I Live on the 11th Floor

by Marinka on November 1, 2012

OMFG, why do we live on the 11th floor? I may have asked Husbandrinka this a few dozen times in the past few days.

Other philosophical questions I’ve posed to him in the days since we lost power because of that Frankenbitch Sandy include: “Why did you eat my hurricane snack sbefore the storm even hit?” and “Why are you saying that I’m overreacting? Answer immediately because  WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!” and “Do you think it’s safe to drink Chardonnay at room temperature?”

Husbandrinka was asking himself some questions, too, of course. Along the lines of “how did I get so lucky to be married to this marvel?” I’m sort of paraphrasing here, because he was murmuring a lot and had for some reason had a murderous look. Maybe it was the candlelight.

But we made it through the storm, even though our electricity didn’t. Oh well, I thought. At least we’re all together and can have cozy Monopoly playing sessions. My 14 year old daughter opted out immediately, saying that she wanted to go to my parents’ house in queens because “I miss them and they have electricity and I have only one clean pair of jeans left, so I’m having my personal state of emergency here.” Young Ladrinka, who is happy to wear the same pair of pants for the season, agreed that he must have power immediately if not sooner and before we knew it, my Papa drove in and got them. (Conversation between me and Papa: Be careful driving in my neighborhood, the traffic lights are out. I don’t need traffic lights and never did.)

So now they’re enjoying the all things electric in Queens. I may have called them and asked them to hold the phone to the toilet while they flushed. It’s music, I tell you.

But besides the lack of power and water, we’re totally fine. All of my complaining is exaggerated HELP ME. I’m so touched by all the offers of help, of people offering their apartments, and cars and jewelry (I’m just assuming here).

And then yesterday, I got this from Wendi (who lovingly posted on my behalf earlier this week)-

My name’s Eric _ and I’m a producer at ABC News. I see on Marinka’s blog you’ve taken over for her during the hurricane. Do you have a way to reach her? We’re working on a story about families living through the power outages—would it be possible for our GMA anchor, Josh Elliott, to visit her and her family? Love for her to show us how it’s been so far. They’d be featured on tomorrow’s broadcast.

This was obviously a huge dilemma for me because I’m anonymous online and I suspect that being on TV would blow that to smithereens on the one hand but on the other hand, I love Josh Elliot. I don’t mean LOVE love, I’m not some kind of psycho who thinks that she has a relationship with an anchor, even if that is totally blinking at her through the TV, but love in the sense that I think he is super adorable and looks like a great guy who would never vote for the GOP. Hey, I have standards. Which is why it never worked out for me and Clint.

Anyway, I had a few Rapunzel fantasies of Josh standing outside my building asking me to let down my hair, but sadly, I had a recent trim, so that wouldn’t work, plus, wouldn’t that be really ouchy? And then I had a fantasy of him climbing eleven flights of stairs to see me, and wondered if he would mind carrying a few buckets of water up so that I could flush the toilet. And that’s when I snapped to reality. Because I don’t want my and Josh’s soundtrack to be flushing toilets.

So we’ll have to wait for another opportunity.

“Aren’t you so relieved that you’re not losing me to Josh Elliot yet?” I asked Husbandrinka last night at dinner.

Poor thing was so overwhelmed, he didn’t say a word.

One year ago ...

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Everybody But Me: Stay Calm :: Midlife Mixtape
November 9, 2012 at 10:14 am

{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }

Tinne from Tantrums and Tomatoes November 1, 2012 at 10:59 am

I’m glad to hear you are alright. I can also confirm that drinking room temperature Chardonnay will not kill you immediatly, although little is known about the effects on the human body in the long run.

Reply

Loukia November 1, 2012 at 11:14 am

You made me laugh out loud at work. xo
Glad you guys are okay!

Reply

Wendi
Twitter:
November 1, 2012 at 11:22 am

You missed your Josh Elliott chance. He would never eat your Hurricane Snack.

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Alexandra November 1, 2012 at 12:02 pm

A will of steel as strong as Supersstorm Sandy.

How were you able to say no??

xo

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deb November 1, 2012 at 12:23 pm

drink the chardonnay – the fact that it’s sitting at room temperature won’t hurt you, but it might hurt IT! For god’s sake, if you can do nothing else, save the wine!

I’ve never met you or even spoken to you, but I’ve been reading your blog for a year, which, I discovered, is enough to make me worry about you and your whole family when a frankenstorm passes over my head and comes barrelling your way. glad you’re all ok!

Reply

Nancy Davis Kho
Twitter:
November 1, 2012 at 1:41 pm

Glad to here your digital voice again friend and as we both know, moving a 14 year old daughter to another borough makes good sense regardless of the weather conditions. If you are walking up and down those 11 floors, think of the hurricane snacks you have worked off in advance! Get some! And wash them down with room temperature Chardonnay until all bus and subway service has been restored.

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Roshni November 1, 2012 at 4:53 pm

So glad you’re all alright! Too bad about the missed opportunity but can completely understand your need for privacy!

Reply

deborah l quinn
Twitter:
November 2, 2012 at 7:49 am

When Angelina calls b/c she wants to play you in the movie version of FRANKENSTORM, you will say yes, won’t you? Glad that you’re all right and that the children have been deposited in another borough. Wish I’d thought of that while I lived in New York, dammit. You may want to tell Papa and Mama that the lower Manhattan emergency is going to extend well into December. Just a thought.

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Ann
Twitter:
November 2, 2012 at 1:42 pm

How about the fact that ABC news reads your blog? I hope Wendi translated a message that Josh could at least comment once in a while.

So glad you’re all okay.

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dusty earth mother November 2, 2012 at 2:16 pm

So glad you’re okay!! And so happy that your husband uses the same word for you as I do, “marvel”.

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Leigh Ann
Twitter:
November 2, 2012 at 10:01 pm

I’m laughing at myself because I totally didn’t realize you were anonymous online. Even when I read the Paul Ryan Gosling article and it said “Marinka (not her real name…” it sounded like a red herring I tell you! Or I’m dense, which is the likely choice.

Cracking up at “hurricane snack.”

Reply

the mama bird diaries
Twitter:
November 2, 2012 at 11:05 pm

Before i moved to the comfort of the suburbs, I remember living on the 14th floor during the blackout. Those stairs are a bitch. If you need heat, running water, lights… you come visit Marinka. You come visit.

Reply

Lady Jennie November 3, 2012 at 11:42 am

Oh shoot! That was a tempting thing to turn down.

And the toilets? I would have obsessively filled bucket after bucket in anticipation. We lived in Africa where water is not a given – I know the drill.

Reply

Cy
Twitter:
November 4, 2012 at 10:39 pm

To hell with anonymity. I would never have said no to Josh. Couldn’t they have just called you the Drinka family and left it at that? I’m assuming that is your real photo on Twitter, so what’s the diff?

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joeinvegas November 5, 2012 at 10:30 am

Husbandrinka is very wise to keep silent. He was probably contemplating on how lucky he was at the moment.

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