WOW!!! WHAT A BLAST - BLIZZARD OF 2010.
I went to work in Manhattan yesterday for my usual 4pm to midnight
shift at the hospital. Stayed and did a double shift. Left the hospital
at 8am this morning - couldn't stay any longer than 16 hours at
a time. The snow had stopped but we still had the wind gusts. Had
no trouble getting out of the City - very little traffic on 23rd
Street, 7th Ave, Holland Tunnel, and then had a little trouble after
I got out of the Holland Tunnel there in Jersey City and then on
to the Pulaski Skyway.
Decided to not take a chance and go my usual way over by 1&9
and the Tonnelle Circle and the old truck road into Kearny/Harrison/Newark.
Lots of cars stuck on the side of the roads but my Subaru handled
it like a champ. Came through down neck on Raymond Blvd and into
downtown Newark with a few slight problems and then on to Rte 21
- McCarter Highway. No major problems up till that point. Made the
turns to get near my house and got on to Broadway and FORGETABOUTIT!!!
None of the side streets up in this area had been plowed although
the main streets -Bloomfield Ave, Broadway, and Broad Street, were
but driving was still difficult. Couldn't get anywhere near my house.
At one point I thought I could make it through Summer Ave from
2nd Ave to Van Wagenen but got stuck in the snow there and a few
guys gave me a push and I was on my way. After driving up and down
the streets in this area I pulled into the parking lot of a nursing
home nearby - the old ESSEX CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL - and TRUDGED my
way through the streets to my house. My entire block - Van Wagenen
Street - was snowed in with about 3 feet of snow. Had to practically
crawl my way up my front stoop and push 3 feet of snow away from
my front door with my hands.
Went to the john and then went back to get my car out of the parking
lot before it got towed away. Drove downtown and thought I'd put
the car in a downtown parking garage - Military Park or a few others
in that area. Forget about it. The streets surrounding most of the
garages were still not plowed 9 am. Had a bright idea. I drove to
a diner I usually go to over in East Newark - Top's - and their
HUGE parking lot had already been plowed. Spoke with the owner whom
I've known for years. He was kind enough to let me leave my car
in his parking lot till tomorrow.
Walked back home - over the Clay Street Bridge, up to Broad Street,
up to Broadway, and then onto Van Wagenen Street. Trudged through
the still unplowed streets - for about three miles and collapsed
into my bed - right around noon. One great thing - by the time I
got home some of my neighbors kids had shoveled the snow from the
front of my house - nice to have GREAT NEIGHBORS - remember those
days? Yes, we still have nice neighbors here in Newark.
Went to bed right away. Woke up at 4pm and still no snow plows
have come through my street and if today is anything like the past
they might not be through my street for 2 to 3 days. We had close
to three feet of snow in areas. Temp right now is 24 degrees here
in Newark. The "official" snow count is 24.2 inches here
in Newark. Anyway, that's the report from Newark, NJ. Would have
loved to gone over to Branch Brook Park but was too tired to do
so when I got home.
Enjoy the snow.
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