11-20-12 Storm Casualties

11-20-12  Storm Casualties

Well I was working on this blog for about a week, the topic was the rocky road of dating, when I got side tracked by a hurricane! Yup you heard it a hurricane, Sandy was her name. I had been cracking jokes for days before it hit because my Aunt of the same name had recently died, she was cremated and they were going to hold the memorial service later. Then they decided at the last minute to do it when I had 3 parties planned and little time to arrange to be off work. I could have gone to Ohio for the service and to be with my cousins who were the closest I ever had to brothers if I had tried hard enough but I did not and I joked that she was angry with me. She lived her life like a hurricane that's for sure, would be just like her to stir things up and give us a scare if she could. Ha! I wasn't really concerned though, we had a hurricane the year before and I had gone to stay with a friend and we didn't even loose power at my house so this one wasn't really scaring me despite the predictions. I did take the necessary precautions though, securing outdoor items, stocking up on batteries and candles and water and canned goods.

The days prior to the hurricane I got invited to an event in the lower part of Monmouth county by a group of fellow light-workers to join together at 2pm to send Reiki to the waters. The invite said that if you couldn't go there in person to join in remotely energetically. When light-workers join together they are that much more powerful, something like joining candle flames. Anyway each day before the storm I went to the waters here near my home in Keyport and Cliffwood Beach to pray, send Reiki and "seed" some of my spirit stones. At the bulkhead, near my favorite bar and grill I tossed a stone and it landed in the sand and not the water, several birds ran over thinking it was food and left it, then a larger than usual sea gull swooped down and flew off with it, I sent a mental message to the bird saying well perhaps you know where it's needed more... I wasn't lead to leave as many as the last year but I tossed them out as spirit lead, one through the bridge that leads from town to my area where the boats are docked, one over by the cement walkway, one in front of Randy's mom's house... I went to the water everyday at 2pm for three days before the storm, and on Monday while working from home I watched the changing of the predicted path of the storm, at first it was due to hit to the west of me and part of its path right over my home, but by Monday the path had dipped in far enough west that my town was no longer in the direct path! Most call me nuts but there is a knowing somewhere in my soul that the power I channeled from above did help. I sat home Monday working from home, taking calls from family in Ohio who were worried about me and talking to my social group encouraging them to be safe but not to fear. Then my power went out exactly at 2pm as the storm came our way. The hot water worked, and the stove so Jeremy and I made dinner by candlelight, played a game of Chinese checkers, and watched a DVD on the last of my lap top battery. I slept peacefully that night despite the outrageous storm outside.

Tuesday I woke up and cleaned and did dishes by hand and then decided I needed to go to the car to charge the battery in my phone. I decided to drive around a little as I was doing it. First thing I drove down near the water to see how far it had come in, when I got there I saw it had come much further than before and there was damage to some homes. This was the street Randy's Mom is on and I decided heck with our differences I need to know she was OK. As I walked near the house though to asses things I saw a neighbor and I asked about her. He said she was OK and that her son had been over just a bit ago. I said good and turned and left, there was no need to go see her once I knew this and I recalled how he doesn't want me to talk to her now due to the new "wife". I felt sad though as I thought to myself I bet she'd love my company now at a time like this, she always had liked me so much. But anyway I went and checked a lot of places and looked at damage and took photos then went home and one roommate had come home and told me of the boats in the street. So Jeremy and I went down to see that and took a lot of photos. I was amazed to see that the bridge and the walkway where I had left a stone were OK but the area where the seagull had taken a stone had suffered greatly, we lost a museum and my favorite the Bay Side Bar and Grill! Late in the day we tried to drive around and find a warm open place to have dinner, that was futile and the traffic was awful as the street lights were out and the roads blocked with trees or floods or cop cars and cones. We went home and cooked a simple meal on the stove and "went to bed with the chickens" so to speak like we used to say back on the farm in Ohio.

Wednesday I woke up  and heard the weather report on the radio and knew it was going to turn colder, and also the reports of how long it would take to restore power, days, weeks maybe. I also knew that though my office was closed for tue and wed it would open evenutally and if I was not at a place with power and internet I would have to go up to the office and with the gas stations all closed around me it wasn't good. So I began texting those who had offered accommodations prior to the storm. One did not answer and one did but had now power and one said yes please come up and stay. That one was a friend in Flemington and I felt the best option for Jeremy anyway. The trip up was like an exodus into a horror movie, we had to sneak through barriers to get onto the parkway (that had just re-opned) past boats that had gotten pushed miles from shore, gas stations with huge signs NO GAS and when we got closer to Flemington a few stations with lines miles long.

