Greetings from New Jersey!

One week post-Sandy, I hope this finds you and yours safe and warm. We had power restored to our home yesterday (Sunday), but still have no Internet, cable, or phone (all minor inconveniences in the larger scheme of things).  I am writing this courtesy of a friend's computer.

Life is slowly (very slowly) getting back to normal here, but there are still thousands without heat, electricity, or a place to live. On my way to work today, I saw several convoys of out of state utility trucks rolling down Route 80 - what a great sight that was!

But we are not out of the woods yet. In fact, today, not far from where I live, a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was registered, and Wednesday night a traditional nor'Easter is expected! I shudder to think what that could do to the recovery efforts underway.

Some of you may have seen the Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together telethon broadcast Friday night with New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and many more entertainers who volunteered their time and talents to raise money for victims of the hurricane. If you'd like to help, please visit the Red Cross web site.

Once things are back to normal, I've got a number of articles pending:

• We visited Maritime Parc in Jersey City a few weeks back and had an incredible dinner.
• I met the charming owners of The Kitten and Bear Preserves and can't wait to introduce you to their delectable creations!
• Burger Deluxe has a cool new Thanksgiving-themed burger that I will preview for you.
• And, finally, a newcomer to the northern New Jersey area, Brio Tuscan Grille, has opened. It was one of the few restaurants open during the days after the hurricane and it provided a welcome relief from eating cold cereal (sans milk), crackers, and pretzels!

So, if you live along the East coast and were affected by the hurricane, I hope things return to normal for you very soon.

I look forward to reconnecting with you all in the near future!

Jersey Strong!