rus vanwestervelt

The Single Moment Holds Infinite Possibilities
December 21st, 2012 by rusvw

Part III: Final Segment of My Interview with Jodi Cleghorn and Adam Byatt, authors of Postmarked: Piper’s Reach

In April 2012, two Australian writers — Jodi Cleghorn and Adam Byatt — began an ambitious collaborative project traversing an odd path between old and new forms of communication, differing modalities of storytelling and mixed media, all played out in real and suspended time. The project has at its heart a love of letter writing and music.

It’s called Postmarked: Piper’s Reach, and I am hooked.

Late last month, as Season Two was coming to a climactic conclusion, I found myself so intrigued by the development of the story — old lovers reunited through letters 20 years later — that I collaborated with authors Jodi and Adam about their Postmarked: Piper’s Reach project. I sent them eight rather detailed questions, and they returned a 4,000-word missive that gives us all more than we could ever hope for.

Their website includes copies of the handwritten letters sent to each other in “real time,” as well as numerous other interviews and relevant material in experiencing fully the Postmarked series of letters.

What follows is the final installment of a three-part interview (part one was published on December 17 and can be read here; part two was run on December 19 and can be read here).

*** *** ***

RVW: When it comes to how readers react to a writer’s piece of writing, Robert Frost once said (and I paraphrase here), “I just write the poems; what you do with them is your own business.” The way you have shared this story with your readers, however, in a very interactive format, must make it virtually impossible to not be bothered with your readers’ “own business.” Some of your readers – myself included – have become very emotionally involved with the story for very personal reasons, and the magnitude of the story’s effect on real people, in real time, is unavoidable. How does this change the seriousness with which you handle each letter, and what kind of pressure does that place on each of you to “satisfy” the readers who are just on the other side of the ‘net, waiting anxiously to read and respond?

JODI: The interactivity has its pros and cons.

I remember being really bothered with a comment made about EL—I think it was that she was a ‘cock tease’. At the time, it looked like she’d been stringing Jude along, saying she wouldn’t go to the reunion, but went to Piper’s that weekend, then said she wouldn’t go to the actual event, but did. And then they slept together.

I was worried EL was on the verge of being demonised and I’d tried hard to ensure she’d been humanised despite her failings, her love for Jude the biggest one.

But, you take it on the chin and know if you’re evoking strong reactions in readers, positive or negative, you’re doing your job as a writer. Ambivalence is the silent death.

ADAM: Readers will be dismayed, shocked, upset, annoyed etc at what Jude does, but they understand that this is who he is. The fact our readers have such visceral responses is very humbling.

JODI: What the fan base changes, for me, is the impetus to write. Not just to keep that barrier between reader comment and each new letter penned, but to ensure there is new content each week (especially now the 12 week buffer is sometimes less than 2 weeks). My friend Jessica Bell recently talked to me about her need to release a book in 2013 to keep her fans happy and I understand that better now.

But, would the world crumble if next Tuesday a new letter didn’t appear on the website/in your inbox?

ADAM: Recently I wrote a post for Write Anything about this topic. My first commitment is to the purpose of the project, then to the consistency of my character. I cannot let readers’ opinions sway how I create Jude. He is a character who has to act within the parameters of who he is, not what other people see in him. I treat each letter very seriously but focus on developing the character and the narrative.

I had one of our readers, a colleague at work, say to me that she would recognise EL and Jude if they were to walk down the street. I think that’s a testament to the authenticity of our characters.

JODI: Due consideration to consistency and authenticity are the spawns of the fan base (especially when you consider all the letters are first draft, unedited material!)

When I came to write EL in transition between Coranderk Bend and Sydney I was a mess. It took me six weeks to find a way in and then I was dogged with doubts. Had I got it right? I knew the readers would absolutely pick up my failure to nail her voice, thoughts, actions. What if the readers didn’t connect with this new EL and her course of action? What if they didn’t believe what she’d do/react/think?

But to write of my potential fallibility as a writer, discredits EL. She is absolutely her own woman and when I sit to write her for a few hours I am her. You only have to see me when I come out of the ‘EL fugue’ to understand it is like a socially accepted form of possession.

ADAM: Recently we’ve coined a phrase: WWRT (What Would Rus Think). It comes out of your insights, Rus, into our characters. We anticipate the deconstruction and perspectives you bring to our characters because we are so enmeshed and tangled in our characters. Not that we are writing in response to your comments, Rus, but that we appreciate the insight you bring. It makes us better story tellers.

JODI: I am certain your richly drawn and deeply insightful commentary is as much a draw card to Piper’s Reach each week Rus, as the actual letters. And for that, we are deeply indebted to you.

RVW: As far as the storyline is concerned, are all options still on the plate (e.g., another reunion)? Or have you created a “won’t go there” list between the two of you that keeps the direction of the story on a narrowed track?

ADAM: The beauty of the NSP means anything is possible.

JODI: A no go list… hell no! It’s open slather.

I admit I had a hankering for a reunion at the end of Season Two until I considered what would force EL out of the wilderness and back to Piper’s Reach… and I don’t want Adam to do what my mind concocts as worst case scenario.

I keep pleading for Adam not to crush Jude!

ADAM: Readers can guess at where the narrative might head based on what has happened but we can support or subvert it.

JODI: And probably will!

RVW: Actors often have a problem with “letting go” of a certain character they have been portraying for a certain amount of time, and they remain in-character for some period after the last curtain drops. Do you envision that, when Piper’s Reach concludes, you will feel the same way about Jude and EL?

ADAM: We’ve joked at various times we will need some serious therapy when this concludes.

JODI: I’ve already done part one of my therapy of letting EL go in writing a story called “Nothing New To Begin” (it’s currently under consideration for a short story prize here in Australia). The story explores the process of letting a character go when I couldn’t envisage a life without EL, much less actually letting her die. Perhaps I had to accept the possibility of her death before I could cast her into the danger of testifying at the Francos’ trial and the possibility of not making it back to Jude.

ADAM:I know Jodi had EL as a fully formed character from the start. Jude began as a shadow of a man, a mere sketch I filled in as I went. He is now a fully fledged character. To say goodbye to him will be bittersweet because part of him is me. There are parts of Jude’s narrative, his personality and character that are reflections of me (except the adultery) I built into him in the first season until he was his own person, and I think Jodi would say there are parts of her in EL.

It will feel like a little death when I have to say farewell to Jude.

JODI: The real question is how do the readers feel about letting go of EL and Jude? Will we see farewell parties spring up across the globe upon receipt of the final letter.

My idea for letting go is a road trip—a few days of therapy on the wide open roads to see if we can find all the fictional places (The Point, the McCracken House, the lighthouse, EL’s cottage, Piper’s Reach fish and chip shop, Ginny Laine’s beach house) amid the real geographical markers (Eden, Coffs Harbour, Narooma). One bottle or two of chocolate port to ride shotgun, Adam?

For now I’ll enjoy this part of the journey and be grateful for the blessing bestowed on me working with Adam on this narrative.

RVW: Lastly, is there anything your readers have not caught on to the story of Jude and EL that surprises you? If so, do you feel – individually or as a team – like you need to be more deliberate in pushing that concept or subplot?

JODI: What has surprised me is the ambivalence of the readership to what EL faces in Sydney—the true extent of the danger. But I think that has been in part EL playing it down and only recently sharing the full extent of her past. Perhaps also, it has to do with Jude’s inability to grasp the enormity of what EL has gone to do. As the only sounding board within the narrative, I think the lack of reaction from Jude has dulled the sharp edge of the danger.