But it was nice to be safe and warm and have an internet connection. My friends fed us well, had beds for us, and got me connected so that I could work remotely. I stayed with them for a week! Once settled in I finally let Mary's nagging get to me, she kept asking was I going to check on Randy and I said NO, I finally got him gone from my heart and mind and it was working I had been meeting some men. But once safe and warm I did worry so I broke down and texted him. This led to a series of texts as I offed him the gas in my shed, some food in my pantry, and helped him locate open gas stations and stores as the days passed. He told me how the water had come in and filled up his Mom's basement and nearly knocked her house off the foundation. I told him I knew and how I had stopped by to check on her, I didn't tell him that I had left a SpiritStone there recalling how he had asked me to stop leaving them at his house in case the kids found them. We text chatted everyday, one night he even went to my house to check on it and my roomates, that night he called. He had his mother in the car and told her that my son lived there. During those days we talked a lot and I knew he was alone...then one night he told me that she had left, moved out took all her stuff. I froze, knowing better than to belive that lie a second time w/o proof but wondering if maybe this was the straw that changed everything. I sensed he was alone, that she had left at the first storm warning but I didn't believe she left him, and he asked was I home I knew he was just saying this to get me to let him come over for some pokey. Still a teeny tiny shred of me hoped it was true and wondered if finally he'd be there for me....

The next day Jeremy had it, he was going stir crazy, his job had called needing him back and he insisted I take him back to Keyport. So I texted Randy asking him if Jeremy could just stay there at night so he's not cold and he said OK, I verified it saying don't let me bring him and you abandon him as I can't afford the trips, especially with the gas rationing. Again he said OK, he had told me how he runs the furnace and TV off a series of car batteries that he charges with his truck, and he had gas thanks to me so I figured asking one little favor of him was fair. Well not in Randy world, once I got down there he stopped answering me till finally at 10pm I sent a frantic I am so worried one that he still ignored. My last one was U R PURE EVIL, that one he replied to in 30 seconds. Huh? I ignored him and prayed myself to sleep, in the morning finding he had replied 2 hrs later calling ME pure evil. Selfish jackass. Monday I woke up and texted asking why he didn't follow through and he said he was sure he was fine. I threatened to message HER to verify that she had moved out and he really got defensive, I had my confirmation that it was all a lie. I spent half the day sending him nasty texts till it was out of my system and moved on. That night Jeremy called me alone and cold in the dark at 7pm asking me to call him again, he was concerned about the pipes freezing, I explained what happend and told him he would have to call. I also told him that this was just a rental and the landlord knew we had no power and his pipes were his problem but that's how my kid is, he worries like that....

On Tuesday a Flemington friend texted me to alert me to generators being sold in a local store. I couldn't really afford one but a snowstorm was coming so I ran out and got one and gas cans and made arrangements to take off a half day the following day when I could again buy gas as the governor had us on even/odd rationing and I was an odd day. So Wednesday I packed up and was going to go to my buddies house to stay but he failed to give me the address. I drove to Keyport took Jeremy the generator and the gasoline , took him out for a hot meal. He sat there and told me how he had called Randy for help, asking him to just run the furnace real hot to warm the house up and he refused, he said it sounded like he was partying and all he said to him before hanging up was "you will be fine". I guess he just don't like me he said, he's just a jackass I said it has nothing to do with you. I managed to hold off my tears till I got on the road to my friends house as the snow started to fall the tears poured along with them. Why are the men of this world so freaking selfish I wondered.

I had a nice time staying with my other gal pal, she did all she could to make me feel comfortable and welcome. She said how mean and selfish it was of my guy friend to only pretend he wanted to help me and pointed out the favor he had wanted. I felt so foolish, hadn't even seen that one. At any rate I was able to work from her house and run my social sites too and get needed information out to my groups regarding Sandy hurricane help. They thanked me and praised me and said they wanted to nominate me for Queendom or Saint hood or something! I am always embarrassed when I get praise like that but it was during this time I recalled my good friend Beth who used to say to me that I needed a King and tried so hard to get me to listen when she advised me against Randy. I realized that if I was in a relationship or marriage to a selfish man he would be demanding my attention now instead of being where he needed to be, by my side working with me, and I would be beside him working with him to help these people. Yes Randy was destined to be that man, that is why he had so many psychic gifts, but he lost most of them when he choose her over me. I went so far as to write Beth a quick note saying I got it finally! She sent me a winking smiley face.

On Friday after work I was determined to go home and spend the weekend. Jeremy had gotten the furnace and one TV and DVD player to run off the generator and  I wanted to get back home and volunteer. Still on the drive home I prayed for my power to be back on, 12 days was a very long time after all..and my internet too I prayed. As I pulled in my driveway I saw lights! And Jeremy heading out to the shed to off the generator, he grinned saying why is it that I been here a week and when you come home the power comes back on 10 minutes before you get here. Because I prayed AND I trusted I told him, he nodded. The next day I went and volunteered at a local distribution center and then the next days after that cleaning my house and looking for new roommates. I lost two who skipped out and didn't pay me even the back rent. I continued to post relief efforts info and made a decision about Thanksgiving. Since Jeremy worked nights and slept all day and no one had invited us to dinner anyway I decided to cook our turkey Wednesday night since I work from home and go and volunteer thanksgiving day. I am setting up events for that day and for Black Friday and plan to continue in this relief work as long as there is a need.

What about you? Did you loose anything during the storm? Or anything at all for any reason? Please do no fret over it, know this, whatever you think you have lost was never really yours anyway, we do not own our things, we do not own this planet, we do not own the people in our lives. The only thing you really get to keep is what you GIVE.

 This year have a wonderful ThanksGIVING!


With Love and in the Light,   Cassie



PS this is why I always sign my blog with love and in the light
love-and-light-what-does-it-mean