Vote

Went to work

Went to bodega

Went to get gas on a short line

Went to vote on a long line

Went to bed wondering who will win

The wings didn't stand a chance

Worked from home to help ease the gas shortage.  I have about half a tank left and figured those waiting for 1-3 hours for gas, need it more than I do.  Carpool this morning so that I can get Kyle, Mike, and Danny over to Sachem East HS for soccer practice.  On the way home I see the Hess station in Holbrook with a 100+ car line....I decide to wait another day.

Did I shoot myself in the foot by actually passing a gas station with perhaps only an hours wait time.  Seems this station gets fuel often as I have seen the lines a few times since last week.  The news is saying things will ease, but I am starting to get ant-see, and tomorrow it is my turn to drive to work.

Again, in an effort to conserve and do the right thing, I have 3/4 of the Long Island based staff working from home, cutting our consumption drastically.  From what I hear, there are stations in Nassau that have power and no gas, where prior to that, they were lights out.  So, where is the long line of gas trucks filling up in Holtsville going ?

This day in history "On November 5, 1895, Rochester attorney George Selden wins U.S. Patent No. 549,160 for an "improved road engine" powered by a "liquid-hydrocarbon engine of the compression type." With that, as far as the government was concerned, George Selden had invented the car--though he had never built a single one.
Selden's design was fairly vague, and was actually based on a two-cylinder internal-combustion engine that someone else had invented: Selden had simply copied the one he'd seen on display at the 1872 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. In 1899, Selden sold his patent to a group of investors who called themselves the Electric Vehicle Company. In turn, they immediately sued the Winton Motor Carriage Company, the largest car manufacturer in the United States, for infringing on the Selden patent just by building gas-powered cars. Winton settled, and the court upheld Selden's patent in 1903."

Now we have too many cars, with too many cylinders using too much gas.  The supply glitch will take some time to remedy itself.  Did the distributors make sure there reserves got topped off before Sandy came to town ?  As gasoline arrives daily in Port Jefferson and other ports, are there enough drivers to deliver fuel around the clock ?  What will happen if the Noreaster coming Wed causes more tankers and barges to stay out at sea or slows the docking and offload process ?

Tomorrow is election day, and how many folks in the NY metropolitan area will not get out and vote ?  Will they change their votes based on the governments storm response ?  FEMA and the Red Cross are all over, but from a supply side situation with Food, Water, Blankets, and dare I say fuel, the government response is lacking.

Sue made it out to Stop n Shop and bought some fresh and packaged food.  She said the store is not stocked as usual.  Chicken wings on the menu for dinner....we have not had them for a while.  Running multiple errands in one trip out so that she can conserve fuel.  She is also teetering at half a tank and did not stop to fill up....I Don't think she saw any stations open, although the social network says Valero on Vets Highway has gas.

A fresh basked pumpkin pie was cooked right after the chicken wings and will be dessert for us the next couple of days.

Had a real conundrum tonight at dinner as I couldn't decide on which sauce to put on my wings.  I like them buffalo style,  blue cheese dressed, and even wanted to try some Habanero pepper sauce.  What to do, what to do.  One with Franks RedHot, and a blue cheese dip.  Another with the Habanero pepper sauce.  Then, like the old Reese's peanut butter cup commercial...you got your Franks mixed up with my Habanero.  No.  You got your Habanero mixed up with my Franks....Decided to mix all three.  As Emeril would say "BAM"

Photo of the day "The wings didn't stand a chance"

Hoping to see a gas station open tomorrow on the way to work, or home from work...perhaps the worst times to be looking for gas.

Magic Number 220

Strong Island

Long Island is staying strong and those that have, are volunteering and donating to those who have lost so much.

I saw some long lines at gas stations and facebook posts sound like there are more stations with gas.  We have been conserving and hope that helps others who need the gas for generators, and for their cars to get to and from work.

This day in history "On this day in 1979, hundreds of Iranian students storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking more than 60 American hostages. The students, supporters of the conservative Muslim cleric Ayatollah Khomeini, were demanding the return of Iran's deposed leader, the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, who had fled to Egypt in January 1979 and by November was receiving cancer treatment in the United States. After the student takeover, President Jimmy Carter ordered a complete embargo of Iranian oil."

It feels almost the way it felt when we had odd and even days and long lines during the oil embargo.  For those who remember,the government pledged energy independence..Gas rationing has been implemented in NJ and I sure hope we can get some gas tomorrow or the next day.

The Sachem Schools are closed Monday and Tuesday.  I am going to work from home, as will a couple of the guys who work with me.  Then we will alternate who comes to the office, until the flow of gas resumes.

A four mile run this morning, and some lingering twinges in the hamstring.  Decided to blow out the sprinkler system.  Said hello to my neighbor and he pointed out that one of my pine trees is leaning badly toward the fence.  It has always been a little crooked, now it too close to being toppled.  With a Noreaster coming Wed. I have to figure out how to take it down.

Photo of the day "Strong Island"

We donated some boys clothes and water the other day.  Today, Sue is going thru the closets and we have comforter, blanket, and more clothes ready to donate.  There has been a strong outpouring of donations all around.  Strong Island.

