8.18.2003 Blackout 2003

Had a new entry all neatly packaged up to be auto-published. Then, the famous blackout happened and that somewhat just threw a wrench into the gears.

Well, we're doing fine.

Elizabeth was home sleeping when it all happened, but she suffered slightly seeing how the AC was knocked out. It being such a hot and humid day just that one thing alone makes it really sucky.

Me? I was in Manhattan when the plug was pulled (pun intended) where the scene was just unbelievable. As far as one could see, the streets were filled with grid locked cars and people swarming everywhere. The sun beat down upon us as if we were walking across the Sahara desert. Everyone kept a somber attitude.

I wound up trekking many miles in my Dockers Khakis and Polo long sleeve dress shirt (yes, that alone made it really sucky.) However, I was the noble one. I and two other co-workers hiked all the way over to the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge when I decided to not join them onward. I was staying back. I was to walk further, over to Chinatown, to check to see if my parents needed any help. I had called them earlier and they said they were fine. Of course, I figured if anything were to happen to them, I just would not be able to forgive myself. With my cell phone, palm pilot, and wallet safely concealed in my fanny pack and clothes sticking to every surface of my sweat drenched body, I bid farewell to my coworkers and walked the extra mile to Chinatown.

I met them in a pastry shop where people, some of them, appeared to grab at containers of water and other portable food supplies. We, on the other hand, just sort of sat there, and wondered what we were going to do.

We hopped from place to place meeting up with a few of their friends before a handful of us, the Fellowship, decided to make the journey to Brooklyn on foot.

Included in the Fellowship were myself, my father (who had seemingly successfully recovered from surgery months prior), my mother, Ayee, my mom's friend since childhood, and an elder gray-haired woman who must've been about 500 years old. (Okay, that's cruel, but I really don't know why she decided to come along - I mean there was a decent place to chill out for those who chose to stay in Manhattan, and a few people did. The worst-case scenario was that the next day, when most of the traffic had cleared, one could just grab rides home. I guess it was just her sense of adventure).

We walked about a mile before we reached the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. I gabbed with my father while the others followed. We weren't walking very quickly however and I had already noticed that they were trailing further and further behind. The elder lady already had seemed exhausted. We stood at the corner as my mother held her hand. I handed her a water bottle and looked at her sympathetically, but in my head, I kept wondering why is she here? Why did she just not stay back with the others?

Our journey then started the moment we stepped afoot on the Brooklyn Bridge.

(to be continued...)

Alright, there's *no* continuation to this. I wish I had some wild adventure to share with you that followed this, but I really don't. It was, in all actuality, quite boring. We made it across the bridge. It took us hours. Moreover, it was pitch black by the time we got to Brooklyn. We then were able to call for a ride that took each of us home.

However, being driven through Brooklyn and seeing the entire city in pitch-blackness was a weird sight. I'm not sure if it was good or bad, it was just very different.