It’s got nothing to do with either Adam or I missing the chance to push the concept, but an artefact of the organic narrative. I’m certain the readers will change their stance and fully engage with the peril EL has put herself in and what that means for her and for Jude as the present truly unfolds for them both across the next month. At a time when EL needs Jude more than she has ever needed him before, he’s beyond her in a way that threatens to destroy her.

ADAM: What amazes me is the depth of awareness and understanding our readers give to Jude and Ella-Louise. They articulate, often quite profoundly, the characteristics of Jude and Ella-Louise, whereas I am simply writing a character. I am not consciously creating a character in terms of “complex,” “depthed,” “mature,” “selfish” etc. I describe what he does and what he thinks. Everyone else does the analysis for me.
*** *** ***

We encourage your comments and input about the epistolary form, the series, and the authors during the run of this three-part series.

Posted in Postmarked: Piper's Reach | 1 Comment »

December 19th, 2012 by rusvw

Part II of III: Interview with Jodi Cleghorn and Adam Byatt, authors of Postmarked: Piper’s Reach

In April 2012, two Australian writers — Jodi Cleghorn and Adam Byatt — began an ambitious collaborative project traversing an odd path between old and new forms of communication, differing modalities of storytelling and mixed media, all played out in real and suspended time. The project has at its heart a love of letter writing and music.

It’s called Postmarked: Piper’s Reach, and I am hooked.

Late last month, as Season Two was coming to a climactic conclusion, I found myself so intrigued by the development of the story — old lovers reunited through letters 20 years later — that I collaborated with authors Jodi and Adam about their Postmarked: Piper’s Reach project. I sent them eight rather detailed questions, and they returned a 4,000-word missive that gives us all more than we could ever hope for.

Their website includes copies of the handwritten letters sent to each other in “real time,” as well as numerous other interviews and relevant material in experiencing fully the Postmarked series of letters.

What follows is the second of a three-part interview (part one was published on December 17 and can be read here; part three will run on December 21).

*** *** ***

RVW: Have there been situations in the first two seasons where you felt limited by the epistolary form? Authors who have, in the past, published their work annually solely through the print medium are now finding the need to satisfy fans’ cravings for more writing between books via blogs and social media networks. Have you thought about possibly utilizing the website and social sites such as Facebook and Twitter to provide more details and supplementary materials (character sketches, maps of Piper’s Reach, etc.) to fill in the gaps created by the epistolary form? Or, do you see this as the ultimate challenge in brevity, revealing everything to the reader through letters only?  

ADAM: The letter is the ultimate challenge in brevity. The voyeuristic nature of reading private letters is a greater benefit to our readership and the narrative than lots of background information. We know we are writing a narrative, but also aware we are writing letters. There is a fine tension between the two and I think we’ve been successful. The readers have had to take Jude and Ella-Louise at face value and extrapolate from the letters the shared history and experiences. I feel it makes for a more authentic reading experience as the readers are able to follow their reconnection and current history.

JODI: I think the fact there is new content every week assists with feeding the fans’ cravings.

It was my need to explore beyond the epistolary constraints that saw the creation of additional content. But it’s a literary spoor (left mainly by me) and rarely talked about, much less pointed to. Search through our blogs and you’ll find smatterings of short stories, vignettes, scripts and poems that compliment (I hope) the letters. I even managed to get Adam to write something PMPR related without him knowing it.

ADAM: In our initial planning, Jodi and I were going to write the notes Jude and Ella-Louise passed to each other during high school. We wanted to develop a measure of authenticity about our characters, explore the development of their relationship and who they were as teenagers but it lasted for only two notes.

It would be fun to develop their backstory through images, web pages, twitter feeds, but ultimately I want the narrative to speak for itself.

JODI: The music is really the only steadfast supplementary tool we use, in and out of the letters. While Adam and I absolutely will never discuss future plot points we will drop “a new EL & Jude” song into Facebook or Twitter. It’s like a secret language that doesn’t break the NSP.

ADAM: And we have talked about writing a screenplay for television for Piper’s Reach and that may be an opportunity to develop the backstory and relationship when they were in high school.

JODI: Complete with agreement on the opening scene of Jude pulling up at his folks’ place, and going inside to find EL’s letter there. Which of course provoked discussions about what song would be playing on the radio and what song would accompany the flashback of EL and Jude at The Point during the opening credits!

ADAM: We have a Facebook page—originally set up to bring both sides of fandom together, but more recently we’ve encouraged Posties to return to the website and comment on there.

JODI: My hope is one day PMPR will have the same ardent following that Constantine Markide’s Fourth Fiction had in 2009 along with the rampant commenting. Though I wonder, if we’ve already seen the rise and fall of the blog as the central platform for commentary?

ADAM: What if we were to offer the original letters for sale?

RVW: When writers compose stories, they usually have the luxury of drafting an outline, selecting a theme or point of character evolution that readers can relate to and take with them long after the story has finished. In its simplest terms, the writer gets to craft a bigger purpose to the piece. In Piper’s Reach, however, the writing is so reactionary to the letters that are received, and there isn’t much of an opportunity to really create that bigger purpose for the story (aside from the virtual immediacy of the story unfolding as it might in real life; in some ways, it rivals The Truman Show where we are voyeuristically experiencing their story one letter at a time).  The NSP is part of the magic that is so appealing to readers. What temptations do you face in resisting collaboration about the direction of this story and in developing that bigger purpose for the readers? What do you do to keep those temptations in check?

ADAM: There is a bigger purpose to Post Marked: Piper’s Reach, which is on the blog, and in rereading it, we have fulfilled those aims. In particular, we have fulfilled the narrative purpose by exploring the lives of two individuals reconnecting in real time. It is a “real life” narrative and mimics and mirrors the lives of individuals.

JODI: In Season 2 we see EL and Jude mirrored not just in the words they write but in the way these letters are written, sent and read: huge gaps of silence then mad outpourings; distance; uncertainty; utter disconnection. It’s the sort of thing you could never cleverly plot or plan for: the simplicity of process as metaphor.

ADAM: The temptation in breaking the NSP is to “solve” the problems we have created for our characters, but it would be contrary to what we have established.

JODI: As such, the temptation has been huge for me in the last six weeks not because both narrative threads are a magnificent crescendo, but because the narrative is so broken, an absolute tangle of the past, present and future—I was afraid of creating inconsistencies if the letters crossed.

Adam and I discussed this and we conceded, if need be, we’d corroborate on a series of dates (such as when the trial began/finished) and basic events (what happens at the trial) and leave the rest of it to interpretation and reaction. We haven’t had to do that, because to date we’ve kept events fluid—both EL and Jude in limbo from their combined and individual predicaments. When dates and events require permanence, or the narrative creates it, we know how to approach it.

ADAM: Both of us are invested in our characters, who they are and what they have become. We created them and they operate how we understand them. Trying to tell the other how to write their character would contravene the purpose of the project. I keep the temptation in check by thinking ahead.

JODI: I resist the temptation by thinking backward! By talking to Adam about what has passed.

For example: I dropped Ginny into a letter, Adam fleshed it out and once committed to paper it’s free for deconstruction. When we talked about it, we found (not surprisingly) we came at Ginny and Bill from very different angles. What will emerge is Ginny and Bill as a reflection of life; how we interpret it through our own filters. EL absolutely thought Bill wanted her to tell Jude (she calls it building a bridge between them) but we find out from Jude’s letter Bill was shocked Jude knew.

Ginny and Bill’s story will become an artefact of how the different roles we play in life shape the narratives we develop and share—what Bill tells Jude is very different to what he tells EL, defined by his different relationship (and inherent expectations) with the two of them. When I dropped Ginny into the letter, it was only because EL told me! I saw her and Bill on the beach and Bill pointing up to the house. All this cleverness is only accessible in hindsight!

