Friday Comes In With a Boom and a Bang…

The alarm went off at 6:45am this morning followed by a very, very loud clap of thunder. Of course, the ubiquitous freight train was rolling through downtown as well, flanges squealing loudly on the curve, as it often does during inclement weather.

“Was that thunder?” Tracy raised up out of the bed and asked with a deer in the headlights look.

“Yes, it was!” I replied happily and I hurried to the computer room to turn my computer on and check the radar.

One small little complex of thunderstorms was just parked and sitting over the Valley and putting on quite a show.

“Is it raining?” Tracy then asked as she was getting in the shower.

“No rain,” I replied. “We are getting what Sally Lou (dad’s mom) would call an electrical storm.”

The rain and humidity would make Tracy’s hair extra curly and she already has an ample head of curls as it is – my girl with the curls and the curves.

I got in the kitchen and made us a simple meal of cheese toast and fried bacon. Maggie was underfoot the whole time I was cooking hoping to get some bacon as well.  

Tracy left for work about 40 minutes ago and Mother Nature is still putting on a grand show of lightning and thunder. It is music to these old addled ears as long as the power stays on.

Stormy Night!

Rainy Night Ahead…

Rainy Night About to Start…

Gotsta Get Out of Here…

The first outer bands of Hurricane Michael were among us. I was in a hurry to finish my chores and head home today. A steady rain had already began to fall.

“Don’t go,” Tracy pleaded with me. “Barbara is a bore. All she talks about is her kids and grandkids.”

I chuckled.

“I just want to get home before the shit hits the fan,” I replied.

I bid farewell to everybody and headed to Daniel’s to get some of their crispy well done burgers. I then made a beeline straight to home.

On a positive note, this storm will usher in fall weather. It is supposed to get down to 49° degrees tomorrow night. It looks like ninety degree days are gone until next spring.

Feeder’s Club Local 36801…

The phone began to ring and I hurried inside to answer it. I almost didn’t hear it at first. The wind was just howling outside. 

“Just what are you two doing?” Charlie loudly asked me over the phone when I answered.

Maggie and I had been sitting on the porch awaiting some storms to arrive. I had my tablet computer and was checking the radar with it periodically. The storms bypassed us, by the way, much to my chagrin.

“I’ve got you three Chick-fil-a sandwiches and a big Coke,” Charlie said. “I will be there in five minutes.”

Charlie arrived and came inside for a little while. Maggie was in ecstasy at this unannounced visit. Charlie was joking and laughing and so jovial in general. It lightened all our moods. Especially my disappointment over the storms fizzling out

“Now, I’ve got to go to the dentist tomorrow morning and then I am bringing you and Maggie breakfast biscuits and hash browns around ten. You’ll get a big Coke as well.”

I couldn’t thank Charlie nearly enough. This was such a nice surprise this afternoon and will be a nice diversion in the morning as well.

Bless Maggie’s heart. She gets so tired of that dogfood and wolfed down one of those Chick-fil-a sandwiches or should I say inhaled it then spit out the pickles.

Alberto is Scooting On Out of Here Now…

Yes, Smokes and Cokes Are Imperative…

“You want your Cokes and smokes this early?!?!” my father exclaimed over the phone this early morning.

It was a minor miracle I was up so early. I was in the bed at 11 PM last night.

“Just look at the radar,” I told him. “It is fixing to start raining hard and will rain for hours. I don’t want to get caught out in all of that mess this afternoon and I have three cigarettes left.”

“Well okay,” Old Fuss and Feathers replied grumbling. “Give me about 15 or 20 minutes to get them out there and then I will call you.”

Dad called about 30 minutes later and I hurried over to get my stuff. It was very chilly outside and it is going to be an even colder rain in store for us. I sighed as I pulled back into my driveway with my main task taken care of. I thought I felt a drop of rain as I walked inside.

Five Out of the Last Seven Sundays It Has Been Raining...

I woke at would have been six yesterday. Now it is seven -- seven in the morning and still dark outside. Ah, daylight savings time.

