Training Yourself to be Creative – Overt and Covert Sources of Inspiration from a Sci-Fi and Fantasy Perspective
June 30, 2023
The last 3 years have witnessed upheavals among humanity, and so it is with your humble author. But now, back to the joy of writing and creating (the Soulstealer War is rising once again), and finding footing in a reality where the landscape is shifting faster than two particles communicating via quantum entanglement!
And so, let me start with this week’s conversation I had regarding Future Tech, Creativity, and Sci-fi/Fantasy. Do you ever wonder where Sci-fi /Fantasy authors get their inspiration, or for that matter, how to apply this to everyday life in all human endeavors? Then take a listen to the above podcast, where I offer perspective to this process.
Cheers!
W.L. Hoffman
The Gift of Laughter – NJ RenFaire!
May 29, 2019
Taking my family to the NJ RenFaire is a pilgrimage of fun, friendship and the stuff of legend – time with my daughters and summer memories! And as my little girls have now blossomed into young ladies, and my beard has an awful lot of grey, it becomes all the more vital to douse ourselves in the elixir of youth – fantasy, creativity, silliness, theatre, song, dance, absurdity, camaraderie – the list is too long!
We start with an opening picture of your wayward author and a fearsome sampling of The Eastern Tribe of the Hoarde. These folks are full throttle … eerie eyes and fierce cries, especially the horned fellow on the left! 
My girls, along with their friend, also took a snap with one of our favorite creatures roaming Crossford’s town – Ser Oakheartt. When they were younger they simply called him Treebeard, in fondness of Tolkien’s Ents – also known as the Onodrim by the Elves. 
Next, we made new friends with a young fantasy artist and his wife. You had me at “dragons,” but Piya Wannachaiwong’s works include so many other wonderful images. It was a pleasant surprise to find an illustrator at the NJ RenFaire, and with his genial smile and other-worldy art, he was very popular with the crowd. We now own two of his dragon prints, and he was gracious enough to sign both! 
This year, courtesy of my youngest daughter who rides and cares for horses, we spent more time at the jousting ring. Both the riders and horses were impressive, the more so as they managed the crowd, the armor, the weather and the periodic firing of the Crossford cannon! Though not 100% sure of the breed, my daughter identified these as Quarter Horses and a Draft Horse. Watching the knights maneuvering them for mounted sword fighting – yes there was plenty of swinging steel – really emphasized how much skill the knights of old brought to the field of battle. 
And an action picture in full armor!
Our visit to the town of Crossford would not be complete without taking in a show with the Lords of Adventure! TJ and John can serve up a triple threat – acting, music, and swordsmanship! As a father, I remain eternally grateful for their wise words to my daughters to not fall for the smooth wiles of Token Renaissance Guy! I give you a 20-second action video!
And then there’s Shakespeare! Shakespeare Approves is one of the finest gems of audience-interactive performance and family-friendly viewing at the NJ RenFaire! And this year, he included for the first time a more mature-oriented show, Bard After Dark: The Shakesperience! that took place at 7:00pm. Drinking an awesome porter beer courtesy of the Valenzano Winery folks, I knew it was going to be a rare treat. Katie Horahan’s opening standup comedy had the crowd roaring for more, and I barely stopped laughing as Shakespeare did his slightly bawdy and murder-filled fandom mash-up by the most heinous of means – death by fluffy kittens! Did I mention that’s my daughter playing Juliet?! I think I spit my beer on the guy in front of me – drafted to play Prospero from the Tempest.
While resting in the afternoon on the main stage, aka the Amphitheater, we loved hearing the songs of Chaste Treasure. These ladies can be sweet, sultry, and downright pub fare. They have a family-friendly CD of songs, and two other CDs that are not so innocent! 
At the end of the day, the cast of the NJ Faire sings a final farewell to all. Before this, the Duke and Duchess usually give a last goodbye message. This year, the Duke spoke of living life well, of participating, and of making moments count, as we never know if we will all meet again. These are words of truth, transcending the spectacle, and as I sat there with my family, on a sunny day in May, singing the last song with my daughters – yeah, I am a terrible singer, but so what – I thought that everyone needs a dose of this magic. 
Fortunately, you have one more chance to write your adventure. The NJ RenFaire finishes its 10th season this weekend at Liberty Lake in Bordentown, NJ.
Other links:
The Eastern Tribe of the Hoarde on Facebook
Ser Oakheartt on Facebook
Piya Wannachaiwong Illustration
The Lords of Adventure on Facebook
Katie Horahan on Facebook
Shakespeare Approves on Facebook
Chaste Treasure on Facebook
The Spice Must Flow … and That’s Not Sean Spicer, the Spice Girls, or Piquillo Peppers!