Readers are free to take the example of Bill and Ginny and reflect/speculate on what it means in terms of the narrative EL and Jude share. What truly shapes it? What is the purpose of it for each of them?

ADAM: We deconstruct each letter once it’s read, talking over what we said and what happened. It helps to understand each character further. I can foresee a proper collaboration in the future where we sit down and map out the narrative arc and thematic purpose, but the immediacy of this project gives Post Marked: Piper’s Reach its own thematic concern and purpose.

At some point we may have to break the NSP and decide where to end the narrative, or it may simply come to a natural conclusion.

*** *** ***

Be sure to read Part Three of this three-part interview right here on December 21, 2012. We encourage your comments and input about the epistolary form, the series, and the authors during the run of this three-part series.

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Posted in Author Interviews | No Comments »

December 17th, 2012 by rusvw

Author Interview: Jodi Cleghorn and Adam Byatt from Postmarked: Piper’s Reach

In April 2012, two Australian writers — Jodi Cleghorn and Adam Byatt — began an ambitious collaborative project traversing an odd path between old and new forms of communication, differing modalities of storytelling and mixed media, all played out in real and suspended time. The project has at its heart a love of letter writing and music.

It’s called Postmarked: Piper’s Reach, and I am hooked.

Late last month, as Season Two was coming to a climactic conclusion, I found myself so intrigued by the development of the story — old lovers reunited through letters 20 years later — that I collaborated with authors Jodi and Adam about their Postmarked: Piper’s Reach project. I sent them eight rather detailed questions, and they returned a 4,000-word missive that gives us all more than we could ever hope for.

Their website includes copies of the handwritten letters sent to each other in “real time,” as well as numerous other interviews and relevant material in experiencing fully the Postmarked series of letters.

What follows is the first of a three-part interview (parts two and three will run on December 19 and 21, respectively).

*** *** ***

RVW: The form that you have chosen – epistolary – provides both advantages and challenges, both for the writers and the readers. Up to this point, the letter writing has been exclusively between Jude and EL. Throughout both seasons, though, you have introduced minor characters that have played a rather significant role in the story. Have you considered the possibility of having the two main characters write letters to – or receive letters from – some of those secondary characters as a means of furthering the depth of the plot and the backstory?

ADAM: Writing an epistolary narrative limits the focus you give to the characters and to the readers. It is a narrow perspective for the reader, that of the individual character and his/her choices of what to talk about in a letter.

Expanding the scope of the narrative to include other characters/narrators has not entered our discussions, and may yet, but for the foreseeable future, secondary characters will remain as sidelines to our main protagonists, Jude and Ella-Louise.

JODI: Laura and I did actually talk about this several months ago (Adam hits the floor and says, ‘You never told me this!’ (Adam – “You never told me this!”) I’d been brewing the idea of sending EL away for the trial for a while and part of the process was considering the implications of breaking the normal lines of communication. And Laura was keen to write, enamoured with the whole concept.

I saw a pile of Jude’s letters gathering on a bench somewhere (Ava’s house, EL’s cottage) and wondered at what point Ava would write to Jude and say, ‘I’m sorry. She’s gone and I don’t know where she went.’

Then… ‘EL and Jude happened’ at the McCracken House and I knew EL would never disappear without a word, not to Jude. Not even in the wake of his silent departure.

The possibility ended with Laura’s own insight into Ava: ‘She would just ring Jude.’

ADAM: Secondary characters (like Bill, Jude’s father) provide another perspective to Jude and Ella-Louise and their predicament. These characters add depth of understanding to how Jude and Ella-Louise act/interact/react, but the reader is only able to see what Jude and Ella-Louise share. It allows Ella-Louise and Jude to remain true to their own agendas and ideas. The story is about their relationship and to alter it now, adding in additional narrators, would alter the trajectory of the narrative.

JODI: And for all intents and purposes the idea of communicating via handwritten letters is really an archaic idea in this hyperconnected world; it belongs to twenty years ago, much like EL and Jude. I’m not really sure whom else around them would have a buy-in via this mode of communication. Rebecca, perhaps: yeah I know, how many readers would love there to be a letter from Rebecca to EL? Or Marion: a cease and desist order from the woman I’ve always had in my head as being utterly over-protective of her only son! Or Zeke: a lovelorn letter born on clouds of plaster dust and promises. Or one of Season Two’s new players: Bryan, Ginny Laine, Dario?

RVW: Because you have a No-Spoilers Policy (NSP), I imagine it is quite the challenge for each of you to resist the temptation to “steer” the story in one direction or another based on the new details you reveal (especially about the backstory) in each new letter. Is it like a game of chess, where you are plotting letters two and three in advance? Or is it a more fluid, write-as-you-receive approach?

ADAM: We do try and steer the narrative in one direction or the other, in very subtle ways. Jodi is a master of it; she has been responsible for providing a lot of Jude’s backstory, although I am the one responsible for dropping them into the predicament they are in now, when I didn’t think it would go there.

JODI: I drop hints (though I’ve learnt subtly is lost on Adam and Jude) or make mention of something (Ginny Laine, a busted knee) and let Adam build on it, but ultimately PMPR has been a huge lesson in letting go. I can’t definitively commandeer the narrative in [insert proposed map-capped ill-conceived direction], but yes, we both have the power of influence.

ADAM: Jodi did try and steer one narrative angle that I completely missed.

JODI: Oh yeah…I totally tried to drop a pregnancy into the mix, because a weekend of rampant sex with no real thought to the consequences begged a life-long consequence. I wanted to see how Jude dealt with that!

But I set up very early on in my head that EL couldn’t have children. So I pushed a direction I knew it couldn’t go, but Adam wasn’t privy to any of this, which meant it was a thread that could absolutely have been picked up. Ultimately the push failed and I learned the narrative is its own beast to which I serve. Not the other way around.

ADAM: As a character, Jude is not privy to the information held by Ella-Louise. In a similar way, because Jude was not a fully-fledged character at the beginning of the series, more a generic ‘everyman’ character, defined and developed as the series progressed. Thus, he sees things in a linear fashion, cause-and-effect.

Therefore it is a fluid write-as-I-receive approach. After reading once, I read the letter a second time and make notes as I go on the back of the envelope, recording what happened and what I might plot in terms of where I want to take Jude. I react to what Ella-Louise writes (as if I were Jude) because Jude is a more reactive character; he lacks the forward momentum Ella-Louise has. He can see that she is driven in ways he is not; she has an agenda which conflicts with who he is and what she wants him to be.

I have one or two ideas up my sleeve about what I want to do to Jude (but Jodi has begged me NOT to crush Jude too harshly) but it is dependent on what transpires between each letter.

I know where I want to take Jude, but do you want me to take him there?

JODI: I’m a big picture person. I throw threads in all directions and wait to see if at some point they can be gathered and pulled together (or not!). Adam’s is a more linear framework, compared to my nebulous approach. In an organic narrative both approaches fit together beautifully.

I’m super patient, prepared to wait months, across ten or twelve letters for a plot point to develop. It’s like taking a Polaroid but having to wait weeks and months to see what the final photo is. A bit like waiting on the outcome of Jude and EL’s first meeting.

ADAM: As we approached the school reunion in June, part of me wanted Jude to fall, and to fall spectacularly. Jude and Ella-Louise had been flirting with their history, recounting past experiences and the modern Jude was still in love with the girl he knew twenty years ago.

Throughout Season 1 Jodi and I (unspoken mind you due to the NSP) danced around the issue of “would they or wouldn’t they?” We were both hoping they would.