I turned up the heat from 72° F to 78° F as it was very chilly in Casa de Andrew this morning. It is also pouring rain and there is no telling what time Charlie will be here with biscuits this morning with the time change and the weather. I am guessing he will be here around 10:30 AM.

You may remember my bed broke a few months back.

"It was you and Maggie's big asses laid up in that bed that broke it," my father picked at me while laughing.

Maggie and I have been sleeping with the box springs and mattress on the floor which can get mighty chilly and you worry about critters crawling in the bed with you having a dog door and all.

"Charlies got a queen sized bed for you," my father told me last night. "When he will bring it, I do not know."

I wrung my hands in delight and great pleasure. My first thoughts were that I hope Maggie can jump up on the bed (not likely). It is going to take her weeks to adjust to this new acquisition. I guess I will be picking her up and putting her in the bed with me. I can't sleep without her with me. She will very vocally let me know when she needs to get down.

"Tell Charlie I said mucho thanks," I told my father. "We are going to have to get up the linens to fit such a large bed."

************************************************

I want a nice looking house filled with nice furniture
like Charlie and Papa

I might become a soothsayer if I believed in all that superstitious nonsense. Charlie arrived at exactly 10:30 AM. Charlie was completely undressed for this kind of weather. He had on his purple painting t-shirt, tan shorts, and some leather looking crocs.

"You're going to catch the death of you," I told him worriedly.

It is 55° F outside this morning. The water was just dripping off his bald head as he handed me our breakfast.

"Next week, just get me one biscuit instead of two," I told Charlie. "I am trying to stick to my diet."

"When do you want your bed?" Charlie then asked.

"Call me anytime and I will be over to help you load it on the truck and into the house," I replied. "It is not like my schedule is just filled with things to do."

A Conjunction of Trouble...

I just tried to call Charlie, but I bet he left his phone at home as he is prone to do. In about 30 minutes, a big line of wicked storms will be moving through. I wanted to warn Charlie who is out and getting all our breakfasts. Charlie is completely oblivious and clueless as far as the weather is concerned. It is almost 9:30 so hopefully Charlie will be along soon before the shit hits the fan. He usually comes between 9:15 and 10:15.

Update: Too Late, at 10:00 AM it is loudly thundering and pouring rain now. Fare thee well Charlie.

Update 2: "You know me," Charlie said. "I don't keep up with the weather. Sorry I am running so late this morning."

Charlie didn't arrive until almost 10:30 this Sunday. Charlie had run across my yard in a pouring rain and handed me three sausage biscuits and an extra large Coke. What little hair he has was flailing wildly in the brisk wind and the rain which caused me to chuckle loudly.

"I got your message," Charlie said trying to straighten his hair some. "But it was too late."

Maggie was just going bonkers that Charlie stepped inside for a minute.

"Hey Maggie Lou," Charlie said in baby talk. "I love you, too!"

Charlie then left my house headed to my father's house to give him his sausage biscuit and a senior coffee. Before he arrives at my house, he delivers biscuits to his sister's house, Shelby, who lives just a block away from me.

Snow One Minute and Thunderstorms the Next...

This should be showing up this afternoon just in time for supper.

My Hopes are High and Reality Bites...

It is 2:30 AM as I write this. I am slowly watching the temperatures drop as rain moves into the eastern counties of Alabama. I have high hopes we may get some interesting weather before the night is over, but as I wrote about in the title, reality bites. The ultra-conservative National Weather Service says it is just going to be a rain event. I'd even be happy with a little sleet storm. God forbid we get snow, but I can hope.

Radar Abstract Art Nuveau...

There is beauty everywhere!

The Bellows of the Earth...

"Charlie, I didn't expect you out in this weather," I said as a gust of wind blew Charlie's hair wildly which he fought off with his hand.

"Well Hell," Charlie nonchalantly replied. "That's what windshield wipers are for."

I just had to laugh. Charlie is more dependable than the postal service.