August 1, 2018
As a dad, I don’t often get feedback on my job performance. Sometimes, the plan is to throw everything on the wall and see what sticks. This mish-mosh style acknowledges that my children may do the opposite of what I say. I liken this behavior to a parental remix of Schrodinger’s Cat of quantum physics fame—while multiple possible outcomes are superimposed in the quantum wave before observing the child, upon fixing the parental eye on the target, all that momentary potential collapses to the least desired result!
Once in a while, however, I abandon the scatter-shot parenting and take the direct approach. Included in this wishful category are books I consider a must for my children to experience. Thus, my tale today concerns science fiction novels—specifically, books that forever transformed my worldview. I have a long list, but for the teen years, my top four reads—and many of you may disagree—are Foundation (Asimov), Rendezvous with Rama (Clarke), Stranger in a Strange Land (Heinlein), and Dune (Herbert). These are generally not for the early teen years. Certainly, any good reader can get through these novels, but the magic occurs with a mindset mature enough to “grok” the beyond.
I have previously quoted many a Dune reference to my daughters with no avail. And so, with my eldest leaving the nest for college, I had almost given up hope that she would crack the book’s pages. Two weeks ago, she walked quietly into my home office, where I was working at my desk. She pulled up a chair, and then began the conversation in a measured tone, “Dad, I have some questions.”
I had immediate feelings of dread and gratitude—could this be about boys, and hadn’t her mother handled that topic … and she still wants my advice.
Taking a deep breath, and turning off my computer, I prompted, “Okay, what’s up?”
She let loose with, “I’m confused about the relationships between the Imperium, the Great Houses and the Emperor. How does the CHOAM company fit in, and is the Spacing Guild more powerful? Does the Emperor control the Bene Gesserit?”
Cue the huge smile on my relieved face. Inside, I was laughing with pure joy. Outside, I nodded and asked, “How far into Dune are you?”
“Not very,” she admitted tentatively. Then she quickly added, “His writing style is amazing. I can see why it’s one of your favorites.”
Not wanting to leave her questions hanging, I managed a half-reply along the lines of, “Herbert’s world-building—organizations, governance, trade, religion—is a lot to process. These are great questions. There are layers within layers within layers. It’s not unlike real life. The CHOAM … “
We chatted iteratively for five minutes on a framework. The rest was for her to discover. I finished with, “I’d love to hear your ideas after the next hundred pages.”
Addendum: I took my daughters to the Jersey Shore to visit Grandmom, and this gave my wife a staycation break. My eldest daughter forgot to pack hair conditioner, a brush, extra shoes, and other sundry items, but the big win—she remembered Dune in a plastic bag for reading on the beach!
Question: Regardless of the reader’s age, what are your top five transformative science fiction novels? If I had to provide a fifth choice, it would be from Zelazny, Gibson, or Niven.
Breathe slowly, observe humbly, dream deeply, and evolve.
W.L. Hoffman
Waking pre-dawn to log the long drive each morning, and then returning late night exhausted, but oddly exhilarated, it was an honor to be an Exhibitor at this year’s Book Expo / Book Con! If you are launching a new book, you can’t miss this Show of Shows. Thus, the next installment of my fantasy and sci-fi series, The Soulstealer War: The Splintering Realm, carried me to New York City this past week. The Javits Center spectacle can be daunting, and it didn’t help that I was exercising rusty “Show” muscles. But what the heck, I always prefer the deep end of the pool!
I love writing about the Realm of Weir – the characters, the creatures, the cultures, the folklore, the languages, the songs – but as an author, I also love meeting the readers. Give me a conversation, and I’m hooked. I come to the Booth with an open mind. This means I don’t care who you are (and usually I can’t tell until 10 minutes into a conversation anyway). Sure, I’m there as the point man for the Realms (Weir and my daughter’s Pyranis), but I also want to hear your story, your business, and your interests. Just as I sometimes delve into the nature of true magic (see my website), the only way a nexus will manifest is by letting the flow occur. I look for awareness in the folks who cross my path, and brief eye contact sends me into a flurry of possibilities. This flight of fancy then lands on firmer ground once the conversation begins.