JODI: But, the better I got to know Jude, the more I resigned myself to the fact they wouldn’t. It seemed implausible for Jude to seduce EL. I felt, if it were left to me to write the post-reunion letter, I could not push him to do that. And EL, well despite still being in love with Jude, she had begun a retreat from flirtations months earlier. I couldn’t see her pushing their relationship toward the bedroom (and frankly I think she was too scared of the possibility of being rejected: thus we got, ‘If you touch me I’ll shatter.)

ADAM: I was tempted to let Jude remain as he was, unable to do anything. It was a text from Jodi that tipped the scales and gave me the impetus to push in a different direction.

Jude’s act of adultery at the end of Season 1 changed the narrative dramatically and has made for an interesting second season, particularly with Ella-Louise separated in Sydney. It leaves them physically separated and unable to deal with the current situation while Ella-Louise deals with her past.

*** *** ***

Be sure to read Part Two of this three-part interview right here on December 19, 2012. We encourage your comments and input about the epistolary form, the series, and the authors during the run of this three-part series.

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Posted in Author Interviews, Postmarked: Piper's Reach | 6 Comments »

November 22nd, 2012 by rusvw

If I Ran The Holiday – Adapted from Dr. Seuss in Honor of Black Friday

If I Ran The Holiday

By Rus VanWestervelt

Adapted from Dr. Seuss’ “If I Ran The Zoo”

 

It’s a pretty good day,
Said Billy Big Box Store.
And the reason it’s around,
Is loaded with good ‘lore.

But if I ran the holiday,
Said Billy Big Box Dee,
I’d make a few changes,
All for the better – You’ll see.

The cranberries and stuffings and that kind of stuff,
Are all nice and tasty, but that’s no longer enough.
You have family time online in chat rooms galore.
That’s plenty of WE time; now I’ve got something more!

See, I’d open each store and unlock every gate,
Let the flyers fly out and warn “Don’t Be Late!”
They’d announce their big sales many weeks in advance,
And invite the hungry customers to the Black Friday Dance.

Only this dance begins Thursday – no Wednesday at least!
With TVs and Dollies and the latest electronic beast!
You’ve got money? We’ve got THE sale!
Now forget all those families and go check your email!

We sent you hundreds of coupons and incentives since last month,
For tablets and cameras and other great stuff.
It’s everything you need for that great family time,
That you can spend together later when sales aren’t so prime.

You say you got everything? You are staying away?
What a mistake! What a crime! When all the others will be at play!
Shopping breeds happiness, surely you know,
What are you waiting for? The stores are all open – It’s time for you to go!

What you’ll find are the really good once-in-a-lifetime deals,
Things you can’t live without, things that are real steals.
Like five sizes of tablets for your every single need.
You’ll even find our ad embedded in each newsfeed!

Pop-up Ads! They will be here and they will be there.
Buy our devices and stay connected everywhere!
We’ll bring you our sales wherever you go,
Don’t you worry! Not one little bit! Wherever you are, we’ll always know!

And we’ve made it fun for the whole glamorous Fam.
Look! We’ve got buying lists for kiddies, for teens, and even for old Grams!
You don’t need to think, not now or ever again!
Trust us—we know! That Holiday At-Home Hullaboo is nothing but a has-been!

So what’s it going to be when you walk through our doors?
We’ve put little arrows on all of our floors!
We’ll tell you where to go, what to buy,
We’ll even give you some turkey and stuffing, and most certainly some pie!

It’s because we care, said Billy Box Dee,
And we know what you need.
Don’t hesitate or wait to download our app
We know what’s best for you, enough of this family crap!

We’ll see you at midnight- no! Make that at eight!
Tell all the workers this is gonna be great!
We’ll give them the breaks that they believe they should get,
Just as long as the shelves and the aisles remain set.

When the doors finally open we’ll all be together,
As we push and we shove and we trample each other.
The guards at the gate will have no control,
While owners will smile in their warm estate homes—“That stuffing, right there! Pass me that bowl!”

Think of all the bonding, the family time spent in our stores,
As we work and we shop side-by-side—this is like never before!
We will rush to find bargains and be first on the floor.
Give me that! Give me that! We will fight in Aisle three—A true tug of war!

Yes, if I ran the holiday, the traditions would be strong,
For families to bond while shopping—I see nothing wrong.
It’s time to cherish the true meaning of Thanksgiving this year,
And drop the turkey legs, the green beans, and even the seasonal beer.

So join us, one and all!
What? You’re not already here? Why the delay? Why the stall?
If you wait till Black Friday all the good deals will be gone!
And you’ll be that Big Loser in a month on Christmas morn!

Don’t be that loser! Don’t be behind!
It’s Thanksgiving after all; Think of your retailers and try to be kind!
We’re here for YOU! It’s True! We’ve got all that you need!
Don’t listen to those naysayers who say its all about greed!

Text all your friends and we’ll see you today,
This is the new Holiday tradition, and I tell you—It’s here to stay!

 

 

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November 6th, 2012 by rusvw

Daily Writing Inspiration AND Providing Hurricane Sandy Relief

Today’s Smash365 creativity prompt, SPRINT, provides a quick tip to writers who are working on their November novels for NaNoWriMo. More importantly, it also includes a special offer that helps the families and animals who have been affected directly by Hurricane Sandy.

My creativity partner over at Smash365, Cara, has created 50,000 Words Or Bust, a 98-page ebook of writing and photo prompts for inspiration during the month of November, when over 300,000 writers are attempting to write a novel in a month for NaNoWriMo.

When Hurricane Sandy hit, she started looking for a way to help people who are still without homes, electricity, food, clothes, water. As an animal lover and avid supporter of animal rights, Cara decided to donate ALL of the proceeds from the sale of this ebook to The Humane Society of the United States for their Disaster Relief Fund.

Please take a moment to check out this invaluable resource for writers; for just $5, you get 98 inspirations to cheer you on in your writing, and you also provide some immediate relief to those who are struggling just to find a meal in the next few hours.

50,000 Words Or Bust. For $5, you can make a difference in your writing and, more importantly, in the lives of so many others.

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November 3rd, 2012 by rusvw

NaNoWriMo: Making The Decision To Write Another Book in 30 Days

I had been on the fence about participating in NaNoWriMo again this year. I have written 4 novels in the last 8 years. Cold Rock was one of them, and it was published last November.

“Doing Nano” this year was not an issue of desire or how full the creative well might be (that’s never an issue in October and November, my two most productive writing months each year); it was all about time. I sketched out a very detailed work of fiction for Little Patuxent Review‘s DOUBT-themed issue. The deadline was November 1, and I never even completed a first draft of the story.

If I didn’t have time to write a short story, how in the world would I find the time to write a novel?

The big difference is what comes after the draft is written. Writing it down is not the hard part; what you do with it afterward is.

When I was planning out the DOUBT story for LPR, I was thinking “publication” the entire time. This put me in a different mind-set, and as a result, I never finished the story.

Like I said, drafting is never the issue; it’s the 5-7 revisions that follow that take the most amount of time. As the deadline closed in around me, I realized that rushing that process would produce a sub-par story that would end in a rejection, wasting both my time and the readers over at LPR.

That’s what happened when I submitted to their Social Justice issue. Rush and Rejection. Waste of time all-around.

Working on the Nano novel is completely different. Here’s why.

The goal is to complete a draft in 30 days. Although the goal is to produce a rather sound story that exceeds 50,000 words, there’s no judge weighing in on the Shit-ometer scale. It’s a draft, and it’s okay if it sucks.

