Hurricanes and Spaghettios

I bought a can of Trader Joe's brand spaghettios for the hurricane.  Because it was either that, clam chowder, or green beans.  (Talk about a gutted store!)  And while the hurricane wasn't all it cracked up to be and my power never went out, it's still a quick meal.  I'm unpacking a bunch of boxes from storage today, so I thought I'd give the o's a go.

Let's just say nostalgia got the better of me when I bought this can of tomato-y goo.  Spaghettios must have been much tastier as a seven-year-old.

Mediocre canned food aside, things have been pretty great here in the city.  I was prepared for the worst when we got news of Irene (which, for me, wasn't until 5pm on Thursday at work!), and we got off relatively unscathed.  Areas like Coney Island, the Rockaways, Staten Island, and Battery Park took a hit because they're low-lying coastal areas.  But it could have been so much worse.  Thinking that we'd see window-blowing, basement-flooding conditions, I took before-and-after shots outside my apartment.

Before, just across the street, around noon on Saturday

 Before, the empty lot at the end of the block

 Mid-storm

 Afterward, around noon on Sunday

Apart from a large but short-lived puddle in the corner of the empty lot, plus a few blown-about pieces of trees and bushes, you'd never know New York saw a Category 1.  At least here in Harlem.  Things are quite a bit soggier downtown.

Speaking of my new place in Harlem, here's a shot of the gorgeous City College of New York (better known as CUNY).  I snapped it on my phone last night while walking back from the bank and stretching my cabin-fevered legs.

So there you go! Things are great here on the East Coast.  We're moving into my favorite time of year, I'm living in a beautiful new apartment with two lovely new friends, and work at Trader Joe's is still fantastic.  I'll be back to auditions within a week or so, once I get all settled here.  

Thanks for keeping up with me, and thanks, especially for all the concerned calls, texts, and FB posts during our crazy weekend of weather.  We made it!  Love you all. xoxo