Book Expo was heavy on people seeking swag, signings, and freebies, and there is a balance to be struck. The Show doesn’t really want you to be selling, but you can take orders and fulfill them amazingly fast! And there is always karma; I give away a fair share of books for goodwill and to see what the Universe will manifest. My Booth was by chance a stone’s throw from the big players – Simon & Shuster, Baker & Taylor, Ingram, IPG, etc. – and I was a wee minnow in that sea, but there was an abundance of synergy. I met foreign licensing contacts, reviewers, librarians, printers, buyers, publishers, literary agents, marketers, translators, artists, designers, social media experts, radio folks, podcasters, authors (aspiring and established) and a few other wild cards. All good. This is a marathon, and not a sprint. I will abide; everything unfolds in due time.
Book Con was the exact opposite of the industry insiders – finally, the public! Here be readers of the genres that are my passion, and possibly dragons too! Teenage girls and women dominated the crowd. I’m talking 80% as a rough guess. That was a surprise, but live and learn. There are too many wonderful encounters to detail, but here’s a few favorites:
To the young women who live near the Appalachian Trail with the software coder who will find my website’s hidden access portals (without hacking it to shreds as promised) … your group rocks!
To the pregnant mom who is an aspiring author – my hopes that you put one foot in front of the other and take the road less traveled – get your writing out there! This advice was a common theme as I met many unpublished authors, and I was happy to impart what wisdom (and foolishness) I could. I’ve been there. I get it.
To Meg-a-Watt – thank you for a great conversation on fantasy, sci-fi and life. At first, I thought you said you were Megatron … then you added the “Queen Bee” to clarify, and I still apologized because that didn’t mean anything to me. Finally, you said you were LitBuzz, and helped further my information gap with discussion on how you began and grew that endeavor.
To purple-haired Kristin and her dad – your spark is bright enough to set the world on fire – and that you read my book (and Hannah’s) that night after buying them, and loved them, and came back to tell me the next day at the Booth … there is no more amazing way to start a day as an author!
To the man who was pushing his niece in a stroller, who was dragged to Book Con with his girlfriend and who never picks up books, let alone reads them … it was my privilege to hand you Book One and Two. The real reward was your girlfriend’s joy watching your willingness to venture into her world, and the long embrace you two shared a booth away.
To Tim, the bow-tied literary guy, who now knows that my alter-ego wears a vest with a pocket watch, often topped in a worn Stetson hat, thank you for the chat and your advice on my Boris Vallejo/Julie Bell front cover banner.
To Janine, author of The Puzzle Quests: Shimmer’s Eggs (and other books), whose son succumbed to cancer – your story is inspirational and our conversation will stay with me.
To the librarians and teachers – there were so many – I wish I could have given you more free copies of Hannah’s middle school chapter book The Pathway to Dragons: The Portal to Pyranis – you have one of the hardest, thankless and yet, most important careers on the planet! That cannot be said enough.
To the group of three teen girls who had their Mikey (a classic commercial, where one brother serves as the guinea pig for tasting a new cereal – and the girls had no clue on this dated reference) be the designated reader for any new book series – that you returned a short while after buying Book One to tell me that during the Show you read the first 50 pages and loved it, that the writing was awesome – thank you for that thoughtful gift.
To my immediate Booth neighbors on either side of the Show floor – Cameron and Rebecca the jewelry gurus of Stern Design Works, and to Anne Wheaton (Piggy and Pug children’s book author) with her outgoing publicist Susan Peters – your cheerful company was an unexpected pleasure!
Though not a meeting, I need to give a shout-out to Dog Ear Publishing and founder Ray Robinson – your support during the Show was invaluable. And indeed, another Dog Ear author stopped by my Booth for conversation.
Also, to Amy and Julie from Reed Exhibition, and Scott from Freeman – your assistance helped make my Show experience a success, and the Booth “check-ins” were greatly appreciated.
Finally, as a reminder, a portion of our book proceeds are donated to The NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome, Special Strides, and The Bridge of Books Foundation. Any additional support you can provide to these worthwhile charities will make a difference!
With utmost gratitude to all of you,
W.L. Hoffman – breathe slowly, observe humbly, dream deeply and evolve!
Author of The Soulstealer War (and other tales) – www.WLHoffman.com
Proud Father of the Author of The Pathway to Dragons – www.HannahBrookeHoffman.com
You are invited to the BOOK LAUNCH for the next installment of my fantasy and sci-fi novel series – The Soulstealer War: The Splintering Realm. All are welcome on May 1, 2018, and/or you can go to the Facebook Livestream https://www.facebook.com/WLHoffmanAuthor/ from Small World Coffee in Princeton, NJ – 8:00 am to 11:00 am. This is also a good day to order copies in stores and online via Amazon, B&N, etc., and anyone purchasing more than 5 hardcovers or 10 paperbacks will receive a special enlarged wall poster of the Book Launch signed by me. Book Two is available in multiple formats, and Book One has just been re-released in Hardcover! The Boris Vallejo/Julie Bell artwork on the Hardcover Dust Jackets is fabulous! My website http://www.WLHoffman.com has been redesigned and includes hidden secrets. Finally, while a share of this book’s net profits will go to the NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome, please consider offering your additional support to this worthy non-profit – https://njcts.org/
With gratitude,
W.L. Hoffman – Breathe slowly, observe humbly, dream deeply and evolve!
