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For those who may have heard about The Most Freakishly Insane Thunderstorm Ever™ (I'm not sure how far the news reports have traveled) and are wondering how we fared... we're still here. I know that news of the "big tanker fire" has gone national, but that it's been exaggerated. What actually happened? The tanker was offloading gasoline at the Port of Providence, and was struck by lightning. The ship did catch fire but was quickly put out by the onboard suppression system. What continued to burn was the gasoline that had already been offloaded to the dock, and the dock itself. This all happened within smoke-smelling distance (about five miles) of my place.
Those who were watching the lightning when the tanker was struck were treated to a glowing red sky for several seconds. Even the lightning that didn't hit the ground was spectacular. I watched leaves float around on my deck in a couple inches of water, and hail pellets pummeling my storm door. Chris drove home from his poker game in about three feet of standing water. There are unconfirmed reports of a tornado touching down right in my neighborhood. And there's a weeping willow on top of a car in the condo parking lot.
We lost power for about two hours. Chris had forgotten to take his cell phone with him to the poker game, which it turned out was fortuitous, even though I didn't like the idea of him out there driving without it. Before he left there to come home, he called to see if I was okay. My cordless/speaker phones don't work without power, however, so all I could do was stand there helplessly listening to the backup wall phone ring... and ring... This (and the fact that the machine never picked up) clued him in to the fact that the power was out. Then, he actually had the foresight to realize all of the following: 1) The only source of light I had was the lightning itself coming in through the storm door in the living room, so that's where I was; 2) My purse, and my cell phone, were in the bedroom, which I could not possibly get to without any light; 3) His cell phone was right there near me in the living room, and would light up to guide me to it when it rings.
While I waited for him, I figured out that I could use his cell phone as a flashlight to find the real flashlight, a two-foot long MAG Lite that weighs more than my dog. Albeit awkwardly, I was able to use it to safely make my way around the condo, and to light up the walkway and deck for Chris when he got home. Oh, and how ironic that I have a house full of pretty and smelly candles, but all of our candle lighters have childproof (i.e. gimpy-finger-proof) switches on them.
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comment: from Yosemite
hey you are just too cool Carly Ann, i see that you still remember what i taught you so many years ago. "do it another way" ain't nothin gettin by you sweetheart, and that man you are hangin with is almost as great as you are. ofcourse you got it all over the rest of us with the combo of brains & beauty! oh yah, in Kentucky at the CVMA 2006 national meeting i was given the roadname 'Yosemite' on account of my moustache from riding 2500 miles (1 way) to get there.
love you guys ....dad
Wed 07/19/2006 9:35 PM
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