> I hope something interesting happened to jane95.

I was *this* close to something interesting.

I left work early to get home for some uninterrupted quiet time - people kept asking for my help, etc and I have a hard time saying no, sorry - so I really needed to get away from the office so I could get some work done!

T came to get me to help me home with my stuff. I met him at the shuttle. Normally this trip takes about 20-30 minutes. Door to door - home to work. T made record time - He got the Grand Central in 10 MINUTES! I met him at exactly the right time and we got back on the same shuttle he arrived on - raced over to Times Square. We looked at the clock an realized that we were about to make the best time EVER!

Over at Times Square to the 1 train. We get on the train, the doors close and boom - really, an audible, low boom - and the lights go out on the platform. That was kinda freaky - it was pitch black out the windows - we had running lights inside the car.

I could hear people whooping and moving on the platform but could see NOTHING!

So much for best time ever - it quickly became the worst - they open the doors and we head out into the light.

That was the only nervy moment of the weekend for me. I wanted to get out of the building. It *did* occur to me that the power loss might be intentional and I did not want to be underground any longer than necessary. But it was not panic.

We walked down 7th Avenue (about 20 blocks to our apartment) and on the way we noticed that the power was out all along the street.

We were thinking maybe it was just the 42nd Street subway station that was affected, but no.

There were so many people! Immediately taking over the streets as the sidewalks could not contain them all. I said to T, "Look at all the folks that would normally be underground!" I'd never thought of that before - that as I walk along the street there are twice as many people below me. The last time I saw this many people on the street was 9/11 - a bit flash back-is.

On the way home we got snippets of news from people with cell phones or radios. Though cell phone usage was sketchy due to jammed lines/many users. A cop told us the power was out from Toronto to D.C. We made friendly talk with a girl named KS (same name as a famous person)! and learned she was going to have to walk to Brooklyn. Good thing noticed her shoes matched my purse because when I looked at her shoes I knew she couldn't walk to Brooklyn in those. She was already walking a bit gingerly.

KS couldn't get through to her boyfriend on her cell phone so we invited her into out apartment to try the land line (thank goodness we have one (of three) old phone that does not require a power cord. And I gave her a pair of comfortable shoes and socks to wear home. And a big glass of cold water. I later learned she did have to walk home - about 6 miles. She called yesterday about returning the shoes.

So - there we were - no power. We scrambled around to find a little flash light - in my bachelorette days tool kit - and an old walkman with a radio. Batteries.

We didn't have much else to do and T was mostly worried about the fridge.

Do you all have Fresh Direct? (freshdirect.com) They give you $50 free food on your first order. We had just received this huge bounty on Wednesday. !!! More food than we usually ever have in the house and risk of spoilage!

So - we cooked! T made monkfish with black bean sauce and saffron rice. We roasted a whole chicken with turnips and onions (and stuffing, I am not sure what he put in the stuffing). I spent most of the day light prepping things for cooking and freezing.

We went to make up some gin and tonics, with lime when - horror of horrors, we realized we were out of tonic! We quickly shifted to gin and orange juice (needed to drink it up anyway - and went out to survey the neighborhood (laid back, got my mind on my money and my money on my mind). Everyone seemed in good spirits. There was a civilian, Jesus looking young man directing traffic at our corner. He stayed there for hours while neighbors gave him water and food. He worked all evening helping keep out street from being grid locked. There was a young man on the corner whose birthday it was. He'd moved almost his entire apartment onto the corner - sofa, tables, chairs - and was having his party al fresco. Everyone was out on the stoop - chatting and (some) drinking and visiting with those of us walking. Markets were giving away all their yoghurt, ice cream, etc. T is good friends with the night staff at the Chelsea - he walked over and gave them a bag of 100 tea lights. Earlier we'd watched them signing in a new guest with an old fashioned credit card machine and a flashlight.

We ate in the garden, by candle light. Out neighbors (over the wall of the garden) were having what sounded like a great big party. C had invited here office over (those that could not get home) and somewhere along the line a woman (possibly from the Chelsea Hotel) began to serenade us. She played guitar and wailed out songs and we applauded and yelled up requests.

Then we went to bed. It was DARK!

The next day I waited in line for over an hour to buy ice at $2 a bag!!! And more tonic.

We spent the day cleaning up (long over due) in the garden - got a serious prune on - rearranged some pots - built up a wall to support some larger pots - cleaned up the fish pots. It was the most pleasant place to be.

We were far better off than some. We had water. In some buildings they use electric pumps to get water up to the higher floors - I live in a small building, (four floors, 8 apartments) so we didn't have that problem. So when in the garden, if we got hot, we got frisky with the hose!

It is true that we could see the sky as never before. My best friend, J, realized for the first time that the Big Dipper hangs just over her terrace.

We live in Chelsea - one of the last neighborhoods to get power back. All day people around the city would call to say they'd just got the power back did we? no. I was outside - in the garden - around 9:15 PM when another, louder boom brought civilization back to us - the lights in the Chelsea blazed on and you could hear the cheering all around. The noise of the city returned and at first is seemed so LOUD!

We collected the cat, came back inside, turned on the AC and the TV and returned to normal.