The Soulstealer War – Finally on NOOK in E-Pub Format and Discounted!
September 25, 2013
There’s a master blacksmith at the NJ RenFaire who forges serious weapons… truly artistic and elegant battle steel. At our last few “hail and hearty” greetings, besides testing a blade or two, and chatting of things metal, he has asked me in earnest, “Bill, when will The Soulstealer War be available in E-Pub format?”
After much angst, of which I will spare everyone, you can now purchase The Soulstealer War on Nook in E-Pub format! This version is priced at a 50% discount from the hard copy… for a limited period.
As a reminder, my work remains available on Kindle, Amazon, B&N and at various independent shops.
My author “to-do” list now includes completing the Audiobook version, as well as the next installment of the series – The Soulstealer War: The Splintering Realm. Yes, I know folks expected this earlier… thus, let me part with simple words of wisdom from the esteemed poet Robert Burns:
“The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley…”
With gratitude,
W.L. Hoffman – breathe slowly, observe humbly, dream deeply and evolve.
Ground Control to Major Tom – Anyone Listening?
June 12, 2013
Absent extraterrestrials accelerating our learning curve by letting us ride their alien coattails as Space-faring vagabonds, humanity’s future rests with colonizing the final frontier. The hazards of this gamble will be severe. We may even splinter into multiple subspecies as we adapt to conditions on other worlds. So be it. I don’t like rolling the dice with existence, but incredibly, that’s civilization’s daily lottery purchase while governments squabble, squander, and potentially degenerate into Orwell’s 1984 or the movie Idiocracy. Neither of these fictional options bodes well. Let me remind everyone that although the odds of winning the Powerball Lottery jackpot are a daunting 1 in 175 million… it happens frequently. Now think about those statistical results in relation to the occurrence of an Extinction Level Event. It’s not as farfetched as you thought.
To those who say we aren’t ready… my riposte is that we damn sure won’t be without setting into motion dedicated resource allocation and systemic planning. Sadly, I cannot repudiate the fact that humanity is an immature and imperfect life form. However, long before we gain enough wisdom to govern our base nature, we will need to ascend to the stars if we wish to survive. Show me the corner of our shrinking planet that remains untouched by our sphere of influence – it’s impossible. While our population is ceaselessly smashing against our terrestrial boundaries, what of incurable pandemics, deadly environmental degradation, gamma-ray bursts, rogue asteroid collisions – pick your cause, but the only effect question is “when,” not “if.”
I have opined on this topic before and will continue to do so. Today, my outcry is sparked by a news article on China launching astronauts to their Tiangong 1 experimental Space Module. The article seems to mock China’s description of the task as “glorious and sacred,” denigrates their national support as “Communist Party propaganda,” includes ridicule of their children “dressed as happy ethnic minorities waving,” cites a Twitter comment that charges China of wasting money for this mission, and finishes with the coup de grace – accusations of an interstellar arms race. Really, that’s objective, agenda-free reporting? Of all the critical discussions that this worthy event could have engendered, why is the public instead served a cold dish of short-sighted, fear mongering drivel?
At a time when NASA’s current role in Space exploration is that of an armchair cheerleader, are we truly going to hurl stones at any culture that pursues advanced strategies for our race’s sustainability? Why is it that in the last decade the most memorable moment of Space ambassadorship is a song performed in orbit by a Canadian astronaut? Bravo, Commander Chris Hadfield! Someone must awaken the people, and your rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” aboard the International Space Station was magical… my hope is that it calls to those among us, young and old, who still harbor enough imagination and pioneering spirit to propel our species to a wondrous adventure among the heavens.
I am an American, and I love my country. The US Constitution stands as a singular social triumph over an otherwise turbulent human history. Though the freedoms enshrined therein may be under siege these days, I derive no comfort from petty attacks on foreign nations. I am not defending China’s human rights record or similar politics. I am speaking of their effort to embrace a common destiny, one that should unite humanity. Indeed, one of my greatest concerns is that my country has cut the legs out from under what could be our existential salvation – NASA. While I agree that permitting and incentivizing private companies to enter the foray into Space makes good sense, I am steadfast in my belief that such a galactic endeavor really does require global cooperation. For that reality, we need our governments and elected leaders to be stakeholders in this higher vision.