I know that, after I finish, I will set a reasonable deadline schedule for my revisions. But that’s an entirely different scenario than what I was facing with the LPR deadline. If it takes me a year, then so be it. Maybe just six months? All the better. I get to wrap it up on my time, though, no matter how I look at it. I know I will be aggressive with the deadlines, but at least I won’t feel that deadline pressure before the first draft is even written. That pressure fits in an entirely different category, and I’m okay with that.

Finally, there are really no expectations with this story. I’ve sketched out a basic plot, but I have the time to give the characters some free reign over where this story might go. I couldn’t really do that with the LPR piece. Not enough time, and too much pressure.

I’ve decided to publish the Nano novel as I write it (here, on my blog) to allow my readers a chance to see a story develop in real time. I’m also allowing my readers to shout out some input, suggestions, and general thoughts about the characters, the plot, and what they think should happen next. You, Reader, have the chance to make a difference in this story just by following along and telling me what you think. If it’s a plausible suggestion, and it fits with the general idea of the story, I will likely include it.

Voila! Suddenly it becomes a community story, where each of us has shared a little to make this story come alive. That, to me, is a very cool thing indeed.

So don’t hesitate. Read the first section posted here (if you haven’t already done so), and follow along for the rest of the month. Share your thoughts and ideas and become an integral part of this story.

I can’t wait to collaborate with you!

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October 30th, 2012 by rusvw

Three Reasons I Am Concerned About Schools Opening On Time Tomorrow

I could sense it all afternoon. The chatter on the radio and television stations was strong from our local officials and civil leaders: We are in control; it wasn’t as bad as we thought; we were prepared; we are returning to normal.

And “returning to normal” included school systems returning to a regular schedule on Wednesday. Sure, we’ve got a handful of schools still without power, but no problem. We got this. We’re in control.

Forget the state of emergency and forget the curfews and the restrictions just lifted hours ago.

We were prepared. We got this. No panic here, and we can prove it to you by opening up the schools.

The only problem with this decision is that power being restored to most of the schools in our counties should not have been the sole factor in determining the return to “normalcy” for thousands of our children. I know there were intense meetings. I know there was much deliberation about making this decision. What I’m wondering, though, is this: Did you consider these three things?

High schoolers will be returning to school in the dark

I just came back from running a few errands (around 9 p.m.), and I was astounded by the amount of debris that was still on the roads — the same roads that I had traveled not 4 hours ago. The streets are wet, and it is nearly impossible to see the jagged branches and tree limbs protruding from the curbs. They cover the sidewalks and make it nearly impossible for school walkers to get around them without having to walk in the streets. What if wires have come down overnight and are now lying in the wet roads, still hot? BGE’s Robert Gould has stated repeatedly that the threat of falling trees and power lines is still very real, and if any of these fall in the middle of the night, chances are slim that they will be reported to BGE and cleared before children have to walk to school.

Many traffic lights are still out

Few people are following the new law just enacted on October 1, where you are required to treat dark intersections (where the traffic lights are not working) like a four-way stop. Those who are obeying the law are being cursed at by the drivers behind them, and those who are blowing through intersections are endangering the lives of others who are trying to follow the law. In the day time, it is bad enough; at least we are able to have a better field of vision of who is and is not following the law to treat the intersection like a four-way stop. In the dark (which it will be for the high schoolers), they will be heading to school in very challenging and dangerous situations.

Many major roads are still blocked

The list of roads still blocked by downed wires and trees is too long to post here. Student drivers as well as bus drivers will have to take many detours to get to school on time. These are, for many, unfamiliar routes that will cause other safety issues.

There are other issues, too. Many families are faced with situations where one child has school, but another doesn’t. Many of these families are without power (especially those who live so close to the schools that are on the no-power list); they already have multiple issues with having no electricity. Now, they face new challenges in trying to accommodate one child’s needs to get to school on time.

And what about the magnet school families? If the school system is going to offer such dynamic programs as magnet schools (which we are a part of and support), then they need to take into consideration that families will be traveling from different parts of the county just to get their children to school on time.

The decision to return to schools less than 24 hours after a devastating hurricane pushed through our area is both irresponsible and insensitive. The Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is still posting strong cautions on their website tonight about driving and residential conditions (see below for the complete list of warnings posted as of 10:39 p.m.). It is one thing to pound our chests and show the world how quickly we got Baltimore back on its feet; it is another thing entirely to put the lives of our children on line to prove how resilient we might be.

When this whole mess is over, I’d much rather be remembered for putting just as much thought and effort into keeping our citizens safe after the storm as we did in the five days that led up to its historic landfall.

 

MEMA Warnings:

HURRICANE UPDATES
CategoryUse SHIFT+ENTER to open the menu (new window).
Updates
DRIVING
Maryland emergency officials are urging citizens to use continued caution and to be alert to the potential for ongoing flooding and standing water that is still present on many roads throughout the state.
DRIVING
If you must drive today, please be careful. Remember that there is still debris on the road, and many traffic lights are out. The law states we must treat traffic lights that are out as a four-way stop and come to a complete stop.
DRIVING
Motorists are urged not to drive through standing water. Do not drive around warning signs blocking roads that are closed due to fallen trees, downed power lines, or high water.
DRIVING
Drivers are reminded to continue to reduce speed when driving through heavy rain. Hydroplaning remains a risk and will occur without warning. Reducing speed is the best prevention against hydroplaning.
DRIVING
Drivers headed toward western Maryland are reminded that parts of Garrett County have up to two feet of snow, and a number of roads in that area remain closed.
EVENTS
Tomorrow, we will be resuming early voting in Maryland. Friday will also be an early voting day, and hours are extended from 8 AM to 9 PM.
EVENTS
Tomorrow’s Board of Public Works meeting has been cancelled.
FLOODING
Maryland residents who live near any streams, rivers or bays should continue to be alert for residual flooding and overflow. Residents in low lying areas should also be on the lookout for rising water.
POWER
There are still about 308,000 Marylanders without power. Utility crews were out at dawn today working to restore power, but we are asking everyone to please be patient. Check on your neighbors, and take care of one another; For those without power, here are tips to stay safe.
POWER
It is imperative that you keep generators outside and ventilated to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Do not keep them in garages

 

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October 29th, 2012 by rusvw

Experiencing Sandy’s Imminent Landfall: 10/29/12 @1822

It’s just before 6 p.m., and the lights just won’t stop flickering. About 30 minutes ago, one of the generators in my neighborhood exploded, and our lights went with it — for just a second. They came back on, but I don’t have any confidence that they will stay on for too much longer. In fact, I doubt I will finish this post and publish it before we are in the dark.

We are surrounded by constant sirens — those we can hear above the sounds of the storm: the winds that filter through the trees with the roar of a freight train, the rains that pelt our windows in a sideways drive that makes me feel as if I am under some kind of rapid fire. We don’t know where they are going, as we can’t leave the house. They sound as if they are circling our neighborhood, though, a pulse of imminence reminding us that it isn’t a matter of if, but a matter of when, we lose power.

We’ve taken all of the precautions. Our food supply is good for at least 72 hours, and we even cooked all of our meals ahead of time so that we can eat them chilled if necessary. We have been bagging the ice from our icemaker in our refrigerator, so no worries about losing any perishable food (we have also depleted our frozen-food supply in the last few days so that we won’t have any wasted, thawed food to throw away).

But there’s something distinctly different between “getting ready” for the hit and actually experiencing it. With every rush of wind that pushes past us, we brace ourselves for a hit. There are trees that worry us more than others. In previous storms, they have dropped 15-foot branches in our yard, snapped from the trunk like a kid ripping a good marshmallow stick for the campfire.

These are the trees that make us hold our collective breath and wait for a crack, some sparks from the wires that will certainly follow instantaneously, and then the silence of the hum of electricity as our world goes black.

