Communication Breakdown

BOOM! CRASH! GROOOWWWL!

That's the first thing I heard when I shot out of bed this morning. A massive thunderstorm passed over the Delaware Valley area between 8 and 8:30AM. It was a big one, too. Thunder like sonic booms, pyrotechnics that could probably be seen on Pluto, enough water to flood Pittsburgh, the works. I sat in my bed, shivering and glad that I was off work today (and pitying all of the people who had to get work in this...and worse, all the people who were trying to get their kids to their one of their last days of school).

Thankfully, the rain had long stopped by the time I'd gotten dressed and finished my oatmeal. The clouds remained, however. Unlike the last cloudy, post-storm days we've had, it wasn't cold. It was warm and incredibly humid. And wet. Very wet. So wet, most things weren't drying...including the path between the VFW parking lot and the train tracks. Except for the pile of mulch, it was basically a tributary of the river. I ended up going down Manor and up West Clinton instead to do this week's laundry session at Dad's.

It was once again quiet at Dad's house. He was watching black-and-white movies by English director Michael Powell on TCM when I came in. I laid on the big, soft chocolate-brown suede couch and read the newest Maisie Dobbs book, An Incomplete Revenge. Dad messed around on his laptop. It really made for a very cozy morning and early afternoon.

(I also found another path between the tracks and the VFW going home. This one was behind the VFW itself, and while it was choked with weeks and sticker bushes, the growth had kept it from turning into one massive puddle.)

I thought I was getting together with Rose at 1PM, but she never appeared. I had peanut butter and jelly on Buttermilk Rye-Whole Wheat Bread, applesauce, and strawberries for lunch. I made Extra-Moist Lemon Cupcakes (which turned out really well - so soft and velvety, you'd think they came from a box) from the cupcake cook book I took out of the library last week. I read Maisie.

I called Rose twice, the second time to tell her I really needed to get to the library and we'd try again another time. She called me back just as I was leaving for the library. Turns out it was sheer miscommunication. She thought I hadn't said when to meet. I thought she said 1, but I might have heard her wrong, or she heard me wrong. In any event, she had classes and I had DVDs to return. We'll get together another time.

The library was busy for it being so late. Maybe it was the weather. The sun came out briefly while I was on my way there, but it soon disappeared behind another veil of dull gray clouds. Once again, there were huge piles of DVDs to shelve. I organized the children's DVDs as well. They really needed it, especially with all the ones coming in. Didn't take any out this time, though.

It was really late by the time I left. I considered eating at one of the many restaurants and diners in the area, but finally decided I'd be better off saving the money, and I had plenty of farm market fruit and veggies at home. I ended up with the last of the Crab and Asparagus pie, sauteed turnip greens with shredded carrots, and mashed turnips with Smart Balance Butter Blend, and the cupcakes for dessert.