Magic Number 224

Holtsville to the rescue

After sleeping in, and having a leisurely breakfast, I decide to stretch, warm up and go for a run.  Even if the NYC marathon is postponed (or is it cancelled ?), I personally need to get back to running after my hammy injury has sidelined me for the better part of October.

About half way down my street, my cell phone is ringing...I stop and see a long strange number, typically a telltale sign that Bangalore India is calling.  Sure enough, trouble in paradise.  One of our data centers in the northeast, this one in Nutley NJ which has been running on generator power since Sandy came through.  The next couple of hours are spent recovering services.

Kyle comes home from practice, and after watching some soccer, he says that there was a long line for gas at our gas station on Broadway Ave.  Sue and I look at each other, each with about 1/2 a tank of gas and decide to not get on the nearly mile long line.

This day in history "At 12:05 A.M. on this day in 1930, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel between the United States and Canada is officially opened to car traffic. As Windsor Mayor Frederick Jackson had bragged at the tunnel's elaborate dedication ceremony two days before, the structure--the only international subaqueous tunnel in the world--made it possible to "pass from one great country to the other in the short space of three minutes." (For his part, Detroit Mayor Frank Murphy cheered that the project signified "a new appreciation of our desire to preserve peace, friendship, and the brotherhood of man.") The first passenger car through the tunnel was a 1929 Studebaker."

The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel is still filled with an estimated 86 million gallons of water, and from what I read, there is fuel mixed in with the water.  To give you an idea of how much water this is, the tunnel is well over a mile long.  Actually it is a pair of tunnels.  . It consists of twin tubes, carrying four traffic lanes, and at 9,117 feet (2,779 m) is the longest continuous underwater vehicular tunnel in North America.

An engineering marvel for sure, and it will take a modern engineering marvel to drain it and get it back into service.

Like I said earlier, the gas station near us got a fuel delivery.  Guess how fuel gets to all the service stations ? By tanker truck of course.  But how many know about the route the gasoline travels to get from ports to the distribution depots ?  We have one about 5 miles away in Holtsville  ( basically the middle of Long Island ).

Northville gets it's distillates from tankers in Port Jefferson.  Fuel then travels via pipeline (small tunnels) to East Setauket.  From their it travel to the facility on Holtsville.  Finally, trucks of all sizes come to fill up with #2 heating oil, Diesel, and various grades of gasoline for local distribution.

Products are transported directly to the East Setauket Tank Farm by two 16" pipelines, then on to the Holtsville Terminal through one 12" pipeline.  Let's do some math.

East Setauket Tank Farm

Located 3 miles south of Pt. Jefferson, this tank farm has 9 internal floating roof tanks with a total capacity of 950,000 barrels(39,900,000 Gallons).

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Holtsville Terminal

Located 9 miles south of the East Setauket Tank Farm, this facility has 12 floating roof tanks and 3 cone roof tanks. Storage capacity totals 380,000 barrels(15,960,000 Gallons).

We will take the values of 1 million vehicles in Suffolk County as a fairly accurate.  If each vehicle on average can take 15 gallons of fuel, then it would take 15,000,000 gallons to fill each vehicle once.

So, even if Holtsville was filled to the max with gasoline, there would only be supply enough for each car to fill up once.  But since it holds Diesel, #2 Heating oil, and Kerosene.  Without nearly daily deliveries to port, the fuel supply can easily be disrupted in only a couple of days.  Most folks I know fill up about once a week, but demand has also spiked due to the number of generators running on gasoline.

Some relief coming....

Northville Terminal at Port Jefferson opened yesterday with 2.4 million gallons of diesel on site. A barge arrived at midnight Saturday morning with 1 million gallons of gasoline. A barge from Hess Port Reading is expected to arrive today with 1 million gallons gasoline. Other scheduled deliveries include:
· November 4: 1.5 million gallons gasoline
· November 5: 1.5 million gallons gasoline
· November 6: 4 million gallons of gasoline and 5.3 million gallons of diesel

Photo of the day "Holtsville Fuel"

P.S. I ran 3.3 miles this afternoon.  A slow run, with a slight discomfort in the right hamstring.  If we all walk more and conserve fuel, we will be back on track soon.  

Gas Shortage - How to get 41 Miles Per Gallon - Conserve Fuel
Walk to the store and buy some beer !
A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of beer a year. That means
that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon!

Marathon Cancelled :-)

The buzz around the office, for those that could make it there was about gasoline.  Everyone on Long Island knows that there is a shortage, and the scant few deliveries making it to stations, are drained within hours.  Long lines form in an instant.

Most of us have suspended or cancelled any plans that involve driving.  Those fortunate to have power and internet in my line of work (information technology) can work from home.  One of the guys in the office goes out to grab lunch and spots a station on Motor Parkway and LIE service road about to open.  Within seconds, he is 15th on line.

An argument between some folks behind him ensues as cars converge and bumpers touch.  Some pushing and shoving.  We get an email from our co-worker that there is gas and a short line.  A few leave work to get there...arriving 5 minutes later, most turn around as the line is hours long.

