Aftermath

I ventured outside this afternoon to get my newspapers and have lunch. The rain had stopped, but wind gusts blew me into a fence. A stocky woman wearing a Jets cap used her upper body strength to yank me away and to safety inside a Dunkin Donuts. As a thank you, I got her one donut. I had earned a free one by filling out a survey online, using my receipt from a previous visit. Actually it was someone else's receipt they left on the counter, which happens a lot. I've gotten three free donuts using other people's receipts. This is one way to defeat unbridled capitalism.
Then I went for my power exercise walk down Bergenline Avenue. Flooding caused much of it to be blocked off by police vehicles as DPW workers cleaned out sewer grates. A small group of onlookers watched, as the usual Sunday soccer match took place across the street. Suddenly, out of the water, two large claws burst through and grabbed the DPW guy's legs and tried to pull him down into a netherworld. Immediately police and those watching sprang into action, pulling at the man's arms as others, including the woman who saved me, pummeled the beast beneath the surface until it finally let go. I have a bad back, so my role was that of consultant, suggesting the best grip to save the man.
I continued my walk, buffeted by gusts, but determined to finish. Storefronts were boarded up with plywood. Several, however, substituted employees taped to front windows. This is a tough economy and I guess people do what they have to to keep their jobs. They were drenched of course and I asked one if I could untape him. He told me not until after 3pm-that was their bosses instructions. I couldn't wait around and regretfully departed. I stopped a moment to watch some boys playing basketball in the park near the soccer field. At one point the ball actually flew in the wind all the way to a huge rain-created pond. One boy took off his sneakers and socks, rolled up his pants and waded in after it. I don't have to tell you what happened next, but I will. The claws came up and grabbed his legs, pulling him down. I looked away, horrified. A cop ran past, complaining, "This means paperwork." I did not stick around for a resolution. I had more Dunkin  free donut surveys to fill out.