Irene's coming!

Unless you have been locked up in a dungeon somewhere being asked to “put the lotion on its skin”, you know that there is a major hurricane coming toward the northeastern part of the United States.
I know that a lot of people are really freaking out about the impending storm, but there are far more people not paying attention to the warnings. So, from my knowledge of hurricanes (living in North Carolina), here is the advice I can give about preparing for a hurricane.


What can happen:

Rain: This storm will bring a considerable amount of rain. While rain falling from the sky in itself is not hazardous, the accumulation of rain over a small period of time can be very dangerous, leading to excessive runoff and flooding. When it comes to a place like New York City, underground tunnels have the capability of serious flooding, basically halting all traffic in and out of the nation’s largest city.

Wind: The wind will be excessive. Strong, over 100mph winds are nothing to joke over. Trees will topple over, crushing power lines and cars. Some houses may suffer from considerable damages due to falling trees and limbs. The wind will be so strong that cars will be pushed from one side of the street to the other. Rain will come in sideways, ocean and river waves will swell 3 or 4 times their usual height. Which brings me to:

Storm Surge: With New York’s five boroughs being surrounded mostly by water, this could very well be the most dangerous. When the bodies of water are disturbed by the hurricane, waves pick up and slam into the shore. That, combined with natural tides, a storm of this size could bring swells of water in the 20 feet range. This could be detrimental to low-lying places such as Downtown Manhattan, Coney Island, and the Far Rockaways in Queens. New York City has never (EVER) issued a mandatory evacuation for flood zone areas. Take heed and evacuate if you are told.

Power: Power outages across the five boroughs will cause a great inconvenience to most people. It may take a large amount of time to restore power to the masses if downed trees and flooded areas cause problems.

Water, Gas: I don’t foresee the water or gas lines to be messed with within the city, but if for any reason, New York City’s water becomes tainted by sewage, having bottled water on hand will be you only option. If the water does go out, you will not be able to flush your toilets. It may be a good idea to fill up your bathtub full of water so you can manually flush the toilet in the event of a water outage.

With power outages and extensive damage to the transit systems, you may have to stay where you are for several days. This means having non-perishable food items on hand to eat for a few days. Please remember that if you have an electric can opener, it will not work if the power goes out (That seems obvious, but you’d be surprised). Do not open your freezer for any reason. Once the power goes out, you need to keep that cold in there for as long as possible in hopes to save some things that may be in there.

Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t go swimming before a hurricane comes. And don’t rush out to clean things up until emergency personnel have at least taken a look. Don’t touch downed power lines and don’t stand underneath leaning trees.

One thing to note: If the storm comes straight across Manhattan, it will stop for a period of time. This does not mean the storm is over! The eye of the hurricane is an eerie, slightly sunny, calm period where many people think the worst of the storm is over. STAY WHERE YOU ARE! The second half of the storm will be along shortly. Stay up to date about where the storm is and when it is expected to be over with a battery-operated radio.

It should also be noted that there is a chance that nothing happens at all. I’ve seen storms look like they’re going to barrel straight into North Carolina and disappear overnight as if they never existed. The storm could turn at any moment and go straight out to sea. But, you should always be prepared for the worst. Katrina was the worst hurricane we’ve had in a very, very long time and the catastrophe was heightened by the people’s refusal to listen. They thought the storm would turn, they thought it would die down, it would all be okay. And it wasn’t.

Please keep yourselves (and your pets) safe and be sure to check on your neighbors, friends, and relatives. By law, all pets are allowed to accompany you into emergency shelters. Don’t let people tell you otherwise. Make a plan now so that if the time comes to evacuate, you already know what to do. Phone lines will be flooded with people asking questions. Save yourself the trouble and figure out where to go now. Also, did you know that failure to comply with a mandatory evacuation is a misdemeanor? It is actually punishable with jail time up to 90 days!

Be careful, be safe. Keep your pets and loved ones near you. And remember to stay inside and stay calm. We’ll all be alright.

See you on the other side!

-VA

Holy Crap! I think I just won something!

Update: I did, indeed, win the Star Clutch in Blue.  Never would I think to purchase a blue clutch, but I think it just might be the great pop of color with an otherwise neutral outfit!  What do you think?

Irene

New Yorkers' reaction to an impending hurricane

A North Carolinian's reaction:

Seriously, y'all. Calm down. It will all be okay.

