Storm update

Hi again,
I am writing from the neighbor's computer via mobile network from the disaster zone in NJ.  Luckily we have power, but no internet, no phone (only texting with cell phone words well).  Millions of people have no power at all. The university and schools are closed at least until Saturday - all snowdays are being used up and the winter hasn't even started. Can you imagine the cost of all of this?  Lab freezers full of invaluable tissue samples, reagents for millions of dollars,

Our supermarket has no power, as most people, and food and gas is not available to buy because there is no power.  Imagine all the spoiled food that has to be thrown away, and then the shelves have to be filled in again.

Crazy things are also happening - our neighbor put out his garbage to get it picked up.... which what?  No trucks can get to our house.  You can leave the house but you have to dare to drive under hanging trees and wires, which you don't.  Well, some do. Another neighbor was wasting gasoline using his leaf blower to clean up his yard!

Highland Park has no power, Cook/Douglass Campuses at Rutgers is without power, large swaths of New Brunswick is inaccessible (no travel allowed on streets), student dorms and hotels are being evacuated due to no power, the cell phone network is really slow (those masts need power too!). 

We have been feasting on things from our fridge and freezer, pork loin roast, kielbasa and sauerkraut, tortellini with homemade tomato sauce, grilled cheese sandwiches with pesto, arugula salad... but if this goes on for 4-7 more days, which I am sure it will, since we haven't seen any repair trucks at all yet, we will run out of fresh veggies.  But we have plenty of food, water, and things to keep us occupied.

It is strange not to really know what is going on in the world.  We have found out that there is really no good radio station anymore that just gives local news, at least not one that reaches us.  Without internet it is really hard to find out what is happening...

Anyway, that is the update.  This morning I woke to a strange yellow light at dawn, which then changed to overcast and gray all day.

Take care everybody!

PS.  The aboe was written on Oct 31, but was never published do to slow mobile internet access.  NOthing new to report today - large parts of town without power, trees down, no school, horrible news from Hoboken, Atlantic City and southern Manhattan. There is a real problem with getting news if you don't have internet access (or TV, like some have).  It is like the radio stations have forgotten that people need them in times like this.  And same with the township... But we are fine!