LBI Update

My friend's brother is a long beach twp police officer and has been down to Holgate a few times in the past few days. She posted this info from him:

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1. Holgate is still not safe to venture into. Homes are about to fall, and there is debris everywhere. They have no idea of when people will be allowed back.

2. There is about 5 ft of sand that you will have to climb in order to get to your homes. You cannot drive, you have to walk. Please keep in mind that there is glass, metal and chemicals in this sand.
3. The trailer park is in shambles. There is no way to venture in there. As of yesterday they were not inspected but that could have changed. I know it's a top priority to get in there.
4. The "water" you see in the streets is NOT water. It is sewage...again this will be in the sand that you need to walk through to get to your house.
5. Looters WERE caught in Holgate, who came by boat. They were not successful. They are trying to keep it as safe as possible, so please do not let this stress you out. A missing tv is the least of anyone's problems at this point. Plus, they will go through all that trouble and the damn thing probably won't even work!
6. Even if you get to your house, you do not know if the structure is safe. No one should go in their house until it is checked.
7. 20-30 ft waves went down our streets. Every home has water damage, some just knocked completely off if the foundations.
8. 1 surfer was rescued who came by boat.
9. They are estimating 6 months before the gas is turned back on. The lines are broken and a big mess. EVERYTHING needs to be redone.
10. He says they are working at an incredible pace. They have already made great strides. They are currently rebuilding the dunes to protect what's left, from this oncoming nor'easter.

Everyone please just be patient. The more people do not cooperate, the more time you are taking the professionals away from doing their jobs. Please brace yourselves for the worst. According to my brother, it is a war zone and 10x worse than any picture you've seen. They are not letting us in for a reason...it is not safe. The look on my brothers face was something i cant even describe. he is one of us...he cannot enter our home either, as it is crooked and the foundation is destroyed. Please just let my brother and the rest of the LBTPD do their jobs and stop giving them additional things to deal with. They ARE doing the best they can.

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(Beach One Pavilion...)

Hurricane Aftermath

Still trying to get information about LBI... finding random pictures friends and other LBI twitter accounts are posting and it doesn't look good. Gathered some of the pictures to share here:

Link to an article with pics ... and very sad video: Vidoe & Pics

Some pictures I've gathered from postings (Tuesday, October 30th, 2012):

(The Shell)

(Holgate)

(the south end of island)

(remains of the shack?)

(used to be the bird sanctuary parking lot)

(beach entrance near deli...)

Hurricane Sandy

I haven't used this blog source in some time, but I felt it might be a good way to showcase the pictures I have seen from LBI in one place.

Here's a link to an article with some pictures: The Sandpaper

And now the pictures I've gathered from Monday, October 29th, 2012:

(Bay Village)

(The Shack still standing...)

(Holgate)

(Pictures courtesy of my friend Scott Mazzella, as well as random Twitter/Facebook accounts posting from LBI...)

Music Monday

Discovering new music is exciting, especially if it’s a band that’s not quite popular yet, you almost feel like it’s a hidden gem. I’ve even added an app to my iPhone that keeps me updated on the bands that are playing in Philadelphia, from World Café Live to Johnny Brenda’s - - the app is called Philly Concert Hub (PCH) if you are interested.

I’ll share a few bands I’ve seen recently or am planning to see, but remember you heard it here first!

Library Voices: an indie pop band from Regina, Saskatchewan. Yes, they’re Canadian! There were about seven of them on stage and they sounded tremendous. For those who are musically inclined, the instruments they used included a Baritone Sax, a Gibson Night Hawk and a 12-string electric guitar. (MySpace)

Truth & Salvage Co.: self-described as “psychedelic country rock n roll.” A friend of mine discovered them in California and found out they were here in Philly last week so we went to see them last minute. I was pleasantly surprised – I’m not a big fan of country music, but it’s not overly country-twangy sounding if you know what I mean. (MySpace / Facebook)

Liz Longley: singer/songwriter, under the pop/adult contemporary genre. You’ve heard me talk about Jesse Ruben, well this is a friend of his from Berklee College of Music in Boston. She has a beautiful voice; I suggest you check her out. (MySpace / Facebook)

Fall Friday

Just wanted to share some pretty pictures I took outside my house on this lovely day...

Love the way the light hits the leaves...

Such vibrant colors.

Tuesday’s Tunes

This weekend singer/songwriter Jesse Ruben was in his hometown of Philadelphia and put on two performances. Friday night he was at MilkBoy in the city and Saturday at Mad River in Manayunk. He was raising money for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and his endeavor to run the New York City Marathon next month.

There were raffles, prizes, music and drinks – what more can you ask for? Check out pictures and videos from the weekend on his Fan Page, and continue to follow along his budding career!

(Song performing: Unbreakable >>> He wrote it about his father; has great lyrics that most people probably can/could relate to sometime in their lives)

Truthful Tuesday

I’m going to take a quick minute today to point out something that is underrated in life, and I personally can attest to it: Balance. People too often allow only one aspect of their lives to define who they are, when really we should all strive to be well-rounded. A few things have led me to this consciousness:

1. Having some personal realizations dealing with my career and private life within the past year that made me step back, take a breath and reevaluate.
2. Speaking with a few people who aren’t from this country, rather from a place that’s not so job-centralized and there’s more focus enjoying life as a whole.
3. Trying to view situations in a non-traditional angle and attempt to put things in perspective.

With that said, I really enjoyed reading this blog (link below) about balance. It’s just the tip of the iceberg, but Michele has a few good suggestions on how little changes could help acquire some balance, or as I’d like to say, clarity in your life. Take a look:

Healthrough Action: Holding Life in Balance


**One thing I would like to add to her list is re-examining the people in your life. Moments are precious, so spend your time wisely with those who matter. And as hard as it might be, try to separate yourself from, or at least recognize the ones that seem to have toxic and negative influences on your life.