irene, the aftermath

Most stores on Broadway closed yesterday (Zabar's closed at 3:00 pm) and remain shuttered today, though the Internet at McDonald's is apparently still up and running. There is barely any traffic, and you don't have to wait for stoplights. Not that we do much anyway. The 83rd Street entrance to Riverside Park is closed due to a fallen tree.
     All in all, we had a worse storm just a week ago on the Upper White Side.
     Block Island reports that nor'easters are much worse than Irene was—they are just as powerful and last for three days. Power's still on there. We don't have the tree issue.
     Power is out in Hollistan, Mass., and Woonsocket, R.I., where rain came through the windows.  Erin lost a tree, which fortunately doesn't seem to have fallen on the house.
      And that's the way it is.