I had a nice email today from the head of the 9/11 Memorial:

Like many, we at the Memorial are still recovering from the impact of Sandy. I was on site yesterday with our team and have been back again today to monitor conditions. On the positive side, the Memorial came through in beautiful shape. I saw firsthand that the Survivor Tree continues to live up to its name and stands tall among the oak trees at the Memorial.

Our team took a number of preventive steps, including draining the Memorial’s pools and harvest tanks. The pools are now being cleaned, and once power is restored, we will be able to get them back up and running.

The Museum’s collection is largely stored offsite and we are reviewing the condition of these items to assess any impacts and ensure their care.

While the 9/11 Memorial and Museum endured Sandy, there have been extensive impacts, which we continue to manage. River surges caused serious flooding at the foundation level of the World Trade Center, where the Museum is under construction. Our Visitor Center and other facilities were also impacted by flooding.

We will have a clearer picture of the extent of the damages as our dedicated response teams continue their assessments. We are working closely with the state, city and the Port Authority to reopen the Memorial as soon as possible, as well as make any necessary repairs. We will be sure to keep you apprised of updates on conditions.

During this time of recovery, we hope that you and your family are safe. Once again, we are reminded as we were after 9/11, that together we can surmount the most unimaginable challenges.

Back at work after three days off and the confusion on my side is inevitable. Somethings never change but all the rest can change in a heartbeat.

Meanwhile the mall of full of little kids in costume, a sign that it’s Halloween and that many schools are still closed? I’m certain of the former and not so sure of the latter.

On the same square of the calendar comes NaNoWriMo eve. Yes, tomorrow starts 30 days of literary abandon. My current “plan” at the moment is to try to pick up about the place where last year’s effort ended. When I tried to carry that on during the year, things got really messy plot and idea wise and I’d like to start that Part Two a little cleaner. So, this year I’ll be starting with a core of characters and a bit of history and we’ll see if we can resolve some things and advance others. Yes I do have an idea of where they’re going. Honest!

I have been falling off the haiku-every-day wagon the last couple weeks while I was preparing for the Haiku Slam that Hurricane Sandy interfered with. That was sort of a let down. last new I felt like I should be doing something else all night long which is never productive. But, I did resolve to pick up that resolution again and see where it takes me. No, I won’t be writing NaNoWriMo Part Two in Haiku Form. Honest!

Finally, in the spirit of full-disclosure, I will say that my brain is working on a quilt. Not quite ready to pull out fabric but almost. That’s about what happened to me last year and at one point in November I was very conflicted about where I wanted to be – computer or sewing machine.

This year I have a shiny new iMac and a MacBook Po upon which to type so I can write upstairs or down! 30 days, 50000 words, no excuses.

Heard Sandy coming
was warned she’d sweep us away
not hype if it’s real.

In the days waiting
pressure dropping, wind blowing
exhausted by it all.

Wind surging in waves
whispering gathered to roar
trees swayed back and forth

Windows rattling
the blown rain sounds like pebbles
the cats and I nap.

Later I stepped out
the night warm, trees loud with wind
moon backlit the clouds.

Bran did not answer that. He sighed again and sat down beside Manawyddan. Nissyen sat down near them. Caradoc went back to playing with his ball. There was quiet again upon the Rock of Harlech, and peace settled down like a nesting bird. That too was the quality of Nissyen; he made peace.

Bran looked out to sea again. The mists had lifted, and in that clearness and from that great height, he seemed to be looking out into unearthly space. Sea and sky were before him, and sky and sea, and far away the two seemed to meet, vast blueness clasping vast blueness, in an embrace that looked like the world’s end. In earlier times, when boats were new, and a thought but recently shaped into wood by the hands of men, folk had believed that blue wall solid. The boldest had tried to sail out to it to see what it looked like near at hand. But when always it had recoiled before them, a space farther off for every space that they advanced, they had concluded that it was magical, a druid work set up to veil Other World secrets from the eyes of men.

Bran watched the delicate shining mystery of that wall until the sun came down to cleave it, filling the sky with blood and spilling gold upon the darkening sea.

Then he saw speckles cross that flaming disc. Speckles that grew and swelled into strange shapes, like huge ants crawling across the face of the dying sun. Swiftly they grew –– speeding forward, out of Illusion, into the world of men.

They became birds, great birds with white wings spread, darting toward the land, their prey.

Bran raised his hand. “Ships are coming––and coming fast.”

The Children of Llyr –– Evangeline Walton

The UPS man knocked on the door today with an envelope containing my Crucial order – woot!

Silly me only ordered one 8G RAM kit but, truth be told, 12G is probably going to hold me for awhile. I think I’ll be fine, really.