NEW YORKERS ARE TOUGHER THAN EVER AFTER SANDY

I'm here and I'm walking away from destruction to simply say, Hurricane Sandy may have done her damage, but New Yorkers never lose and we'll rise up against this devastating storm. Why you ask? Because we're New Yorkers... that's why.

I'm still in the dark. We're about to snap and there isn't any hope in sight except for the fact that it's sunny.  The house is cold and I'm running out of gas... again.  The stores are open, but try getting there... it takes a while. Hey, that's life, at least the house is still standing and I pray for the people that lost everything. Sometimes life isn't fair. It's a God damn shame.

Look, I'm not going to lie, being in the dark during a blackout with children is the most insane part of being a father. My job is to keep control, be the strong one, but the reality is, your mind races because while your probably OK in your home, there are so many times there the "unknowns" that comes into play; water, wind, etc.

Plus, I actually thought it was a good idea to get 4 flashlights during my "prep check list"  for my 4 kids before the storm. I figured it would keep them occupied while I figured out how the hell we were going to deal with Hurricane Sandy.  On paper, that strategy was brilliant. Plus, I'd be considered the "cool dad." It quickly became an epic fail when 70 mile an hour winds were blowing and my house lit up like a strobe light because flashlights were shining in every direction and kids were running around because it was a "party" for them.  That was day 1...it's not a party anymore... it's now chaos.

"I wish we had power", my 8 year old said to me at around 9pm on the 29th.  That's an understatement. It was nuts and if there was power, at least there would be order. It's November 1st...nothing.

Kids today don't understand "roughing it". My wife and I would be content sitting next to the fire... Waiting for power, but that never happened and it hasn't for days. Sirens were blaring, the generator needed to be jacked up and ready to go and the constant struggle of keeping sandbags from flooding the house on the first night was the norm. I didn't sleep and still really haven't...you can't, you just need to fight... Like the Yankees, like soldiers, fighting for what you have and protecting the ones you love. I'm not a super hero... I'm a dad, but I need to try and act like Ironman... brave, tough, a superhero.

New York is a disaster. I've never seen water in the city like that and I never want to see it again. I write this on a phone with no service. I'm using the notepad and eventually will send this to my friend in Florida who will post this on Bleeding Yankee Blue for you to read. He's doing this favor for me. I can't really get on the blog right now because there is no power almost 58 + hours later.

But I realized as I listened to my white transistor radio that looks like the one the professor owned on Gilligan's island... "New Yorkers are the toughest breed of man (and women) out there."

I saw a guy at the gas station on Wednesday evening, the only one I could find after almost 40 minutes of driving. I said "You're the most popular guy in the Tri-state area right now." He looked at me dead in the eye and said "I had a feeling we'd get one of these Hurricanes one day. I bought a generator for my station 6 months ago. I'm a fucking genius." I never laid eyes on this guy in my life, but we spoke to each other like brothers.  Why? Because we grew up New Yorkers, that tough as nails mentality full of arrogance and strength, yet, at the same time, we're kind and helpful people...always.  I could see his eyes, he was up all night too, but he was making that money right then and he also knew he was helping out his fellow New Yorkers. As I got in my car, he saw my Yankees sticker on the door. He tapped my window, "And what the hell happened to them this year?" He asked, about our Yankees, "they sucked in the playoffs. And Jeter breaks an ankle...it's a sin."

He looked to the sky and did the sign of the cross. I smiled and gave him my business card.  That's New York for you. It doesn't matter what the hell happens around us, we stick together, it's a bond you can't break...ever.

The New York area got it's ass kicked in Hurricane Sandy... But we never rolled over, we keep standing up as if to say "is that all you got?" I get it, as tough as it is, I get it, because I've seen it all my life. Maybe that's why I never left and moved to Florida.  Maybe that's why I love my New York Yankees... They always fight till the very end too and have 27 championships to prove it.

Look, the past few days have been horrible, no sleep and a lot of worry, but that toughness never leaves.  It's New York and it's New Jersey too. It's the way so many of us have been raised and I'll tell you what, I don't care what Sandy brought us on October 29th... We will rise up again, In New York, In New Jersey, in the Tri-State area. We walk away from destruction better than we were before, tougher than we were before, like super heroes, like moms and dads, like New Yorkers... and you can never take that away from us...

You gotta love it.

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