Sitting in the comfort of my mom's living room in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, far from the flooded, dark streets of New York, I watch the devastation on television like any other viewer from any other part of the world.  It is hard to believe that just 48 hours ago Ombretta and I were hurricane refugees living in our darkened, communications-less apartment with candles, flashlights and our fireplace to keep us in light and warmth.  Our cell phone batteries, along with those of our computers ran out early.  And finding food was a challenge, but here I am, safe and sound on the west coast of Canada.

Ombretta and I were VERY fortunate to have had virtually no flooding, fires or other serious issues.  Seeing what other New Yorkers endured/are enduring is heartbreaking...  But - as has been oftened said, and being one I know - New Yorkers are a resiliant breed.  They are quickly getting back to their regular routines.  The clean up is underway.  And people are looking forward.

It was right to cancel the NY Marathon, on second consideration.  The City is not up to staging that world class event in the state that it is in.  I support the Mayor's new position.  Sport has an important role to play in our lives, but it is not appropriate to celebrate sport and international athletes when so many local citizens are on their knees.

Experiencing Mother Nature's wrath up close and personal is not something I would have ever expected to do in the form of a hurricane in NYC, but now that we have experienced two in two years, I am grateful to the grace of God that Ombretta and I were left untouched.  A heartfelt thanks to all of our dear friends and colleagues from around the world who checked in with us during this extraordinary time!  Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers; they were very much appreciated.