bus and back to the dark zone.  Wednesday evening was Halloween and I was getting a little cabin fever, but didn't want to leave Moxie alone in the dark for long. I left her with a glow stick (as candles were clearly not an option), and headed out for a quick drink at Formerly Crows, which was operating by candlelight. Also on Wednesday, our building brought in a generator to get the (cold) water running again, as it had run out. While it was out, I learned how to effectively flush a toilet with a bucket of water — a good skill to have. They also set up a power strip in the lobby hooked up to a generator so that residents could charge our devices. I think Wednesday was also the day that I got three bags of ice from ConEd; they were distributing it in Union Square. That allowed me to save the contents of my freezer for a bit longer — I had already moved everything I wanted to save from the fridge into the freezer. I also think it was the night I hung out in the lobby a bunch. It had turned into a nice place to congregate while charging devices.

On Thursday I decided I'd be better off seeking WiFi closer to home than the office and I once again tried to seek out a shower. I walked to the 38th Street branch of NYSC with all of my electronics in tow and took an amazing hot shower. Many of the women there were in the same boat — not many had come to actually work out. Afterwards I headed to the NoMad where I met fellow dark zone refugee @daisy17  for a swanky lunch, more power, and some WiFi. More drinking wine with neighbors Thursday night.

Friday I went into the office and did some work, went back home to Mox, then returned to work again. It was a long day, but we finished up with dinner at the John Dory. At that point, according to ConEd's twitter feed, the power was coming back on all around my apartment, but not at my apartment. I slowly made my way back down into the dark zone.

At 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning, I was awakened by the power humming back to life. We got heat and hot water Saturday around noon.

I can't thank my friends and neighbors enough for keeping me company through this, especially Richard & Nanette, Karen, Jesse, Anthony, and Kathryn & Dan. I also realize that my social media addiction kept me sane and feeling connected to the outside world — when I had enough juice and a signal to get online.

Other things I noted: I still have a land line. Stupidly, it's bundled with my cable service so it didn't work. Time to unbundle. If there is a storm in the future, I need to fill the tub all the way, not just partway. If we hadn't gotten water back, I would have had to rely on bottled water. I am so glad I live on the 4th floor. I'm also glad my dog weighs 9 lbs.

It was always fascinating to head uptown — life was practically normal there — but those of us living in SoPo started to get antsy as the sun went down each day. Around 4:30 pm it was pretty much time to head home so you wouldn't be walking around in darkness. Every day became a quest for basics — power, food, ice, water. That said, many are still searching for those things. You can help them through Occupy Sandy.

As you know, NYC was among the places hit by Hurricane Sandy. Living in central Greenwich Village, I fared better than some in the East and West Village, who experienced some major flooding. Moxie and I are safe and sound, albeit without power and now without much water beyond a modest stockpile, but we weathered the storm with friends, neighbors, and a decent amount of wine.

I'm up at my office (got here on a bus working its way through gridlock traffic) powering up and am headed over to the gym for a hot shower before heading back downtown. I may walk. I want to thank everyone who has offered their hospitality — Alison, Josh & Jeramy, Rachel & Nagib, Jen, Marjorie, April — and to the many who have checked in on me. There are many worse off than I and I now have to start thinking about how to help them.

Back from Italy and I've got a great deal on my mind and on my plate this week. Some to share with you:

– Went to the denist this morning and there was a new hygienist. She did some deep scraping/cleaning that made me feel like I've been punched in the face. Time to go back to the electric toothbrush.

– I came home to a sick pup. Miss Mox has a cough/respiratory infection of some sort and a touch of Giardia (due to her street snack habit). She's on meds and is hopefully on the mend, but no daycare or dog run for her for a few days, and she's out of sorts.

– Although I've never met him, I've heard a great deal about Murray Stenson, a bartender in Seattle who is considered by many to be one of the best in the business. He has been diagnosed with a heart aliment that needs treatment and is preventing him from returning to work. You can make a donation to his medical expenses at MurrayAid.org. This makes me worry about all my bartender friends with no health insurance!!

– And if you're feeling super-generous, Badass Animal Rescue, which brought Moxie into my life, is seeking contributions for general unexpected expenses related to their rescues, mostly vet bills. Having just been hit with a big bill myself, I can certainly see the need. You can donate here.

– It's National Pro Bono Week. Go do some pro bono.

– I need an intern.

That is all for now.

It's the second day of Rosh Hashanah, although for the first time in years, I really didn't acknowledge the holiday in any way. No brisket, no round challah, no apples and honey, and no services. I still haven't solidified my Yom Kippur plans either. That said, I have been quite introspective, as I tend to get this time of year, reflecting on the past year and changes I'd like to make going forward. No matter how you and your family celebrate, or even if you don't, I wish you all the best for a happy, healthy, and sweet new year.

I'm not ready for summer to be over. I didn't get enough time to wiggle my toes in the sand, didn't get to relax by the lake in Casco, and didn't get to enough cookouts. I'm not ready for sweaters, boots, and scarves. My toes still want to feel the air.

But . . .

I am craving fondue, hearty stews, and cozy dinner parties. I want to walk in the woods and crunch leaves and twigs beneath my feet. I want to cuddle in front of a fireplace. I smiled at the brisk air when I stepped out of the door this morning.

#Indecisive.