What happened to the grandiose dreams of the generations following Neil Armstrong’s “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind?” Does nobody look in amazement to the sky, to the Universe? If only every one of us could reflect upon our blue jewel from Space… Earth… humbling, magnificent, and yet, merely a dew drop in the vast Cosmic ocean.
Hurricane Sandy – Update 6 – Princeton and Atlantic City, NJ Regions
November 6, 2012
For those not familiar, I am a fantasy and sci-fi author currently working on Book II of The Soulstealer War. While that series is fiction, this account of Hurricane Sandy is not. It is an e-mail update (#6 – scroll down and read Updates 1-5 first as they are in chronological order) that I provided to concerned friends and family, so the writing style is clipped. I live with my wife and two daughters in the Princeton, NJ region and my mother lives in Margate City, NJ (beach block) on the same barrier island as Atlantic City.
Storm Update #6 – Written Tuesday morning, more than a week after Hurricane Sandy – 11/6/12
Margate City: Not much to add… it’s a mess. Clean-up at the Shore continues, and incoming weather will exacerbate the problems. Mom is energized, edgy and emotional – can’t imagine why. I’ll drive down this weekend if she needs me.
Princeton: Power was finally restored on Sunday. I sent the promised Text messages to all those neighbors that had left for greener pastures. House by house, life returned. We are lucky. My understanding is that several hundred thousand PSEG New Jersey customers remain in the dark, including people in our township. This was also confirmed by an informal poll at school yesterday. The teachers had gathered the children to discuss storm experiences, and one of the questions related to how many were still without power. My wife reported about 25% raised their hands – the school had invited parents to stay for coffee and assurance that everything was safe. The estimate from PSEG is that everyone in our township should have power by Friday. For those counting, that would be twelve days from Hurricane Sandy’s landfall! Consider that reality next time someone mentions storm preparations.
The load of firewood that I requested on Saturday was delivered around noon Sunday. It was the largest “cord” of wood that I have ever seen… I greeted the contractor warmly, offered coffee and overpaid for the emergency service. I then sorted and stacked for the next few hours. After that, I scooped the mounting ash from our fireplace (it went into our mulch pile), and then reloaded it with kindling and fresh logs – an old habit – I like it ready for the match after each use. During this time, my wife ferried the girls to quilting lessons and pottery. Gas lines at the local borough stations were fairly short – though we are still under the odd/even rationing order. As you travel to the main highways and north of here – gas remains an issue.
In the late afternoon, I serviced and filled the genny, and then stowed it in the garage. The five gallon safety cans will be topped off with gas today. That Nor’easter is coming, and I won’t lay odds on whether the shaken power systems in our area will hold.
On Monday, I finished returning the house systems to their pre-storm configuration. Cable is still down, but so what… we don’t watch much TV anyway. Work – yes I do have a job – once the Internet Wifi was operating as well as the office phone and my desktop computer… I began the process of catching-up on client communications and transactions. I also phoned my youngest brother at his office in New York City, and to my surprise, discovered that his entire team had procured a U-Haul, filled it with food, blankets, toiletries, etc., and had driven to Queens for direct distribution to folks. Well done little brother.
Halloween had been rescheduled for Monday night. My heart wasn’t into it, but our daughters were so looking forward to the costumes and fun. We all got dressed, and we were joined by another young girl who lives a few miles away – her dad was out of town. I took care of the shuttle service. I told the girls not to expect much and that we would only knock on houses with an obvious welcome mat. I also let them know that we would reverse the tradition in part – I was giving away light glow sticks (12-hour green chemical version) and a bottles of wine for a handful of close neighbors. The night was abbreviated, but we had a nice time after all. I spoke with every family (renewing ties and asking as to status) and then dispersed them gifts. We all needed a break.
This morning, I have one eye focused on work, and the other on that Nor’easter. A penetrating rain with 50 mph wind gusts is not the prescription we were hoping to hear. Later today, we will take the girls to Vote as a family. They know about the Constitution and our voting system… we also discuss candidates and their parties – Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Tea, Green, Constitutional, etc., and even write-in possibilities. I make no prediction as to the Election outcome, and I truly wish for peace regardless of who wins.
The switch has been flipped – we have grid power – and yet, the events of this past week have made an indelible mark. Things aren’t normal. Folks are discussing house-wide generators, food supplies, solar energy systems, and water sources. Fireplaces that were either non-functional or which served as little more than interior decoration, are being inspected for duty. I don’t anticipate these sentiments will last… it’s so easy to fall into society’s Lotus-flower sleep… but for the moment, I’m encouraged.
