As we all head into Labor Day Weekend happy for the extra day off, a lot of us have the Tropical Storm/ Hurricane Gaston on our minds. The start of September alway brings bright red sunsets and crisp cool air but it also marks the start of Hurricane season. This is something those all over the New York and New Jersey area are all too familiar with.

Rockaway Beach, NY is where I'll be focusing this flash back of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, because thats where I was when the storm hit. We chose to stay put even though a mandatory evacuation had been issued. This was because my boyfriend was born and raised on the Peninsula and had assured me it would be ok. Lots of people stayed all siting that they had left in previous years and were inconvenienced for no reason. I was told by many that the media just hypes thing up and that the mandatory evacuations were just a precaution to cover themselves. And being that this was my first experience with Hurricanes I didn't know any better.

I remember in the late afternoon the water slamming into the boardwalk. At this point it was all excitement and a chance to get some good pictures of the waves. Keep in mind that I had been told and believed that this is as bad as it would get. And then, all at once, it got worse. We walked around outside to feel the power of the wind and document its force on the trees, flags, street lights, and water. We were headed back across the street from the boardwalk when we saw a fast-moving stream coming down beach 102 and Shore Front Parkway. The Boardwalk had been breached!! It only got worse from there.

​Soon things began to be picked up by the wind and thrown through the air. We could barley hear each other even while screaming because the wind was so fast and loud. My boyfriend yelled at me to run back inside and as I turned a 4'x8' sheet of plywood that was pried from the scaffolding one screw at a time flew off just ahead of us. "Run. Run" He said. And I tried will all my might but the wind was so strong I had to lean into it until it felt as if I was almost parallel with the sidewalk. And even at that I wasn't making much progress. He helped pull me and we finally got back inside. 

Now I was beginning to worry. It hadn't even started raining yet and the flooding had started. The transit had been shut down the bridges were closed and we were stuck. There was nothing to do now but wait out the storm. We hadn't even stocked up on supplies or food. We sat switching our gaze from the TV tuned to the News, to the window. It was getting all too real. 

When the water level started to rise above a curbs height my boyfriend ran outside to move his car up on a curb. (still thinking that the water wouldn't get much higher) Looking back now that was a laughable and futile effort. We watched as the waters rose. We walked several floor down to the lobby several times to check.....and sure enough the ocean was now inside the building. The next time we checked it was coming up the first floor stairs. I grew more and more afraid. I tried to watch from the balcony as the ocean surrounded the building and things floated around us. Soon it grew dark but the lights on boardwalk provided enough light to see the chaos. Then the boardwalk broke free at Beach 103 and I thought it was a boat at first and then realized what had happened. I have it on video as the large section of the boardwalk came crashing toward our building and the power lines connecting the lights on the boardwalk sparked flickered and then went out.
** All videos and pictures were taken by myself.

We stayed in the hallway inside the unit as the wind made horrible noises and seemed to bind the windows. When we could see nothing else and grew tired we would doze off.  We woke up with the sun and then hurried down stairs to survey the damage. It was crazy. I felt like we were on the set of a Sifi movie. Large pieces of the boardwalk were all over the parking lot in a tangled mess of cars and debris. We found my boyfriends car. It was totaled but we were the lucky ones. Thats that was lost was his car and a few items in it. We can't even begin to imagine the pain that those felt who's whole houses flooded. We are so sorry for those who lost everything.

​We walked down several block and saw the cement piling where the boardwalk used to be. It was gone all gone. Sand and debris coverd the streets. Street lights and signs were bent and flattened. The National Gard was posted up with tanks and guns, but were merrily a presence. They didn't talk to us or do anything. All the power was out so we couldn't charge our phones. We took as many pictures as we could and then realizing that there wasn't anything we could do at this point and that the apartment wasn't livable, we headed back to formulate a plane. We decided to pack a bag and both get on my boyfriends bike and start the 14mile trek to Woodside, Queens when I had a studio apartment at the the time. We went over the Cross Bay Bridge (on the pedestrian side) since it was technically still closed and guarded. In Howard Beach we saw boats in the road and had to ride around fallen trees. We must have looked so funny....the two of us on that bike with a duffle bag. It took all day but we managed to get both of us through the rubble all the way to my place.
We were safe and grateful. I hope and pray that the destruction never happens again. I hope that Jetties will be built and that the dunes, sea walls, and cement boardwalk are enough protection. Seems this may be tested by Tropical Storm/ Hurricane Gaston.

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http://getinspiredeveryday.com
The #5 spot goes to GI 365 because the couple Kari and Tyler are so open and candid in their posts. The food looks beautiful, is healthy, and is not what you'll see on every other health food site. Check out the low fat alternative to guacamole that she calls Avocado Zucchini Hummus. And She even posts non-food recipes for lotions and scrubs!
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​http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com
​This got the #2 spot because it posts alternatively healthy substitutes for even the greasiest of food. These Baked Blueberry Zucchini Donuts (pictured above) are just one example. Blogger Monique Volz shares all kinds of healthy recipes from sweet baked goods to savory dinner plates.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/?m=1
Skinny Taste is the #2 pick because of the great variety. You can search for great meals will all your needs in mind....Paleo, Low Carb, Vegetarian, etc. There are so many amazing dishes that look so fancy but aren't really hard to make. If you find yourself in a food funk and need to change it up a bit, you will find some refreshing new recipes here.

Something always washes up in Rockaway that's worthy of display.

​Rockaway is a beautiful place with a beautiful beach. Gorgeous treasures are brought in by the tides and found by beach combers like yours truly. Why not display natures tchotchkes so you can enjoy them all the time.  They are so much better than prefab mass market decor.


Also a rare find are the fish jaws. It's so cool to see the teeth intact and all!! 

Vintage perfume bottles, or any smaller glass articles, look so much richer filled with tiny shell. Its amazing how intricate these micro-mini Nutmeg shells are. Most of them are 1/3 the size of a dime or smaller. The long pointed shells out in front of the glass are Auger Shells or as we call them Unicorn Shells. The colors and shapes are so inspiring.