So far, we are getting gusts up to 35 miles an hour and the rain is torrential. The power keeps blinking on and off throwing my computers into complete disarray.

Well, I just saw George drive by headed to the Waffle House for an early lunch. I can't be that bad or all these folks are crazy.

I just called my weather obsessed father and asked him if he would be out in this...

"Oh, hell no!" he exclaimed. "My pussy and I are staying put."

How To Navigate a Car in a Raging Downpour...

I was just sitting in my darkened den looking out the window. The roar of the rain hitting my roof is almost deafening. I wouldn't believe it if with my own eyes if I didn't see car after car come driving down the road in this watery mess. They are all headed to the ethnic neighborhood to the north of us. Somethings just don't stop for nothing.

Will Charlie bring biscuits in the morning? That is the question. Charlie tends to be aloof about the weather and he may just attempt it. If he can't make it, then this is the first time we've ever missed Sunday morning biscuits out of all these years of this pleasing ritual.

Excitement Superbly Ensues...

I took those two Papa provided Klonopin last night and was asleep at midnight sleeping like a baby with the Magster breathing rhythmically under my arm. I woke up this morning at 9 AM so very thankful for a good night's sleep. This most likely means I will stay on a normal sleep schedule despite sleeping all day yesterday. I bet my eyes will be burning from lack of sleep come about midnight tonight when I crawl into the bed once again.

I scrambled the last of my jumbo eggs this morning. I burned the toast accidentally not paying attention to my toaster oven. I smelled burning bread and it was too late to save them. There went in two more buttery slices and I got it right this time.

"I should have cooked yeast biscuits this morning," I said to myself as I sat down to eat in the kitchen.

Dad's got me on these yeast biscuits that you buy frozen and they taste just like homemade when you cook them in the oven. Tasty! Hindsight is always 20/20. I will be having bacon, yeast biscuits, and strawberry preserves for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Maggie's eggs didn't last ten seconds on her plate. She scarfed them down as if she were starving. She had just had a big bowl of freeze dried turkey and venison an hour before.

"You didn't even taste it," I whined, dismayed at my faithful little friend.

Let it Rain! Let it Rain! I'm Doing My Rain Dance!

I am very, very excited this morning. A big shield of soaking rain is headed this way and it looks like it may hold together and rain for hours. I love it when the weather is interesting like it is this morning.

"Have you seen the radar?" I asked my father who is my cohort in weather obsession. "A big shield of rain is on the way. It is now entering Randolph county."

Dad said he was going to get on the computer and check the radar when we got off the phone.

Some Thunder and Rain Moving in this Morning...

A Very Dreary Night For Grocery Shopping...

Skinny Minnie, dad added the fried bacon to the dough then baked them. It makes for a decadent breakfast for two or more -- even better with a dollop of strawberry preserves.

-----------------------------------

The rain was falling kind of sideways (Scottish weather) as my father and I loaded up my car with groceries. Water was dripping off the bib of my cap.

"I was really worried about you," my father told me as he gave me a hug tonight. "I was so glad to see all your indoor lights on and you being up and about.".

"Yeah, I had what Churchhill described as his black dog (depression) all last week," I told my father. "I always bounce back, though."

I spent $74 dollars tonight and my father didn't day a word. He was just happy to see me and for me to be okay.

Andrew's Blog: Thunder and Lightning Edition...

I didn't see this one coming so it is nice to revel in the weather before bedtime. 

A Simple Line Of Storms...

The wind started to howling and blowing here a moment ago ahead of a cold-front.. It was 2:45 AM and I had just gotten back from Walmart. I had driven down there to get more bananas. Dad has me totally hooked on that fruit after putting some in my cart one evening months ago.

After looking at the radar, I wanted to call the security truck at Walmart and give him a heads up. We are fixing to get a pretty good line of storms to blow through and then it will turn markedly colder by tomorrow.

I also realized this morning is my injection of my Risperdal Consta. Thus explains my odd behavior. I do believe the holidays have got us all out of whack as far as our routines are concerned.