All these days later, many of the shops along Sheepshead Bay Road, where water rushed in torrents when the bay breached, have yet to open. So far, Dunkin' Donuts, Anatolian Gyro, the Albanian pizzeria, the Chinese bakery, a few convenience shops and one produce store have made it back. I'd guess one of three businesses has re-opened. CVS doesn't seem close to returning. Surprisingly, all the banks are still closed. I wonder if the money was damaged. It doesn't seem it would be difficult to replace the furnishings. Maybe they have to reach some sort of regulatory criteria. One woman, who I hadn't seen since Sandy, got all choked up recounting the damage her neighbors suffered. A moment after she left me she was hugging a woman down the street.
Political Man is still active. These days he isn't urging "Four more years," he is saying "We beat the southern racists and Republicans." I'd hoped the election results would end his rants, but I guess it's just his nature. He is thrilled that gay marriage will soon be the law of the land, although he will not marry his partner because the latter has too much money and it would have to be reported to the IRS. Soon he may not have to sneak about to acquire his marijuana, which he spends $500 a month on. He can say, like Granny does of her jug in the The Beverly Hillbillies, it is for medicinal purposes. He calls Romney and Ryan morons and crooks. He spends a lot of money on music, which he believes ended after 1980. He is trying to sell a box set of The Kinks live performances, as he somehow ended up with two of them. His gravy train will continue. He believes that taxing the rich will solve the country's fiscal woes, and I hate that I have to hope he is right, as I doubt Republicans will be able to prevent the Bush tax cuts from expiring. Between that and Obama-care levies, it will be the largest increase in American history. Will they hammer the economy, or will an unforeseen boon make them irrelevant? Stay tuned.
There is some great news, at least for everyone but environmentalists. The U.S. will soon surpass Saudi Arabia as the world's largest producer of oil. Wouldn't it be ironic if that is the sector that generates the revenue that saves the Democrats from the fallout of a bad economy?
My thanks to the folks who bought books today. The floating book shop's inventory continues to dwindle, at least of popular literature. I wouldn't mind going back to selling just my own, traveling to different locations each day, but for that to happen the gasoline situation will have to return to normal. I have less than a quarter tank left and dread the thought of waiting hours on line. My sister is worried we won't be able to travel to my niece's in Jersey for Thanksgiving.
Visit Vic's sites:
Vic's Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
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