I got up early and showered.Then toasted some cinnamon raisin bread for breakfast. It was a really nice change from some of the trash I have been eating for the last week.
After we loaded everyone in to the van Holly realized that she had forgotten her phone on the table in the staff shelter. She was in the middle of the back seat and I was right by the door so I ran up to grab her phone. The floor and my shoes were wet and on the way up I slipped and hit my elbow and cut my finger. Thankfully I grabbed a few bandages before I left because it ended up bleeding quite a bit.
When we got to the staff shelter, I changed my bandaid and we headed to the staff meeting. They announced a town meeting / ice-cream social that they were going to have that night to kind I organize things better and start getting people out of the shelter and in to apartments and homes so that they can move on with their lives.
Afterwards Jenna Holly and I restocked the staff room snacks and then kind of just looked for odds and ends to do. We ended up downstairs in the cafeteria helping the activities department color signs and put some things together. I was able to chat with a few of the clients which was nice. While we were there Dave came down and said that he needed two of us right away. All three of us followed him out and he explained that he needed 2 of us to go to another shelter to help load cots in to a truck. We asked if all 3 of us could go but the guy who was directing it said that only 2 could go and they would be gone until 6. I immediately volunteered Jenna and Holly because I figured they could both use the day out of the shelter.
They took off and I continued to help with the jobs that I could. I cleaned up some of the cots outside and filled the hand washing stations with soap and paper towels. I also helped Dave "inventory" the trailers which mostly meant that we opened up each one, looked in, he made some notes, and that was it. While we were going around we ran into Kendra who is over staffing. She asked Dave if we were still overstaffed in logistics and he said yes. She asked him to pick one person to be transferred. Not to another area in the shelter, but to the shelter in Staten Island. Dave really wanted to go so be submitted his own name and I was sent to go work on another project so he could figure out what he needed to do before be left. A few minutes later Dave came up and said that he recommended that I be transferred. I kind of didn't understand what he was saying so I said "okay, that's fine" and then I realized what I had just agreed to. I felt pretty good about it though and there wasn't anybody else in our department that could be sent without splitting up people who came to the disaster response together (Jenna and Holly, Demarco and Berry). I was told that I would finish up the day and then leave tonight or tomorrow for the new shelter and work the 11pm to 7am shift. Only 8 hours which will be really nice. I ran into Crystal and told her about 20 minutes after and then Dani found out within the hour. I didn't text Jenna or Holly because they were on the road and I figured they would find out when they got back. I ran into Crystal again just before lunch and she asked if I wanted to go sit outside and eat lunch. It was nice to talk to her for a while and to be outside in the warm sun. I told Holly and Jenna that I was being transferred when they came back about an hour or so later.
Just after that Dave came up to me, handed me a piece of paper, said that I was leaving, and then walked off. I opened it up and sure enough I was supposed to leave right then to check in with headquarters and then head to the new shelter. I set up transportation to take me back to the shelter to pick up my stuff and then drop me off at the train station. I tracked down Dani, Crystal, Jenna, and Holly to let them know that I was leaving and we took one more picture, exchanged hugs and I headed out.
I arrived at the station at 5:20 and my train left at 5:34. While on the train I saw an official train ticket puncher. Just like on polar express they click their puncher a ton between one ticket and the next and they still wear funny hats. (See picture below) It was not European train, because in stead of minding the gap, I just had to "Watch The Gap". It was a cool experience though.
When I arrived at Penn Station I made it up to the streets and hailed a cab to take me to the Red Cross Chapter. I checked in there and they assigned me to stay in The Milford hotel for the night and then work my first shift tomorrow night. It looks like I will be lodging for the next week on a submarine that is parked just off the coast somewhere. There are only 7 other people from the Red Cross sleeping there, but there are several Americorps members and a bunch of people from FEMA. It should be quite the experience.
I arrived at the hotel, checked in, and then headed out to find something to eat. I found a place called Shake Shack and went in. They have shakes hamburgers and hotdogs as well as a menu for dogs...ya. Dogs (picture below). I ended up getting a hamburger and a strawberry shake. Then headed over to time square to eat it.
Time Square is so bright! There are so many lights and so many people! I ate and then wandered around for a while to see what I could see. I went in the MnM and Hershey's stores and then stopped near the middle to look something up on my phone. I stood there for a few minutes and then some guy turned around and started talking to me. Weird.
He was really nice and we ended up chatting for a few minutes. Then He asked me if I wanted to hang out and go listen to some live music. I told him that I was going to the the huge tree that they lit last week and then heading back to my hotel. He kept asking if we could hang out but I was kind of taken back and kept saying no. Then I told him that he was welcome to come with me to see the tree and he agreed. We walked the few blocks to get there and kept talking about life and who we were and where we were from. We got to the tree and we each took a picture of one another and then together (see below). The whole time I was kind of blown away that I was in New York City and wandering around with a stranger. Weird.
After we saw the tree we wandered back to time square and he asked what I do for fun. It came up that I didn't drink at all, ever, like never ever and never would. He was surprised and impressed so then he suggested we go to like 10 different places all of which sounded sketchy to me and required a ride on the subway or train which I was also not down for. Finally he suggested cheesecake at the Marriott hotel just across the street. I figured that was safe enough and we headed over. We took a glass elevator (my first ride in one) up to the 8th floor. We sat and talked and ate cheesecake for like an hour. It was pretty cool.
After cheese cake we exchanged phone numbers and went our separate ways. I got back to my hotel and totally crashed. It was so nice to sleep in a bed with a pillow instead of a cot.
Tomorrow should definitely be an adventure!
Just another day in New York!
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