Hurricane Sandy: The Diet

A personal and satirical look back at surviving the largest Atlantic hurricane on record.


From the author:


I wrote this text, longhand, in a single afternoon days after Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the United States. My routine was similar to what was described: I ate little, I bathed in cold water, and I also exercised to keep warm and mentally fit (I also never did quite finish reading "Gödel Escher Bach").


As I looked at myself in the mirror after showering one morning, I remember thinking, somewhat grimly, that as miserable as the experience was, it would make for an excellent weight-loss regimen, and someone should write a book entitled "Hurricane Sandy: The Diet" as a sarcastic gesture.


Later that day I was inspired to write it myself, and I put pen to paper in a satirical vein, vaguely in the style of Stephen Potter's "*manship" series of books.


As the afternoon progressed, though, my mood changed and I wondered if there was anything positive to learn and remember from the ordeal. I chose to emphasize the benefits of living through the experience, and ended on an optimistic, albeit cautionary note.