Blizzard

In a city of extremes and superlatives and one that is a bit of a drama queen with a tremendous ego, a blizzard is one of many events that lets the world know - hey, we got that too. It's a media bonanza with tales of the stranded and acts of stoicism in a city that is virtually shut down.

We can however, only take credit for surviving it because like it or not, this is mother nature's call and we don't control the weather yet. So the event does not go as planned. Today's blizzard is a record breaker, the sixth largest in New York City history. We experienced high winds, 17 continuous hours of snow, heavy accumulations, 3-5 feet of drifts and even thundersnow. Central park reported 20 inches.

For the first time in memory, none of my coworkers have been able to get to the office. Service on some subway and bus lines have been suspended. People have been stranded in trains and in cars on highways. Some cannot exit their homes because of snow drifts. Streets are not plowed. Sidewalks are not cleared. Some have spent hours getting to their workplace in Manhattan only to find them closed, then returning home.

And of course there is the day off for many, an unexpected perk after a Christmas holiday and extending the weekend. For those not inconvenienced, and there are many who have been trapped in airports, trains and cars, it is an opportunity to hole up at home.

Once behind us and all is well again, it will be another feather in the cap of the New Yorker. That even here, we can survive a blizzard ...