Daily Archives: January 28, 2009

Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)

Well if Monday was mentally ugly today was even worse weather wise. This morning, on the way to work it was snowing, then it turned to freezing rain and now it’s just rain, coming down quite hard. It was a mess no matter which way you looked at it. If you had an umbrella it didn’t matter you were going to get wet.

Huge puddles, through which cars would splash making a wave onto sidewalks. I wisely avoided those streets were I knew there would be major puddles. Smart like that, I am, sometimes.

Last night was mellow. Watched O, no RM. Instead watched The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Both very funny of course. And then I watched Scrubs which is now on ABC. It definitely has a different feel to it.

Maybe because they characters are a little bit older, and it’s also Zach Braff’s last season as JD. They say the show might continue without Braff, but that all depends on the ratings. Tonight is Lost though and I am looking forward to it.

Work was very quiet today. Tom Chin was out due to the weather, Vivek mentioned that he would be coming in, in the afternoon. He wasn’t there when I left a little early at 4:10. It was just me and Greg Stevens.

It seems that I’ve become Greg’s computer guy. At least once a week I’ll hear Greg calling my name and I walk in there and he mentions that his computer is slow, or how do you do one thing or another. I don’t mind, he’s a good guy and with my limited knowledge of computers, I know more than Greg does and that in turn makes me a valuable asset to him at least.

At one point during the afternoon, 3 firetrucks were stopped in front of my building. It turns out there was an underground fire on the next block. There was an foul odor in the air, which was probably the smell of insulation burning. I

n the winter so much salt is thrown on sidewalks and streets that eventually seeps into the pavement corroding whatever wires and pipes lay beneath. It doesn’t happen instantly, it’s a process. Rust never sleeps and neither does corrosion.

A year or so ago a major explosion happened on Lexington Avenue in the middle of the street just as a truck was passing over. Truck went flying and the driver was hospitalized with major burns, the steam melting away skin and clothes.

You can never tell where something like that will happen since the infrastructure is old and in need of maintenance and repair. To make these repairs, rates would have to go up and since no one wants to pay higher rates, nothing really gets done and these underground fires and explosions happen more and more.

Now I’m watching the news and they’re saying there are a million people without power. So I’d better hurry up and finish tonight’s entry just in case the power goes out.

Today’s scenes

Park Avenue, Hoboken

Park Avenue, Hoboken

Washington Street, Hoboken

Washington Street, Hoboken

Bryant Park NYC

Bryant Park NYC

Firetrucks at 50th Street and Third Avenue

Firetrucks at 50th Street and Third Avenue