Anybody Miss Me?

So......................did anybody notice I didn't post last night, hmmmmm??

Well, it was a most interesting night. I decided to drive up to Fowlerville to see Stacey and feed my addiction. I also was going to meet up with my daughter and then we would have din din in Williamston. Good plan right? As I am on no one else's schedule and I set the pace.

Screw up number one--the US Weather Bureau issues a severe storm watch as I am getting ready to leave. I look at the map and see its way west and tracking north, so I think I am okay. If it does rain, I will be back home by 10 at the latest.

Screw up number two--I get on I69 west giving myself 40 minutes to get to Fowlerville using regular roads instead of my back ass scenic route I usually do as there is a detour with a bridge out so I will by pass it. Only the exit for the regular highway is closed for construction and they send me down another 8 miles to turn around and come back the same way I just went only the on ramp there is closed for construction. So I get on some rinky dink curvy road with Pa Kettle and the Hell's Angels in front of me and its all a no passing zone. So all 8 miles at 20-30 MPH. And the place I need to turn-so do they. SO another 10 miles of this. I loose the Kettles but the bikers decide to stick around. All the way to Stacey's. So this 40 minute trip takes me an hour and 30 minutes. I have 10 minutes to shop.

So Stacey is doing inventory and she doesn't mind us poking around and asking dumb idiot questions and even unpacks and sells me stuff she just got from the UPS man. I spend enough to make it worth her staying open the extra hour and we catch up as I haven't seen her in a few months.

We then leave for dinner down the road two towns. Williamston is a wonderful little burg with antique stores, funky odd businesses and just calm enough that it makes you feel relaxed after a seriously blood pressure blowing trip. The sky was still pretty ominous but the radar wasn't showing anything and the weather report had no warnings. We were able to watch part of the baseball game and feast on roasted garlic and chiabatta.

I thought I heard thunder but looked outside-dry and people poking around. We ate, chatted, ate some more. Yapping away and its time to close at 9. I look outside and its pouring!!

Screw up number three-I had Marley with me as he whined and pitched a fit and in my mind, if it did storm, he was better with me and not losing his bowel contents spazzing alone at home. I left the windows down a few inches and my bags on the front seat. They are soaked. My nice glittery paper is ruined as is my ribbon. There is water all over meaning the rain managed to come in all four windows horizontally. There is also black furry stuff all over as Marley went berserk. At least he didn't poop. I would have.

I drive east as Courtney drives west to Lansing and of course, I get right into the middle of the worst downpour with lightening and fog. I cant see and am doing the Kettles myself at 20 MPH out in the middle of farmland trying to get to the freeway. I thought about stopping in Perry as there is a MacDonald's and a porn shop-but Mickey D's closes early and I only want Johnny Depp porn. So I crawl down I69 east and finally get off my usual exit-M13.

Ominous music here--------there are firetrucks, police and such on this road into Lennon. No dead bodies, no tow trucks. But all these grown men staring at a bank of tall pine trees with a huge hole in the center where trees used to be. I'm thinking either someone drove off the road at a 90 degree angle and is embedded in the trees or a tornado just cut a swath thru it. I continue up the road toward Flushing and make a right towards town. It's still raining and foggy and odd. I make a left and a right by the river and...total darkness. And trees all over...and flashing lights......and power company ladders.....and detours......and do not cross tape. Crap.

I finally get to my subdivision on the east side of the city and it's pitch dark other than the full moon casting a shadow here and there. The first thing I think of is my chimney. I have always had a creepy feeling that someday it will come down. So far its still there with my satellite dish face first toward the southern sky. I leave the dog in the car and try to get in thru the front door with the keys that always give me fits. I have to pee so bad and decided only the man in the moon is looking and use the pine bush for a shield. I finally get inside and my cats are manic. I grab for the emergency flash light---only its not where it always is. So I dig in the bar for candles and matches. I light that, pee again and go get the dog only to have the wind blow out the candle and wax drips all over Ron's new Malibu and both of us then get soaked. But at least we are inside.

Call daughter on a cell phone that is dying fast. Make sure she knows what is going on. Call SIL and feel stupid after. Light more candles. Call daughter with last cell phone life and tell her to email dad in Brazil (like what the hell is he gonna do) and decide I have to go to the all nighter and buy some batteries and new flashlight. Hubby seems to have drained it working on the blood sucking lawn mower and left it outside. Useless.

Lock up, go to Meijers, spend 36.00 on batteries and a flashlight (oddly the flashlight and large cell are the same price as one large cell-so I got a free flashlight I guess). Power company says maybe lights by Friday. I recall SIL in case I need to chill at her house and again feel stupid. Losing brain cells again. I think I was freaking because all I had was the dog to talk to. It's now 2AM.

I heard a pop, the lights came on, I stood up and turned off the flashlight and bang-lights gone again. So I tried to read by candlelight and it was so hot in the house even with windows open. I ate all the candy in the house-making sure I didn't open the fridge or freezer and sat and fretted until sun up. I could hear generators but it was still oddly quiet. No frogs. No early birds. Not even the nightly bats. Then the buzz saws came out. School was cancelled and kids were screaming. I have some branches down but in my jammies, making a cursory look, my Hibiscus was missing. I found the pot in one part of the yard and the actual flowering plant in another. And my umbrella was in the landscaping. The streets are littered with branches, tons of leaves, garbage etc. Up town there are streets with telephone poles missing (all our utilities in my area are underground) One garage missing at least-not torn apart-missing. Contents on the cement slap but no garage.

I didn't get power back until about 2 PM. The first thing I did was try to get some news. But the UAW/GM settled so the weather was no biggie I guess. Nothing in the papers either.I now hear it was NOT a tornado but a micro burst. I wanted to get some photos to post but the streets are off limits as wires are down. I needed to get some air, so me and the dog (I have grown an extra set of paws I guess as he is glued to me) go uptown to get papers and some iced tea. I had a job ahead of me as I know most of what's in my fridge is gone. I just went to Costco and Whole Foods and mentally figured I lost between $400-$500 in food. Anything diary, creamy, cheesy, all gone. I took out a whole bucket of recycling after separating the bad food from the containers. Now I need to go shopping again-I have hard boiled eggs, some onions and 36 bottle of water left.

So that is why I didn't post a card last night. I was able to talk with hubby tonight and he says maybe we should get a generator. I said only if its easy to use and not gonna end up like the lawn mower. Watch, we will buy one and never have to use it. We did talk a lot about the strike. I think I talked more with him tonight than I have in the last month as he usually falls asleep as soon as he sits down on the sofa.

The Michigan budget still is not fixed tho and if it isn't by tomorrow night, My daughter is laid off as of Monday. Here is my bet for the elected officials in Lansing. If you are an incumbent, you will never get a vote from us again after this fiasco. Kids are hurting, students are hurting, the elderly are hurting and all you care about is what the voters will or won't do come November. Pass a budget now! Or YOU lose your paychecks too.