We pray that it doesn’t hit our house. We station ourselves strategically inside the house to miss the crash, should it fall our way. Our kids stay downstairs most of the time, clear of any impact. They don’t know this, of course. If we tell them of the precautions we take, they will be unnecessarily terrified. A Harry Potter film and their favorite blankies, and all is right with the world. It’s the little things that buy us a good 2 hours of happiness, bliss, and forget of the destruction that swirls all around us.

Another generator pops, the lights flicker, and my wife runs to the kitchen. She has been yearning to make a Sam Adams milkshake, and battery-powered blenders just don’t pack the punch you need to make these delicacies just exactly right.

I guess age does not discriminate when it comes to finding the things that buy us a little happiness and bliss.

The whir of the blender is in tune and in rhythm with the whirl of the winds outside. Synchronicity is a welcome friend right now, and I’ll take it, even in the dark.

 

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October 29th, 2012 by rusvw

Update #8: 10/29/12, @1312: Romancing The Storm

 ”THIS WILL BE A DEADLY STORM. IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG 24-36 HOURS.”

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley

 The magnitude of this storm continues to overwhelm me. The images are staggering, but my heart breaks when I see what is happening to our Ocean City. The two pictures below, one released by the OC Tourism Bureau (top) and the other shared by my friend Derek Leek, are of the Ocean City Fishing Pier (or what is left of it). For a long time, it served as the icon of downtown Ocean City, and every time we’ve visited with our children, we always managed to make it to “The Pier.”

Very sad.

 

 My friend Kim Zimmerman shared the picture below, taken earlier this morning in Ocean City. I cannot even begin to imagine what this area looks like now.

There’s little left to say, except that we’re in for a dark 24 hours. I’ve included some updated information below regarding power outages and school closings, but at this point, we all need to take care of our families, friends, and loved ones (including pets) and stay safe.

From Update #7: 6:22 a.m. – We still have power, as does nearly every other family in Central Maryland. BGE is reporting less than 500 outages, but we all know that we are still in the “calm before the storm” phase of this monster weather event. It is unsettling to hear leaders in New York City calling this storm “the worst that has ever hit New York,” and now that Sandy has made that critical left turn toward the coast, nearly everybody’s worst-case scenario is imminent. At this time, the storm — still hundreds of miles from shore — is tracking to hit the Delaware Bay head on, and areas south and north of this point will experience unprecedented storm surge with sustained and crippling winds of 40 mph with gusts up to 70 mph. Sandy is still a category 1 hurricane with sustained winds now at 85 mph (10 mph higher than what was reported at 5 a.m.), and after it collides with the front that is stationed in Virginia, it will morph into a post-hurricane, monster Nor’Easter. The latest air pressure measurement is at a very low 946 mb (millibars), which is equal to a category 3/4 hurricane that, in this case, will affect 60 million people because it is so widespread. This means that record storm surges of 8-12 feet will not be concentrated just where the eye of the storm makes landfall; shorelines from Virginia to New England will experience the force of this historic storm.

Ocean City, MD continues to get slammed with high tides this morning; this evening will be worse with another high tide and a full-moon pulling that tide even further inland; It is unbelievable that the storm is still hundreds of miles off shore; yet, they are already experiencing damaging strong winds with hurricane-force gusts.

The Weather Channel provides a thorough, state-by-state analysis of what each area can expect in the next two days.

Here are just a few of the changes and preparations being made as Sandy heads toward us:

  • BGE is reporting that it may not be until late Wednesday, early Thursday when they can fully access the magnitude of outages and triage their approach to restoring power across the region.
  • Delaware has ordered residents throughout the state to stay off the roads (fines will be issued if you are driving on any Delaware road).
  • Route 50 Bridge into Ocean City is closed indefinitely.
  • Wind restrictions are in effect on the Bay Bridge and the Key Bridge. The governor has intimated that, at some point, the Bay Bridge will be closed for all traffic indefinitely.
  • Early Voting throughout Maryland has been canceled for today.
  • Local and state governments are closed.
  • No buses or trains are running in Central Maryland.
  • Some streets in Baltimore City have already been closed in anticipation of flooding later today/tonight.
  • All State Parks are closed.

WAMU 88.5 FM is reporting that the National Hurricane Center believes Sandy could be the worst storm to ever hit the east coast. You can read the full article here.

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the National Weather Service believes every creek, stream, and river in Baltimore City and Baltimore County will be “out of its banks.” You can read the full article here.

IF TRAFFIC LIGHTS ARE OUT AT AN INTERSECTION: It is now state law that, if a traffic light is out at an intersection, you MUST treat it like a four-way stop intersection. NO DIRECTION HAS THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. Stop, take your turn, and proceed with caution. Violators can/will be fined $90 and assessed two points. For complete information about this new law, which just went into effect October 1, 2012, go here.

We are now as prepared as we can be; there’s little more to do but hold on and hope for the best over the next 48 hours.

Current Conditions/What To Expect

(Information gathered from The Weather Channel, The National Weather Service, and The National Hurricane Center) It is rough out there now. The winds are definitely picking up, but they pulse in these scary bouts, driving the rain into our windows with such force. We are also watching the trees in our back yard do a very, scary dance. I never knew they were that flexible… :(

The storm has now turned toward the coastline, heading directly toward Delaware/New Jersey shores. The winds continue to increase (90-mph sustained winds, now threatening to peak at 100 mph). Expected landfall is later this afternoon.

From that point, the forecast won’t change for the next 18 hours until mid-day Tuesday, when the winds begin to subside and the rain begins to lose a little of its intensity. The temperatures will be falling gradually into the mid- to low 40s.

The storm is also expected to stall over the Mason-Dixon line, west of northern Carroll County. That means more rain, more wind, and a longer period of time before BGE can begin to work on restoring power.

After that, who knows? It is not out of the realm of possibility that non-accumulating snows could creep east and wrap things up for us late Tuesday into Wednesday morning (Garrett County continues to be under a blizzard warning through Tuesday night).

The bottom line is this: Whatever Sandy throws at us, it is going to be historic. The power of this storm is greater than Katrina, Andrew, and every other storm to hit the United States.

I cannot state this enough: The potential for loss of life is too great to imagine, and we must all do everything possible to ensure the safety of our family members, our neighbors, and ourselves.

Here is the latest projected path of the storm, as of 11:00 p.m. today.

 

This will be my last update for awhile, as we will be savoring the time left with power as a family, engaged in a mega-Harry Potter Movie Marathon. If we lose power, Amy and I will be using Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch with everyone.

Warnings In Effect

The following watches and warnings are currently in effect (National Weather Service):

  • Coastal Flood Warning (Inland Worchester, Maryland Beaches): Exp. 10/30 @12 a.m.
  • Flood Watch (Statewide): Exp. 10/30 @8 p.m.
  • Coastal Flood Advisory and Watch (Anne Arundel, Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Prince Georges, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Southern Baltimore, St. Marys, Talbot, Wicomico): Exp. 10/30 @12 a.m.
  • High Wind Warning (Statewide): Exp. 10/30 @8 p.m.
  • BLIZZARD Warning (Garrett): Exp. 10/30 @8 p.m.

The truth is, though, there are just too many to list. You can get the latest warnings and alerts specifically for your area from the National Weather Service here.

Update on School Closings

The following school systems and universities are CLOSED on Tuesday (as of 12:30 p.m.):

Anne Arundel County
Baltimore County
Caroline County
Calvert County
Cecil County
Cecil Community College
Charles County
Chesapeake College
College of Notre Dame
Goucher College
Harford County
Harford Community College
Howard County
Kent County
Montgomery County
Salisbury University
Stevenson University
Towson University
Queen Anne’s County
St. Mary’s County
Talbot County
Southwestern District (PA)
Washington College

If your school system has not yet announced plans to close tomorrow, I assume they will soon. It seems unconscionable that any school could open when the state and so many counties are under States of Emergency.

