Holy crap.

Today has been nuts. It's raining in NYC, and not just normal rain. It's like how Forrest Gump describes the rain in Vietnam. The rain here coupled with the wind is coming in from both sides, the sky and at one moment today, I was pretty sure it came up from the ground!

I have only experienced similar winds like today ONCE. And that was at the Great Sand Dunes in Southern Colorado. Here, they are stronger and wet. They were so intense today that the rain was stinging me like sand particles as I tried to walk to the deli. I was hyperventilating from so much water hitting my face and was walking slanted towards the wind. I am pretty sure I was the only moron walking down Whitehall Street in the middle of such crazy winds.

I thought about pulling out my umbrella, but that idea quickly passed over once I saw not one, not two, but three umbrella tops just tumbling down the street hitting people like gigantic spider tumbleweeds. I decided to keep mine in my purse and just allow the wind to have its way with me.

At one point I considered the idea that I might be in a tornado. That was the only way I could explain such ferocious wind. It had to be around 70-80 mph winds, maybe even more. I don't know. When I finally walked into the deli, the Mexicano (paisa) cooking staff couldn't stop laughing at me. They said that I looked like a wet and frightened cat. :( I imagine that's what I probably looked like.

Last note on the wind: It doesn't howl on the island, it SHRIEKS. I like wind, but I hate the sound of howling wind because it freightens me. Weird right? Of course, I have a gorgeous view of Fort Jay, but I am constantly looking over my shoulder because I feel that La Llorona is screeching outside my window! ooy.

Last night we went to go see the Rockefeller Tree Lighting ceremony. It was fun but I though overrated. We stood for 3 hours and listened to Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men (my fav), Susan Boyle, Jessican Simpson and Cherryl Crow. NYC is an absolute mess for these events. We now have been to the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade and the tree lighting. I hope to make it to NYE ceremony, but I don't know about standing in one place for 18 hours! The police here shut down certain streets that you can't walk on, so you have to walk 4 blocks down to cross and 6 blocks back up, and they block the subway tunnels so you can't go anywhere, then they don't tell you what's going on, so we all look like a bunch of herded sheep or goats, everyone yelling in their New Yorker accent at the cops and at each other. Honestly, getting there was so overwhelming that I panicked and wanted to go home. I was not in the best of moods.

Coming back home was nuts too. I don't think the hubs and I can go to those events unprepared and without the proper shoes to stand (and his stupid laptop! That thing is heavy!) It was fun and I am glad we did it, but good lord I was annoyed.

Tonight, if I don't get blown away, I might try to cook something at home. We'll see, I am already tired! ha!