Earthquakes, Hurricanes, and Moving..oh my.

Just a quick post while I’m waiting for my coffee to kick in…

All I have to say is that Jon and I are going out with a bang!

Eathquakes and Hurricanes all in one week!

The EARTHQUAKE happened while I was in the midst of packing.  I felt something under my feet but had no clue what it was and then I saw the TV, computer, and speakers shaking.  I thought maybe I stepped on a lose board to make them shake.  I grabbed the TV to steady it and then I got a text from my husband asking me if the house shook.  So I knew he felt something at work too.  My first thought was a gas line explosion because they are doing gas work and Jon’s work is close to home.  Then I heard someone run outside and scream “Earthquake!”  I couldn’t believe it.  Everyone was buzzing about it the next few days.

The HURRICANE had been talked about all week of course, but weather always changes so no one knew what to believe.  By Friday, when we found out the MTA was shutting down the subways, we started to get concerned.  Our city started asking people to evacuate and even put a ban on driving for Saturday night into Sunday.  Let’s just say that the best way to get packing done is when you think a giant hurricane is coming.  I’ve never packed so fast in my life!  We wanted to get it all off our floor because we are in a ground level apartment.  Saturday afternoon we drove to a friends house who lives farther inland and stayed with them.  (Thank you, Chris and Megan, for letting us stay with you!) I couldn’t sleep that night because they wind and rain was loud.  We woke up the next morning and it was silent.  A few trees were down and power was out in half of the house.  We found out the eye was right over us.  We decided to head home and see if there was any damage.  We had a few obstacles, road closures from flooding and downed trees, but it was a lot easier than we expected.  We arrived home to a dry house!  We got lucky because a lot of people around us had water in their basements.  Here a few pics I took around the neighborhood:

The wind really picked up after the eye passed over!  I read that most of the hurricane related deaths were from tree branches falling on people.

This tree fell after we had already arrived home.  It landed about 50ft from our car.  Phew!

Lots of leaves everywhere!

I have more pictures on my camera but unfortunately the cord’s packed up so maybe I’ll post them when I’m in Miami.  Only 3 more days of packing left!  Better get to it!

P.S. Soon we will have a guest blogger but bear with me!  Her basement wasn’t so lucky!

P.P.S.  Don’t tell my husband that I posted, he’s going to ask why I wasn’t packing (Love you honey!)

You do not have to be a hurricane, to turn things around. -Loesje

The Grand Finale

I’m sure you have noticed the lack of recipes on this so called “food” blog.

There’s a good explanation for this and it’s actually the last thing in my list of the supposed “million” things I need to tell you.

Pack your bikini because things are about to get a whole lot more tropical…

WE’RE MOVING TO MIAMI!

Yup, that’s right, at the end of this month, my husband and I will be driving down the coast to our new home in Miami.  I hope you like a lot of citrus fruits because you might be seeing them pop up in my recipes.

Now, while I’m super excited to be starting a new adventure, I am still going to miss all the craziness that is New York and New Jersey.  Over the winter I was dying to be somewhere tropical.  When we visited Hawaii earlier this year we just knew it felt right to be somewhere in the sun, but now that it’s truly happening I’m starting to think of all the things I am going to miss!

I feel like I’m going through a break up.

Me: It was great while it lasted, but I think we need to see other people.  I just want more excitement in my life.  Your seasons are always changing and you go from steaming hot to bitter cold in a day.  I never know what to expect.  And frankly, you kind of smell when you get hot and can be down right rude.  Also, there’s someone else.  And he’s warm.  He’ll never make me walk 8 blocks in 2 ft of snow and he also smells nice.

NY: Fine, I will be just perfect without you.  My life will go on, and I will not change just because you asked me to.

*A week passes*

Me:  I’ve been thinking.  I’m not sure I can do this.  I didn’t mean those things I said.  I love you.  I love your pizza, I love your history, I love OUR history. I love the way the sun shines on your skyline.  I love the colors of your leaves in Central Park in the fall.  I love the spot where Jon proposed and the amazing Highline and the Rockefeller tree.  I love your musicals, ballets, and parades.  But most of all, I love the beautiful people I have met that live in and around this unique city.

Ok, I’m getting mushy and let’s just blame it on the wine.

But I really do love you, New York.  There is really something special about you that I will miss.  And yes, NJ, I love you too.  I know I don’t give you enough credit, but I really believe that I live in the best city in NJ!

Oops..was getting all sappy again.  Sorry.  Maybe I need to wrap this up.

So I hope you will be forgiving if my posts are few and far between for the next few weeks.  I have mucho packing (I’m practicing my Spanish, can’t  you see?) and lots of amigos to spend time with before we leave.  I’m hoping to have a guest blogger or two in the mean time, but I will be taking tons of pictures along the way down that I hope to share with you on here and on my Facebook page.  Which reminds me, if you’re not following P.L.P. on Facebook or Twitter then you’re totally missing out.  Head over there and Do. It.Now!

Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts. -Arnold Bennett