DAVE ALEXANDER'S SUPERSTORM SANDY DIARY

I finally got to read the last two issues of The E-Sylum, delayed by our visitor Sandy here in Putnam County, N.Y., until yesterday (Nov. 17). The storm arrived literally with a bang, actually three blasts, on the evening of that Monday. Transformers blew but it sounded more like a visit from Al-Qaida. We were without electricity, meaning heat, light, Email, COFFEE until late Friday of hurricane week.

When Irene visited last year we had summer weather, not this year... Train service was suspended Sunday before the storm, massive tree damage blocked roads all through the area though we only lost one evergreen. Irene took most of the likely candidates 14 months earlier.

No telephones but cell phones, making finding a place to plug in the chargers a top priority. Miracle: no water in the basement! Last year four feet. No way to reach my offices at Heritage or the American Numismatic Society. Though troubled by power outage, ANS literally "towered above the tide."

Friday was the regular meeting of the New York Numismatic Club with scheduled speaker Greg Rohan, President of Heritage. Our regular restaurant was now an indoor pool, but miraculously a replacement was found and 30 attended the meeting, glad to be out, in light, and with COFFEE!!! In times of disaster coffee becomes one of the most desperately need basic food groups!

My railroad chose Friday afternoon to resume service from the end of the line at Southeast to Grand Central. When I got to the restaurant (having continued recharging my phone on the Metro North train), the phone went off with a joyful screech from my wife Pat, "Who left the lights on!!!" Click, dead again, but we obviously had power! Crews of linemen and trucks the size of the Titanic had come up the hill in the afternoon, the truck announcing TORONTO! Lots of great help from all over the U.S. and Canada. Life resumed more or less normally on Monday the following week.

Remember the old slogan, "May you live in interesting times!"

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: U.S. NUMISMATISTS WEATHER SUPERSTORM SANDY (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v15n46a02.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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