This day in history "On November 2, 1986, Norwegian distance runner Grete Waitz wins her eighth New York City marathon. She finished the 26-mile, 385-yard course in 2:28.6, more than a mile ahead of the second- and third-place women in the race. Waitz had won her first marathon in New York in 1978—setting a world record--and she won the NYC marathon again in 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985. In 1988, she won it for the ninth time—something no runner had ever done in any marathon."

There is another buzz as social media erupts with the news that the NY Marathon which was planned for this weekend will still happen.  How can that be when there are so many homeless, without power, and an already overburdened infrastructure.  How can we think of closing bridges and roads in and around the city when most of us have already had a marathon of holding things together in the aftermath of Sandy.

Pressure builds, and finally common sense prevails...the NYC Marathon is cancelled for this weekend.

As school districts scramble to get back on track, and bring students back to classrooms, HS soccer practice resumes.  In a way, this is good and bad as the athletes all need rides to the HS which is miles away...it does however represent a step back to the 'normal routine'.   Car pools form and the boys get together...they have playoff game this week.

I was not able to get an MRI, as the radiology office, even though reopen needs a couple of days to seed the MRI machines.  I guess they are not like our household appliances or computers that need a simple reboot.  I will try a short run again tomorrow.  No marathon for me.  Just trying to get a short run in without coming back limping.

Another piece of good news, is that gasoline shipments to stations that have power should resume this weekend or early next week.  I think priority should be given to those with gas cans for their generators, and a 10 gallon limit imposed to help speed up the lines and fill the needs of more people.  Half a tank in both cars, so we continue to conserve.

Photo of the day "Marathon Cancelled"

Staying ahead

Up early and out on the road to get to work before the traffic or crazy drivers.  With lights out all over the place, every intersection is a scary sight.  When I get to the LIE, I see that it is blocked at my entrance.  I am forced east and after a few miles, I am able to turn around and start heading west.  LIPA got to my intersection before me today...Are they staying ahead.

Once at work , the fun begins.  A constant barrage of calls, and meetings to get things repaired and working after the storm knocked out services all over NYC.  I accommodate visitors and welcome back folks who have not made it to the office until today.  We are staying ahead of the issues, at least I want to think I am staying ahead.

This day in history " The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, one of Italian artist Michelangelo's finest works, is exhibited to the public for the first time.
Michelangelo Buonarroti, the greatest of the Italian Renaissance artists, was born in the small village of Caprese in 1475. The son of a government administrator, he grew up in Florence, a center of the early Renaissance movement, and became an artist's apprentice at age 13. Demonstrating obvious talent, he was taken under the wing of Lorenzo de' Medici, the ruler of the Florentine republic and a great patron of the arts. After demonstrating his mastery of sculpture in such works as the Pieta (1498) and David (1504), he was called to Rome in 1508 to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel—the chief consecrated space in the Vatican."

Away from work, I make some fish and chips for dinner.  I have some work tonight setup for St Louis to re-engineer a service.  I check in and find that it is not working out.  We are just trying to stay ahead.  It is now 10pm, and I have to keep trying to help get a service restored.  We are falling behind.

I did take a quick ride on the exercise bike to see if my leg would tolerate it.  7 miles in 30 minutes and no issue.  My doctors office called today and I got my pre-certification for MRI.  I sure hope they find something because I really want to run.

If I run, a I am sure I will be "Staying ahead"

Does my Magic Number Drop if I biked instead of running ?  Hey, I am just trying to Stay Ahead...

Trick or Treat

With Halloween coming only days after the Hurricane Sandy wrecked the east coast, we thought there would be a scant few trick or treaters.

Most pumpkins, hay, corn stalks, and other suitable Halloween decorations are no where in sight.

All schools are closed, 90% of Long Island has no power.  Trees and power lines down.

Sue ventures out to find candy, just in case.


This day in history "On this day, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle, is published. The book was the first collection of Holmes stories, which Conan Doyle had been publishing in magazines since 1887.
Conan Doyle was born in Scotland and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, where he met Dr. Joseph Bell, a teacher with extraordinary deductive power. Bell partly inspired Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes years later."

Sue scores some candy at handy pantry and then scopes out the local streets for a safe place to trick or treat.  It's not like the old days when we had a cart and a big group of youngins in tow.  Luke for the first time in several years, pre-bought a morph suit so he and his teenage friends could go trick or treating.

Not to be disappointed, his friends came over to our house from afar....They went out and collected candy and had some fun.  If even for a few hours, they forgot about the devastation and horror that has been in the media.  We are one of the lucky families that still has power and has been watching the storm and it's aftermath.

We get a pretty good flow of trick or treaters.  The little ones coming up the walk and ringing the bell are so cute.

I make some Kale chips as a snack....kale chips=trick, candy=treat

Let's hope next year is even better.  I tried to jog a little the other day.  Less than 2 miles completed and the right hamstring muscles started to hurt...some more ice and alleve.  I called the Ortho, Aetna, and Carecore...they dropped the ball last week as there is no record my pre-certification for MRI.

Magic Number 234 (with only 2 months left, and a bum leg, I may not make it)

Photo of the day "Trick or Treat"