Where have we been?

Let me explain. Living on one income has meant only living with the necessities. The necessities include a roof, a floor, and a few unexciting yet mostly organic groceries in between. And by groceries, I mean cereal and the occasional box of Trader Joe’s Jo Jo’s. Alex is still trying to debate that video games, denim, and 5 pints of ice cream are necessities, but 5 pints of ice cream won’t fit in our freezer, which (in addition to our bulging waistlines..) clearly classifies them as unnecessary. We’re still working on the video games and denim.

Internet has fallen right to the middle of the list between want and need. It had risen to the top of the need category until our air mattress popped at 2 am, at which point our sanity and our sleep deprivation needed a real bed. Shortly after that, it made its way atop the list yet again, until our radiator stopped spewing steam and our pipes stopped clanking every hour on the hour- leaving our frigid apartment around 45 degrees and a space heater trumping the internet.

The answer to this was Starbucks. Geographically speaking, we are within walking distance of about 800, give or take. So it seemed easy and convenient enough, walking a few blocks to indulge in free internet to enlighten social media on my whereabouts and share filtered pictures of the food I’ve been eating. But I was wrong. There is nothing easy or convenient about standing one legged amidst a jungle of computer cords, balancing my laptop on one knee amongst starving artists and up and coming actors who have sprawled themselves onto every usable surface within sight, who are streaming Netflix carelessly- leaving the internet slow and useless for the rest of us. Meanwhile, trying to pretend that I’m undecided about what to order as the glances from behind the counter change from subtle to irritated. Finally, once I master my balancing act and the internet finally connects, one of the starving artists who fell asleep in the corner awakens and starts to pack up their things in the slowest, sloth-like manner I’ve ever seen. So I half run, half dive into their seat before they’ve even fully left, just to ensure that it will be mine for the taking. And then, once they leave, I sprawl and stretch and bask in the glory of free internet- until my screen goes black. And I realize that I left my charging cord at home.

It’s at this point that I reconsidered buying a space heater instead of the internet.

Needless to say, it’s been a challenge to share our latest happenings- namely the past few Holidays, our new bed, and Alex’s recent jump into employment. However, soon enough- things will be changing. With employment comes great responsibility, and we realize that we are responsible for sharing the thrills and shrills of our life (mainly for our mothers sakes), which include but are not limited to our new Britta water filter, as well as full posts describing any and all celebrity sightings. Soon enough, you will all be bombarded with be-lated pictures of where we went, what we did, and who we are wearing. Life’s great, and I can’t wait to finally be able to share it from the comfort of my own couch.

Sandy

Photo credit: unknown

We had just returned from Utah when we heard rumor of a hurricane, or “super storm” if you will, that was making its way up the East Coast. I was panicked. My co-workers weren’t panicked. No one within a 10 mile radius of me was panicked. I was no longer panicked.

The night before the storm, we walked over to Duane Reade and bought 4 cans of baked beans, a glade candle and a 24 pack of water so that we were “prepared for the worst”. I was slightly worried that we might lose power, but we also hadn’t paid our utility bill since we moved in, so either way I was expecting a power outage.

It was comical how naively unprepared we were for the unimaginable devastation about to wreck havoc over the next couple of days.

We sat on our air mattress, trying to decipher if we were hearing ambulance sirens or just the wind. Water slowly rose up our street filled with fire trucks, emergency vehicles, and people (including us) dodging airborne branches and debris, waiting to hear if we were safe or needed to evacuate. We were put on standby, and told to go back into our apartments. So, we plugged in our borrowed radio, and waited.

We spent the next couple of days inside, glued to the radio, using the vivid descriptions of news anchors and our imaginations to try and comprehend the damage that had been done by Sandy. However, we never could have imagined.

We were more blessed than we knew how to handle, we didn’t lose power and our apartment was still standing, water free. When the winds and flooding came to a stop, the dark, quiet and still streets of Manhattan were filled with fallen trees, submerged subways, and a feeling of awe at the power of Mother Nature.

Along the entire East Coast, power, homes and loved ones were lost, but the generosity and service that I saw the following weeks renewed my faith in the power of good people. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity of spending a Sunday serving the people of the Far Rockaway’s, just one of many areas that was hit the hardest, with friends by our side, and new friends made.  

Photos courtesy of Lauren 

As life has slowly tried to get back to a new normal, I will always remain changed as I know so many others will too, at just how blessed we were, are, and continue to be, and how grateful I am for the examples of service, kindness, and love, especially from those who lost everything. Sometimes, when so much is lost, it allows you to see what you really have. Which, in my case, is more than I could ever ask for.