With gratitude.
W.L. Hoffman
Hurricane Sandy – Update 5 – Princeton and Atlantic City, NJ Regions
November 5, 2012
For those not familiar, I am a fantasy and sci-fi author currently working on Book II of The Soulstealer War. While that series is fiction, this account of Hurricane Sandy is not. It is an e-mail update (#5 – scroll down and read Updates 1-4 first as they are in chronological order) that I provided to concerned friends and family, so the writing style is clipped. I live with my wife and two daughters in the Princeton, NJ region and my mother lives in Margate City, NJ (beach block) on the same barrier island as Atlantic City.
Storm Update #5 – Written Sunday morning, almost a week after Hurricane Sandy – 11/4/12
Relationships. They matter more than ever in an emergency. Yesterday, we burned through the decent firewood. We are now down to the rot. Before Sandy, I had contacted a landscaper to remove this stuff to make space for a new load. However, it fell to the wayside, in part because I had other priorities, and also because I was using this junk wood in our backyard fire pit. I logged in a call to the contractor who had provided us with firewood for the last seven years – his Fall advertisement was still on my desk. He remembered us, and though he was delivering in upstate Pennsylvania with orders backed-up, he understood the circumstances here and promised to deliver a heaping cord tomorrow. I thanked him, and headed out to clean our wood stack. This took several hours. The rot went into the mulch piles, which left two empty six-by-six inch railroad ties clear for the incoming wood. I also repositioned our eight-foot metal fireplace holder. Good to go.
Next, I turned to refilling the genny. I was mixing the stabilized emergency gasoline that had been under the tarp since last Spring, with the new gasoline I had obtained Friday. Normally, I would do first in, first out, but I didn’t want to risk the genny with bad fuel. While pouring the gas, our neighbor from behind the house (Mike) surprised me with a visit. He lives on a different street, and our last encounter had been testy as he had attempted to dig a drainage line over our property without permission. Don’t get me wrong, we resolved that episode. He had apologized, laying the blame on his contractor. Without rehashing the details, suffice to say that this was a knowing incursion onto our property. Still, I was of a mind to let there be peace.
Mike and I chatted for a while. He was barbecuing the last of his freezer meat – thus he had seen me – and was also a bit freaked. Though our prior meeting had not been the warmest, he was looking for camaraderie. Most of the neighbors on his side were also gone, and he never imagined that power-down could happen for a week in NJ! His genny, like ours, was also wired into critical systems. He had gasoline issues, food supplies in his basement and a baseball bat by the bed. He and his wife were “creeped out” at night. They had signed up for firearm instruction, but that was next month. Short story – I extended the olive branch, and told him I’d watch his back and to let me know if he needs anything. He agreed to do the same for us. I didn’t give him every detail on our situation, but enough. Relationships – they do matter. Perhaps one can be an island as a “prepper” in a hardened bunker in the Redoubt, but in my experience the folks that truly understand survival always acknowledge that it takes cooperation by a team of like-minded adults and children.
While I was busy at the house, my wife was making a run to Whole Foods to see about fresh food. We got word through our friends on Twitter/Text that the store was open, had generator power and had received a delivery. I reminded her that as the pet store was in the same shopping center, try to buy whatever bags they had available of Aslan’s dry dog food. I had bought two 20-pound bags pre-Sandy, but he’s a 70 pound shepherd and he rips through the chow.
My wife returned a few hours later with groceries. The entire shopping center was dark except Whole Foods. Fortunately, the pet store owners had set up a table outside and were walking customers in one at a time with a flashlight – cash only of course. She bought their last 20-pound bag and a few chewy treats.
Goods were unloaded, dishes hand washed, fireplace stoked, lanterns checked (fresh batteries for the non-rechargeables), dog walked and dinner cooked. My wife had purchased a mashed cauliflower side from Whole Foods, but upon sampling it in the pan with the onions, she tossed it. Spoiled. Lesson learned… she would ask for a taste at the store before buying any prepared items. After dinner – it’s dark, cold and windy – I did the genny refueling for the night, and observed that it was running a hair rougher to my ear. Note to self: could be the fuel mix, but six days of 24-hour running means that tomorrow I need to check the oil, carburetor, fuel line, etc.
