Flood! Flood! Flood!

Holy crap!

It rained and rained and rained and rained yesterday.  When I woke up in the morning, I thought for sure it was 4am, not 7:10---it was super dark and the sky looked green.  Well, being the fan of Little House that I am, I certainly understand this to be twister weather.  I longed to go outside and watch the cyclone come in, and then take shelter in the cellar as it passed by, then hop into the wagon to go help our homestead neighbors who were not as lucky, but in reality, tornadoes don't hit the city.

I've read this year that they actually could, and that Chicago has just been very lucky, but I've lived here for 14 years (read it and weep, suckers) and I can't recall a twister ever twisting it's way into the city proper.

My next thought was "I can't possibly go to work in this weather--I'd better set up plans to work from home."  What?  That's ridiculous--of course I can go to work--I have a trench coat AND an umbrella.

So, I begrudgingly left for the el, and even though I forgot my umbrella, I managed to be FINE and got to work in plenty of time.

Work was great---I'm liking this job and will like it even more when Paula comes back and I get to see her everyday.  Stalker anyone?

Anyway, I took Lis out for her birthday (birthday lunch!) and then after working a bit late, headed up to Amy's for a writing session.

Here's how our sessions usually work:  arrive. Host finishes preparing snacky dinner, offers drinks.  Amy and Becky sit somewhere pleasant, catching up and visiting for a while. Becky or Amy get the notion of something the other can help with (in this case, as we were trying to download songs from Andy, I tried to figure out if something was making Amy's computer slow down.  I don't know what I'm doing, so I ended up advising her to find the manual.  brilliant, right?)

Next, adjourn to writing place, with writing accessories in hands (notebook, notecards, outline, pens).  One of us yawns.  Begin discussing another topic (I was trying to invest money in stocks, but wasn't sure how to pick them on ING.   Discuss the benefits of a Roth IRA.)

Finally, begin writing.  And that's the key right there.  I think.  If we actually begin to write, something comes out.

For the last two sessions, something has.  This is good.  I feel more excited about our new project then I have in a while.

But, in the middle of this halestorm of creative brilliance, outside was storming again.  Big, scary ass lightning storms.  Yikers.  I snuck home during a break in it and walked, and it was raining on me---but not pouring until the very end.  I like a good summer rain, and the pine trees on Glenwood and Foster smelled like my May roadtrip---piney and wet.

I got home and found out our basement was flooding.   Like, for real flooding.

Today, there was no hot water because they had to turn of the gas on the water heater.

The skies are clear, and I did get a shower.

But surely this means I don't have to work, right?

Right.

Have  a good one---have to run.