On a dark and stormy night

It looks like we are in for some weather. The meteorologists predict high winds and lots of rain (duh). I've already seen/heard thunder and lightening (which I always associate with a warm front..could we be so lucky, um, I mean fortunate?).

I'm not sure what it is about a thunderstorm that I find so exciting. High winds always scared the heck out of me as a kid. I suspect that this is because people used the concept of being hit by lightening to describe a rare occurrence, but nobody ever talked about the possibility of being blown down the street while getting the mail. Incidentally, my mother told me all my scars would be gone by the time I got married. Yeah, thanks.

When I worked in Chicago, it was said that our building was located on the windiest corner in the windy city; Jackson and Wabash. I worked on one of the top floors (I believe it was 31 out of 34). And on a windy day, the building swayed and I was one of the people that could feel it. Everyone else just talked about the fact that some of the office doors were swinging ever so slightly. I was reaching for my laptop and heading for the El stop before I had to delicately place my head in the garbage can under my desk. I'm loads of fun on a boat too! Just a light lunch for me, thanks.

On those windy days, the trip to the El stop sometimes felt like something from fear factor. I can confirm to you that in the moment that you feel that a gust of wind is lifting you off your feet, you will definitely hug anyone. ANYONE! By the time you walked through your front door, you felt that you had survived something fierce (snap!). So the wind and I, we have a history together.

So the knowledge that a wind storm is approaching has me thankful that I am at home but a little nervous. Plus the fact that my lights are flickering is a little unnerving. That I over-stock all my household good seems like a good idea right now. I think that nature has been toying with me: last night my cable was knocked out and I could think of nothing better to do than read catalogs and fall asleep on the couch. Could it be as much fun by candlelight? Last week, the water was out for a while (the jackhammer guys had some bad aim, I guess). Now the flickering of the lights.

This passes for excitement at the Hamilton household.

(By the way, I am out of the office for the holidays...whee!...but plan on doing a little blogging to maintain sanity)