With the NYC subways underwater, I’m stuck at home — fortunately, with power, unlike so many others in the city and surrounding areas. It’s strange thinking that so many of the places I’ve visited and posted about in the Porcelain Press are completely inaccessible to me right now (unless I decided to embark on a long trek on foot, which might actually be to my benefit, considering that I’ve gotten zilch physical activity since the day before Sandy struck), or they’re without power, or, for those spots downtown, potentially inundated by flood water from the rivers that swelled well over their banks last night.
Hurricane Sandy did bring with it two bathroom-related anecdotes:
- Our bathroom became a water storage facility (see photo). My roommate, K, and I learned during Hurricane Irene in 2011 that our tub doesn’t hold water overnight, so we prepped for Sandy by filling up the world’s largest Rubbermaid container, as well as three trashcans. These were for toilet flushing; our entire kitchen counter was covered with water-filled pots for drinking. I’m thankful that we didn’t need to dip into either supply.
- Flushing the toilet with conserved water is fascinating! K was adamant about not wasting the water we’d stored in the bathroom, so we’ve been flushing with it throughout the day. Despite my father being a plumber, I had no idea how this worked and was thoroughly amazed when I poured water from a trashcan into the toilet bowl and — woosh! — it flushed all by itself. Simple pleasures, simple pleasures.
Thinking of everyone throughout the rest of New York City today, especially those facing flooding and friends waiting for power to be restored. Can’t wait to get back on the subway so that my life can resume a sense of normalcy, and we can all see each other again!