Turning to the Shore, and a bit of positive news: I confirmed that mom had checked into the hotel. Eventually, we spoke via the mobile. Her phone battery charger had died the other day and she was otherwise busy with contractors, insurance adjusters, FEMA reps, etc. She had brought enough food with her from Pennsylvania, and in South Jersey, gasoline was not as much of a problem. As for our family home on the beach block, pretty much as expected. The garage had four feet of sand, the doors were destroyed from the waves and everything inside was history. The basement of the home (which is more like a first floor due to the home’s elevation) was trashed, a total loss of all systems (HVAC, pumps, washer, dryer, electrical, freezer, etc.). There was a foot of sand to dig out and everything will have to be removed to the foundation before the mold gets a grip. Thankfully, the first floor and above – having been built high in 1938 and all windows were boarded-up for Sandy – suffered minimal damage. Mom told me that the local supermarket will not open for several days, but that other stores are beginning to show signs of life. The overall damage to the City is huge, and there is a foul “smell” in the air. She will do the back-and-forth from the house to the hotel until things are repaired. The only dependable contractor that has been helping her is the carpenter that our family has known for decades. Again, it’s all about relationships.
This isn’t the most riveting update, but life is all about the little things. Sometimes they take more energy than we imagine, and it wears you down. Our family realizes that our situation is so much better than that of others in NJ and NY, as well as other regions of the country. In part, that’s through our decisions and actions, but luck also plays a role. I’m told that power should be restored today, and that although our daughters’ school has one building without power or fire alarms, the main building will be open for classes tomorrow – Monday.
Best wishes to all. This might be the last update – in a good way.
Hurricane Sandy – Update 4 – Princeton and Atlantic City, NJ Regions
November 5, 2012
For those not familiar, I am a fantasy and sci-fi author currently working on Book II of The Soulstealer War. While that series is fiction, this account of Hurricane Sandy is not. It is an e-mail update (#4 – scroll down and read Updates 1, 2 and 3 first as they are in chronological order) that I provided to concerned friends and family, so the writing style is clipped. I live with my wife and two daughters in the Princeton, NJ region and my mother lives in Margate City, NJ (beach block) on the same barrier island as Atlantic City.
Storm Update #4 – Written Saturday morning after Hurricane Sandy – 11/3/12
No power still at our home in the Princeton area. Lost another neighbor yesterday. The one with the rental genny, family of five, they left for their mother’s home in Pennsylvania. Last night was cold, and I imagine dealing with one space heater in a bedroom was not comfortable, coupled with the shower situation. We are all on well water here. So, if the genny isn’t hard-wired into the system, no power for water. If I had to figure the circuit connection on the fly, I’m guessing I could MacGyver it – though it would obviously not pass inspection and there would be a risk factor – but they had other options and this is not Mad Max world. Again, my wife and I offered our home, but they politely declined. Another neighbor to text when our utilities are restored.
Yesterday, we gave both of our daughters a break. My wife initially planned to drive them to a horse stable about 10 miles way – this is where my youngest helps around the barn, mucks, cleans gear, and brushes/feeds/grooms the horses. In exchange, she gets to ride – though we do contribute small payments to the owner (a middle-aged woman who has managed horses her entire life). After the stable, there would be a play date with another family – they were on the way back to our home. I had the discussion with my wife about gasoline for the SUV. I’ll take the hits here for having a guzzler, but when it comes to driving my most precious possessions in the Universe, I got my wife the biggest four wheel drive vehicle I could with height clearance, a massive engine and room to spare for all of us and the dog. To my surprise, my wife acknowledged the gas concern (over the years, she has an amused, but accepting tolerance for my prepping), but she felt the benefits outweighed the costs. I agreed, and noted that our use had already lowered the gas level so we would have to find a refill.
Back to the stable, with 20+ horses needing daily care, the owner had a back-up generator for water, but this was unnecessary as power was restored two days ago. Well, upon arrival, the owner informed us that the utility company had cut the power to restore other areas of priority. Her genny at the main farm building (a good distance away) was pulling water slowly, and she was busy ferrying water in her pick-up truck and caring for the horses. The kids helped for a while, but no riding. When they arrived at our friend’s home, they were greeted by the sight of 34 trees on the front of the property (more than 15 wooded acres) blown over by Sandy. My theory is that a mini-twister must have touched down, but perhaps it just took hours of sustained high winds. Power was out there too, but they had a great time exploring the grounds. I should mention that the mom is a botanist who regularly spends months in the Amazon. I trust her with my family.
While my wife was out, I rigged up power to our water softener system, and ran it through a regeneration cycle. Our well water is super hard – lots of minerals, but fine for drinking. The water softener has other effects for soap, laundry, the pipes, etc. Next, I hopped into the garden, grabbed two leeks and an onion, dinner was going to be a stir fry. The genny also needed refueling. One issue, no matter how careful I am when pouring the gas/funnels, I cannot seem to shake the odor of gasoline. Yeah it would be nice to have a pump, and perhaps I will rig one up when I have spare time. For now, the family tolerates it, and after scrubbing, the aroma eventually fades. Aslan, our pooch, also got in a great run in our backyard with a neighbor’s dog. They were visiting their home across the street to check status, and then returning to their parents in a section of Princeton that has power.
