Sunny and dry in central IL

We have had good weather here and watched Sandy pound the East Coast.  I've been watching this storm from before it hit Cuba and Jamaica, Haiti and so forth and knew it would be the worst storm to hit the east coast.
There are hundreds of people now homeless, and jobs that might never come back, small businesses that might not be able to start back up, homeowners that will find their insurance will pay very little and a long battle to get that, renters who find themselves up the river, and winter coming in.
I keep them in my thoughts and prayers and I am so glad I have never had to live through such a terrible event and hope I never have to.
Here I fuss about small things but know I have a good job with good medical/dental/optical insurance and a stable paycheck.  I come home to a warm home with solid metal roof, good foundation and progress on paying down my debt load.
I have yarns to knit, fabrics to sew, books to read and cool tech devices to enjoy, the power comes on, the phones are working, I have internet and the laundry is drying.
I get to complain that I can't play Farmville on my Apple iPad and that the dog takes up too much space some times, he and Jake are a huge obstacle in doorways some days.
My co-workers some times have me thinking they need to grow up, but they could be far worse and we manage to get our jobs done every shift, and I like them for the most part but am very glad my job has me working down the hall alone over 1/2 of my work shift every day.
 Yes, I need to get more done up in the attic, yes the soffits need repaired and that is on the schedule for the 2nd weekend in November, and yes, drywall up in the attic is on the list but not the budget, maybe after the first of the year.
But my home is dry, my vehicle is not flooded and my place of employment is very stable with long term jobs for all of us, and my world is really stable and I keep working to keep it that way.
Ben is working, and I think he and his gal pal, and her little boy have moved into better housing, Jake is working on his math skills before he takes his college placement tests and has a part time job he really likes, the important people in my life are doing ok, and so far we have had a mild fall.
I will do what I can to donate to aid for the east coast, and keep them in my thoughts and prayers, know this will slow down our economic recovery even more, the jobs it creates will come at a high cost, billions of dollars of loss that has yet to be added up.