Get in my closet!

Let's fast-forward 10 years...

This is my kitchen: 

I love my kitchen.

Where is this and who will take me there???

Oddly, anytime I take a bath, I prefer the shower to be running.. I would stay in this all day until my skin turned to raisins.

The hardest period in life is one’s 20s. It’s a shame because you’re your most gorgeous and you’re physically in peak condition. but it’s actually when you’re most insecure and full of self-doubt. When you don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s frightening.


- Helen Mirren in Esquire

Do you ever feel like this?

Stuff my boyfriend says..

"I'm bad a communication sometimes."

Ya think?

Shoe Forecasting??

During the fall and winter of last year, I spent the majority of the season searching for the perfect boot.  The one I had in my head that would complement my winter outfits perfectly.

It was a tall boot, just below the knee (not one of those over the knee boots, blech!) with a rounded toe, a stacked, less than 3-inch heel, that laced completely up the front.  Certainly that couldn't be hard to find! Well, since they are currently NOT in my closet right now, the search was a complete bust. 

So, it was a complete shock to me when the Ugg Australia Fall Preview catalog popped out of my mailbox one afternoon and displayed my perfect boot!  As if I designed it myself, there it was!

Since then, my tall, lace-up boots have been popping up everywhere. Just this morning, two graced my inbox!


I'm not saying that I'm amazing or anything, but it does strike me as odd.  I search and search for the perfect boot for the 2010 season and it suddenly pops up for 2011.  Does this mean I should go into fashion forecasting? 
 
(Note: I do not have a photo of the Ugg boots. They are not yet listed on the e-commerce site)

I remember spending one summer frantically searching for pants that fitted snug at the top but had really wide legs that appeard skirt-like.  After that season, goucho pants suddenly appeared everywhere!  And, when planning a wedding, I chose navy blue as my main color. A very difficult color to find at the time in the wedding industry, I searched high and low for navy ribbons, navy dresses, navy invitations.  The next season, David's Bridal released a new dress color.. "Marine" a deep blue.   And, hello? My full-lace dress was chosen long before Kate Middleton made lace popular again!

Coincidence? Or am I due for a career change??? ;)

Goodbye, Wendell

Ah, my dear Wendell ring has been lost.  After a fabulous weekend in the Hampton with great friends, my beloved ring got left behind. It's my own fault, I know that, but it doesn't take away the loss I feel. It sounds silly, to be so emotionally attached to a piece of metal that in the grand scheme of things, is extremely trivial. But, I loved that ring and it meant a lot to me.

The silly thing is that I took it off to swim in the pool on Sunday. I never really take it off (ever!) but I was so concerned about the chemicals affecting the metals that I took it off my hand and laid it on the table. But, it was several hours (and a car ride home) before I realized it was missing. Too late to turn around, too late to go back, too late.

I bought the ring for myself during one of the lowest points in my life. I purchased it as a daily reminder to focus more on the day-to-day rather than what will be in the future. "The journey is the reward" actually etched into the metal was my reminder. 

I'm not one that owns a lot of jewelry.  Nice pieces I have were passed down from loved ones.  I don't usually purchase a lot on my own except for costume pieces.  It was something I found and purchased for no other reason except for me.  It was the perfect piece for daily wear. Dainty, yet unique. Small enough to go unnoticed when paired with bolder pieces, but just enough to be worn alone.  In fact, you can hardly see it in the photo to the left.  The simple gold band picked up touches of gold in any outfit and the silver complemented the watch I always wear.  I am very sad to no longer have it in my jewelry collection. 

Being a firm believer in fate and the universal meaning of events, I am wanting to believe that my complete carelessness means that I am to move on from the 'focus on today' mindset to be strong enough to focus my eyes toward the future.  For the first time since picking up the few things I owned and moved to New York City, I am in a place where I feel stable.  I have an amazing boyfriend, a great group of friends, a job with steady pay and benefits, an apartment of my own, and a kitten that likes to tear it to pieces.  I am my own person, I make my own rules.  And living in the moment was exactly what I needed to do. 

Now, maybe things need to change.  I think I might actually need to adopt a 5-year-plan.  I might have to start putting some money away for the future. Maybe it is time for me to stop focusing on the journey and start thinking about where I am going.  Maybe it is time.