My wife and kids returned, and I later reviewed pictures of the fallen trees. After raising the garage door for my wife (no power and it’s heavy even with the spring tension), I noted that the SUV’s gas gauge showed just over half full. I was also thinking about the empty gas cans from the genny usage. The report was that gas lines were still absurd. Our town was e-mailing updates and our friends in the area had formed a network that was using Twitter/Texting to communicate open gas locations. The Airport was offering gasoline for genny use only (aviation gas with lead and other additives) for $6.00 a gallon! Knowing that I might have to fill the SUV, I opted to stay with regular gas stations – for now.
My wife and I agreed that late tonight (Friday still) might provide a decent window for short lines, so long as the stations stayed open. Short story – I left the house at 10:00 pm and found one of our local stations, waited in line for an hour and twenty minutes. It was unreal, and so was the “look” of the people filling up. As I got closer, I could see folks pulling all manner of gas containers from their trunks – from one gallon grime-encased plastic to ten gallon suitcase sized plastic that was difficult to lift. I half expected to see milk jugs. When I finally got to the pump, I was told either the car or the gas cans, but not both. They were running low. I told the attendant to fill the SUV. In the interim, I removed four five gallon safety cans and one five gallon plastic container from the trunk, and got ready to fill them. He came back and looked on dubiously. I followed my gut. I said, “I’m a local, come here all the time. You must be part of Horhay’s extended family or a friend.” He nodded affirmatively and said, “Family.” I continued, “Here’s money for the gas, we’ll round it up, you keep the rest. These cans are powering the genny for our home.” With that, I started filling, and he left for another customer – they had six pumps going. By the way, I paid $5.00 per gallon of regular. Free market economics at work: supply and demand. I peeled off $200.00 in twenties – these are the largest denomination that I keep on hand – this was for 25 gallons in the cans and 12 gallons in the SUV.
On the way home, I got a text from our neighbor friend April – she was looking for gas for her car but had bypassed the crazy long line at the same station I had just left. I advised her immediately – she’s young – I told her to get back in that line ASAP and wait it out. Back home, as I skimmed online news after midnight, I saw that the Governor has enacted gas rationing, aka Jimmy Carter style. Beginning today, there is now an odd/even license plate system for filling up. The last number in the plate has to match the odd or even of that day of the month in order to be serviced. That’s going to go over well. Forget commuting to work, and traveling up and down the state for family, unless you have enough gas to get back or can wait a few days for a reliable station.
Turning to the Jersey Shore, mom has gone dark. She was supposed to make her way from Pennsylvania to the hotel near our home in Margate, NJ. We have called her mobile phone and the house line several times with no response. I’m not worried yet, but this morning I will track down the hotel and see if she checked in. One of our local crew who lives in Ventnor City (shut down for infrastructure, but residents allowed back), the town next to Margate, described the area in a text message this way, “It’s the Twilight Zone down here.” He sent a picture of our garage – the waves had knocked the doors out and sand/seaweed/muck was piled high. No one was at the house, and he couldn’t get in to see the first floor or basement. He is going to visit our house again today and see if mom is around. On a separate note, I saw a post on Facebook from another Shore friend, stating that she reported potential looting. There was a private truck driving around her neighborhood and loading up with appliances and similar items at the curb. One Facebook commenter told her to relax, this was acceptable. She replied, “Yeah, but not at 11:00pm, and they were driving way too slow and using a flash light to shine in peoples’ yards.” She notified the police. I have not received an update on this yet.
One final comment for the preppers of the world – the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant confirmed near-total cooling pump failure, and power failure. The back-up diesels saved the day on the spent fuel pool. Salem I, which had the emergency steam release, has been quiet. No further news that I can find. In a real long-term grid down scenario… there are more than a hundred nuclear power plants/reactors in the US alone. And so I ask, with all seriousness, are we doomed under such circumstances regardless of our plans?
I understand that other parts of NJ and NY are in far worse shape than here, and that a Nor’easter might be approaching early next week. However, I keep thinking that things will change in the Princeton area with the flip of a switch, i.e., power restored. But until then, we are in crisis mode, and there are strange concerns occupying my mind while this lasts.
This is neither exciting, nor fun. But I will remain upbeat for my family.
Soulstealer War Weblog 