With hey ho, the wind and the rain

30 minutes ago as I was on the phone with gossamer_gull the sky darkened to gunmetal grey, and the sky blew up. Crackle of thunder, hroizintal rain, and the violent whipping of rain through trees as we scurried about the house trying to get the windows shut. And now the sun is back out with a vengeance, as the last few grouchy rumbles of thunder roll eastwards. I actually did manage to run out in it for a little while, then sat on our little porch, singing as much as I could remember from the last song from Twelfth Night (Hey ho, the wind and the rain...)

Unfortunately it didn't do much to break the heat and the humidity. *sigh* *turns on fan*

As I sat down to write this I happened to glance out the little window at my left, which offers a really nice view down our street and noticed that there was an insane amount of traffic coming towards me and then turning down the tiny street just up the block from me. Considerign they were all going really slow and were all close together I figured it was some kind of funer procession or something, but as I continue to look and watch there are far too many cars all coming down and turning right. Weidly enough, now there are almost as many cars going the opposite direction, which makes me wonder if Rt. 9's flash flooded out. Entirely possible. Northampton's drainage system really sucks, and storms this sudden and violent have been known to wipe out entire streets for hours. Shocked we haven't had a power outage yet. *knocks on desk.* heh. As if Austin wasn't having enough trouble sleeping today as it were, between boy waking up to go to work, her sore throat, stuffly nose, Miracle Max and Valerie coming over to do something to the toilet (and ultimately getting talked out of it) and the thunderstorm she hasn't had much sleep at all.

Things are good today. I finished Minerva Wakes this morning, shaking my head and laughing my ass off. That book did wring quite a few barks of genuine laughter out of me. What I really appreciated about the book was that it's one dealing with magic, but the kids in the book aren't the main characters - the main characters are the parents. I appreciate that so much, as I often resent the implication that only kids under voting age can truly experience, relate to and believe in magic, especially as I would dearly love to walk into my room one day and find a dragon in my bed, swilling beer and singing horrendously dirty songs about the anatomical incompatibility of mating with something other than your own species. Just because we're grown up and have got bills to pay doesn't mean we're completely stodged up and unimaginitive! plus if the adults are the main characters, you can have things like raunchy dragons. :) I also liked the fact that it was one of those books that has a foot and some other body parts still planted in the real world instead of off on some mystical planet or land somewheres - hell it starts in a supermarket. I like those kinds or books - they refresh the hope that all I have to do is stumble accidentally into the right place, under the right tree, and there will be things happening outside of the boundaries of this boring thing we call reality.

Onwards to my next new book, which sundart has already read and raves about. Considering the passage she just read to me that captured exactly the strange but definite charm of boys who sing *sigh* I think I'm going to like that book quite a bit.

sundart and I were expecting sundart's mom to be showing up today, but sundart's apparently been a little spacy lately, so we shall expect Mom Z to show up tomorrow. Meanwhile I've been actually calling my parents over the past couple of days, due to the whole blackout thing happening along the eastern part of the country and somehow completely missed us in our happy little bubble here in the Pioneer Valley. What's up with that, yo? On one hand I'm kinda glad I missed it, on the other hand, a completely dark New York must have been so surreal. I almost wish I had been there to see it.

birkwelch and I have stopped squabbling over email and are now back to the precarious but fun business of just being honest. Nothing like a response to a letter you sent a while back that's full of silliness, truth and beauty to defuse the remnants of a bad mood that was already waning anyway. :)

4:00 and I'm not sure how to dispose of the remnants of my day now that there isn't an impending parental unit on the way. I guess I'll start by making myself an apple butter sammich and then curl up somewhere in front of a fan and start Waking the Moon.

cat napping

Right now the coolest part of the house is our back (front really) stairwell. During these hot humid days you can be guarateed finding three of our four kitties in various levels of stretch out and sleep.

This afternoon, as sundart blasted through Minerva Wakes, I at one point came to bed, twined myself around and next to her, leaned my head against her shoulder, and fell asleep, waking up just before she finished her book.

sometimes there is nothing more to be done on a hot afternoon than sleep . . .