Hurricane Sandy: Hangin' with Mickey for a few more days

You never want to get an urgent knock on your door in the hotel room at around 1:45 a.m. But there was the rapping on my Disney door, waking me from a sound sleep while ESPN droned in the background. It was team captain Ken Walshak, with the news that the team's second flight on Sunday had already been canceled. What to do? What to do? After a few wee hour texts and phone calls to athletic administrators, it was determined that the party of 25 might be stuck in Disney for a few more days. We tried our best, but to no avail; no way we could get such a big party back in the Northeast, with flights canceled and airports in a tizzy up and down the coast.

Sure enough, with this storm of the century -- Hurricane Sandy -- taking aim at the entire East Coast, there was no way around it. The second flight out of Orlando being canceled means that a big part of our team is stranded in Disney until further notice. The earlier flight, the one that I was on with 9 team members, went off on schedule and landed on schedule in LaGuardia. And so I am home, feeling bad that Coach Chuck and the remaining athletes have been left behind.

Of course, news that the guys' 14-mile long run was followed up by a warm Jacuzzi, and news also that the team was cruising around Epcot on a sunny afternoon looking for a place to eat, eases the pain. But still ... but still ... this is not a great situation. Our men and our women are in good hands with Chuck. They will be fine. And chances are, they will not miss too much class time with the likelihood that many classes will be canceled with this monster storm approaching.

I don't like the fact that our team is splintered, and that group's return to Poughkeepsie is being delayed for who knows how long. But it cannot be helped; what can we do? Just hope and pray this monster storm does not do too much damage around these parts -- or any parts. Especially for all our friends and family down on Long Island -- but everywhere else, too -- be safe and stay away from danger as much as possible.