Keep your phones charged and remember to stay in touch with loved ones at all times, especially during the height of the storm tomorrow.

You can get school closing updates from WBALTV.com, if you aren’t connected to any text-alert system for your your school or university.

Evacuations

The Bay Bridge will be closed indefinitely when wind speeds become too dangerous, per Gov. O’Malley.

Worcester County has ordered the evacuation of all beach-front residents.

The following locations are already evacuated:

Ocean City, MD has evacuated from 17th Street to the Inlet. You can read the full evacuation notice here.

Delaware beaches have been evacuated, but some of the evacuation routes are already closed because of breaches in the sand dunes. You can read the full update here.

Havre de Grace residents should have evacuated. You can read the full update here.

Power Outages

The threat of power outages will continue to increase as the storm moves into our area, primarily for three reasons:

  1. the winds will be unrelenting for at least 24 hours;
  2. the ground is already saturated; and
  3. trees will carry more weight with leaves still attached; in addition, the leaves act as wind-catchers and will cause more trees to become uprooted.

This is just one of the many reasons why the MVA is urging drivers to stay off Maryland roads during this storm. There is great unpredictability in where or when trees might come down, and whether they will be bringing power lines down with them. Downed wires do NOT need to be sparking to be live and deadly. Take no chances if you see downed wires in the road or in your yard.

As of 1:05 p.m., the number of BGE-reported outages is 9,413, with 7,913 restored since 10 a.m. 10/28:

  • Anne Arundel: 991
  • Baltimore: 3,015
  • Baltimore City: 1,444
  • Calvert: 1,935
  • Carroll: 926
  • Harford: 471
  • Howard: 628
  • Montgomery: 1
  • Prince George’s: 2

You can check for power outage updates here; BGE does a great job of keeping these numbers updated every 15 minutes or so.

From Update #5: Important Safety Reminders from Baltimore County Emergency Management Director Mark Hubbard

The following reminders, offered by Hubbard, were published in the Towson Patch:

  • Citizens who live in flood-prone areas along the coast or along inland creeks and streams should consider relocating. Coastal flooding is predicted, but the severity is not known and emergency responders may not be able to rescue those living in these areas.
  • Roads will flood. Officials are asking drivers to stay off the roads once the storm starts, but if you must drive, avoid driving through standing water.
  • When traffic signals go out, the intersection should be treated as a four-way stop.
  • Plans should be made immediately for family members who use power-dependent life-sustaining equipment.
  • Generators should be placed outside, at least 15 feet from the house.
  • Trees that fall on private property are the owner’s responsibility. Trees that fall on public property and roads are the county’s responsibility.
  • Baltimore does not provide dry ice or sand bags. See the post from Oct. 26 about information about where to obtain dry ice.

Baltimore County officials will provide updates from Twitter at @BACOemergency.

You can read my piece, “Preparations Without The Panic,” Published in the Towson Patch here.

Important Numbers, Websites, And Social Media Sites To Know:

WBAL 1090 AM and wbal.com
Baltimoresun.com The Baltimore Sun announced late Sunday that they were removing the premium digital block from their website through the duration of this storm. This means that everyone has free and full access to their site for important updates and for sharing information.

National Hurricane Center
BGE: Report Power Outages by calling 877-778-2222
Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)

METEOROLOGISTS/WEATHER FORECASTERS:
Justin Berk (@JustinWeather)
Foot’s Forecast

SCHOOL CLOSINGS:
WBALTV
WBFF FOX45
ABC2NEWS
WJZ CBS BALTIMORE

EMERGENCY CONTACTS
– State road conditions: 511
– Bay Bridge: 877-BAYSPAN
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
– Emergency Operations Center to fully activate at noon Sunday
– Shelter: Annapolis High School (2700 Riva Road, Annapolis), opens 3 p.m. Sunday
ANNAPOLIS
– Annapolis Call Center: 410-260-2211 non-emergencies (to fully activate at noon Sunday)
– All four city garages will open at 3 p.m. free of charge to city residents during the storm: Hillman, Gotts, Knighton and Park Place.
BALTIMORE CITY: DIAL 311
– Emergency Operations Center to open at 7 a.m. Sunday

HARFORD COUNTY
– Harford County “Hot-Line:” 410-838-5800 (Opens Sunday at 7 a.m.) non-emergencies
– Emergency Shelter: Patterson Mill High School (85 Patterson Mill Road, Bel Air) to open at 7 p.m. Sunday as a last resort for residents who have nowhere else to go

EASTERN SHORE
– Queen Anne’s County — Residents encouraged to voluntarily evacuate.
– Ocean City — Emergency Management: 410-723-6646

 

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October 29th, 2012 by rusvw

Update #7: 10/29/12 @0700: Romancing The Storm

 ”HISTORIC, DESTRUCTIVE, LIFE-THREATENING.”

Bernie Rayno, Meteorologist, AccuWeather.com

(photo: Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)

6:22 a.m. – We still have power, as does nearly every other family in Central Maryland. BGE is reporting less than 500 outages, but we all know that we are still in the “calm before the storm” phase of this monster weather event. It is unsettling to hear leaders in New York City calling this storm “the worst that has ever hit New York,” and now that Sandy has made that critical left turn toward the coast, nearly everybody’s worst-case scenario is imminent. At this time, the storm — still hundreds of miles from shore — is tracking to hit the Delaware Bay head on, and areas south and north of this point will experience unprecedented storm surge with sustained and crippling winds of 40 mph with gusts up to 70 mph. Sandy is still a category 1 hurricane with sustained winds now at 85 mph (10 mph higher than what was reported at 5 a.m.), and after it collides with the front that is stationed in Virginia, it will morph into a post-hurricane, monster Nor’Easter. The latest air pressure measurement is at a very low 946 mb (millibars), which is equal to a category 3/4 hurricane that, in this case, will affect 60 million people because it is so widespread. This means that record storm surges of 8-12 feet will not be concentrated just where the eye of the storm makes landfall; shorelines from Virginia to New England will experience the force of this historic storm.

Ocean City, MD continues to get slammed with high tides this morning; this evening will be worse with another high tide and a full-moon pulling that tide even further inland; It is unbelievable that the storm is still hundreds of miles off shore; yet, they are already experiencing damaging strong winds with hurricane-force gusts.

The Weather Channel provides a thorough, state-by-state analysis of what each area can expect in the next two days.

Here are just a few of the changes and preparations being made as Sandy heads toward us:

  • BGE is reporting that it may not be until Thursday when they can fully access the magnitude of outages and triage their approach to restoring power across the region.
  • Delaware has ordered residents throughout the state to stay off the roads (fines will be issued if you are driving on any Delaware road).
  • Route 50 Bridge into Ocean City is closed indefinitely.
  • Wind restrictions are in effect on the Bay Bridge and the Key Bridge.
  • Early Voting throughout Maryland has been canceled for today.
  • Local and state governments are closed.
  • No buses or trains are running in Central Maryland.
  • Some streets in Baltimore City have already been closed in anticipation of flooding later today/tonight.
  • All State Parks are closed.

WAMU 88.5 FM is reporting that the National Hurricane Center believes Sandy could be the worst storm to ever hit the east coast. You can read the full article here.

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the National Weather Service believes every creek, stream, and river in Baltimore City and Baltimore County will be “out of its banks.” You can read the full article here.

IF TRAFFIC LIGHTS ARE OUT AT AN INTERSECTION: It is now state law that, if a traffic light is out at an intersection, you MUST treat it like a four-way stop intersection. NO DIRECTION HAS THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. Stop, take your turn, and proceed with caution. Violators can/will be fined $90 and assessed two points. For complete information about this new law, which just went into effect October 1, 2012, go here.

We are now as prepared as we can be; there’s little more to do but hold on and hope for the best over the next 48 hours.

Current Conditions/What To Expect

(Information gathered from The Weather Channel, The National Weather Service, and The National Hurricane Center) The rain is steady and, at times, pulsing in waves that pound against our house. The rain and winds (gusting at 20 mph, with some peaks at 35 mph) we’re getting now in the central Baltimore area will continue to increase as this storm gets closer to making landfall.

By 10 a.m., we will begin getting rain squalls with increased winds; then, by 4 p.m., the heavy rains really move into the area with sustained winds at 40+ mph; gusts will be at 60 mph and even higher in some places. The forecast won’t change for the next 18 hours until mid-day Tuesday, when the winds begin to subside and the rain begins to lose a little of its intensity. The temperatures will be falling gradually into the mid- to low 40s.

After that, who knows? It is not out of the realm of possibility that a heavy, non-accumulating snow could creep east and wrap things up for us late Tuesday into Wednesday morning (Garrett County continues to be under a blizzard warning through Tuesday night).

The bottom line is this: Whatever Sandy throws at us, it is going to be historic. The power of this storm is greater than Katrina, Andrew, and every other storm to hit the United States.

I cannot state this enough: The potential for loss of life is too great to imagine, and we must all do everything possible to ensure the safety of our family members, our neighbors, and ourselves.

Here is the latest projected path of the storm, as of 7:00 a.m. today. The storm is in the process of making that sharp turn west toward the Mid-Atlantic shores.

 

I will do my best to post updates throughout the day; however, if we lose power, Amy and I will be using Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch with everyone.

Warnings In Effect

The following watches and warnings are currently in effect (National Weather Service):

  • Coastal Flood Warning (Inland Worchester, Maryland Beaches): Exp. 10/30 @12 a.m.
  • Flood Watch (Statewide): Exp. 10/30 @8 p.m.
  • Coastal Flood Advisory and Watch (Anne Arundel, Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Prince Georges, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Southern Baltimore, St. Marys, Talbot, Wicomico): Exp. 10/30 @12 a.m.
  • High Wind Warning (Statewide): Exp. 10/30 @8 p.m.
  • BLIZZARD Warning (Garrett): Exp. 10/30 @8 p.m.

The truth is, though, there are just too many to list. You can get the latest warnings and alerts specifically for your area from the National Weather Service here.

Update on School Closings

Most every school system and university in Central Maryland (and east) is closed today, Monday.

The following school systems and universities are CLOSED on Tuesday (as of 7 a.m.):
Caroline County Schools
Cecil County Schools
Cecil Community College
Chesapeake College
Kent County Schools
Montgomery County Schools
Stevenson University
Queen Anne’s Schools
Washington College

As soon as I get more information about other school systems, I will update on Facebook, Twitter, and here in my next update.

This is not your typical “snow day” by any means. Keep your phones charged and remember to stay in touch with loved ones at all times, especially during the height of the storm tomorrow.

You can get school closing updates from WBALTV.com, if you aren’t connected to any text-alert system for your your school or university.

Evacuations

Worcester County has now ordered the evacuation of all beach-front residents.

The following locations are already evacuated:

Ocean City, MD has evacuated from 17th Street to the Inlet. You can read the full evacuation notice here.

Delaware beaches have been evacuated, but some of the evacuation routes are already closed because of breaches in the sand dunes. You can read the full update here.

Havre de Grace residents should have evacuated. You can read the full update here.

Power Outages

The threat of power outages will continue to increase as the storm moves into our area, primarily for three reasons:

  1. the winds will be unrelenting for at least 24 hours;
  2. the ground is already saturated; and
  3. trees will carry more weight with leaves still attached; in addition, the leaves act as wind-catchers and will cause more trees to become uprooted.

This is just one of the many reasons why the MVA is urging drivers to stay off Maryland roads during this storm. There is great unpredictability in where or when trees might come down, and whether they will be bringing power lines down with them. Downed wires do NOT need to be sparking to be live and deadly. Take no chances if you see downed wires in the road or in your yard.

The number of outages continues to be very low (below 100). Currently, at 7 a.m., BGE is reporting 307 outages, with 4,853 restored since 10 a.m. 10/28:

  • Anne Arundel: 6
  • Baltimore: 89
  • Baltimore City: 0
  • Calvert: 0
  • Carroll: 0
  • Harford: 118
  • Howard: 1
  • Montgomery: 0
  • Prince George’s: 93

You can check for power outage updates here; BGE does a great job of keeping these numbers updated every 15 minutes or so.

From Update #5: Important Safety Reminders from Baltimore County Emergency Management Director Mark Hubbard

The following reminders, offered by Hubbard, were published in the Towson Patch:

  • Citizens who live in flood-prone areas along the coast or along inland creeks and streams should consider relocating. Coastal flooding is predicted, but the severity is not known and emergency responders may not be able to rescue those living in these areas.
  • Roads will flood. Officials are asking drivers to stay off the roads once the storm starts, but if you must drive, avoid driving through standing water.
  • When traffic signals go out, the intersection should be treated as a four-way stop.
  • Plans should be made immediately for family members who use power-dependent life-sustaining equipment.
  • Generators should be placed outside, at least 15 feet from the house.
  • Trees that fall on private property are the owner’s responsibility. Trees that fall on public property and roads are the county’s responsibility.
  • Baltimore does not provide dry ice or sand bags. See the post from Oct. 26 about information about where to obtain dry ice.

Baltimore County officials will provide updates from Twitter at @BACOemergency.

You can read my piece, “Preparations Without The Panic,” Published in the Towson Patch here.

Important Numbers, Websites, And Social Media Sites To Know:

WBAL 1090 AM and wbal.com
Baltimoresun.com The Baltimore Sun announced late Sunday that they were removing the premium digital block from their website through the duration of this storm. This means that everyone has free and full access to their site for important updates and for sharing information.

National Hurricane Center
BGE: Report Power Outages by calling 877-778-2222
Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)

METEOROLOGISTS/WEATHER FORECASTERS:
Justin Berk (@JustinWeather)
Foot’s Forecast

SCHOOL CLOSINGS:
WBALTV
WBFF FOX45
ABC2NEWS
WJZ CBS BALTIMORE

EMERGENCY CONTACTS
– State road conditions: 511
– Bay Bridge: 877-BAYSPAN
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
– Emergency Operations Center to fully activate at noon Sunday
– Shelter: Annapolis High School (2700 Riva Road, Annapolis), opens 3 p.m. Sunday
ANNAPOLIS
– Annapolis Call Center: 410-260-2211 non-emergencies (to fully activate at noon Sunday)
– All four city garages will open at 3 p.m. free of charge to city residents during the storm: Hillman, Gotts, Knighton and Park Place.
BALTIMORE CITY: DIAL 311
– Emergency Operations Center to open at 7 a.m. Sunday

HARFORD COUNTY
– Harford County “Hot-Line:” 410-838-5800 (Opens Sunday at 7 a.m.) non-emergencies
– Emergency Shelter: Patterson Mill High School (85 Patterson Mill Road, Bel Air) to open at 7 p.m. Sunday as a last resort for residents who have nowhere else to go

EASTERN SHORE
– Queen Anne’s County — Residents encouraged to voluntarily evacuate.
– Ocean City — Emergency Management: 410-723-6646

 

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