Greetings from the other side of the End of Days

[constance]

So there was this storm on Saturday afternoon. I was sitting on my sofa, watching Juno, which I highly recommend, by the way, and there was rain, you know, perfect for movie watching, and it got thunderier and thunderier, which is a little unusual for this part of the world, and then there was a clattery sound and gradually it dawned on me that it was hailing, and right around the time I got up to take a look at the sugar-cube-sized pellets falling on us, the electricity went out. And it came back on late in the evening, but something woke me up super-early, and I thought it was the electricity going out again, so I got up and unplugged the computer and turned off the AC, and then went back to bed. But I think that what must have woken me up was not the electricity going out so much as the fucking TORNADO plowing through my front yard, although I did not know this until I woke again at eight and realized that my front yard (and the rest of the neighborhood as well) looked like a tornado had plowed through it.

All things considered, it's not that big a deal. Amazingly, the storm headed straight down the middle of the street and left the houses pretty much untouched. My house is fine, my car is fine, we are fine, and we're still without electricity, but that's a small price to pay for being healthy and intact. Other places haven't been so lucky, including a major (for our city) shopping district, and so there's a 9pm enforced curfew on the city. I've been sitting round for the last couple of nights reading by flashlight and candlelight, watching the laundry pile up, being reminded how surprisingly dark it is when there are no lights at all, listening to the constant serenade of chainsaws and wood chippers.

It's been an interesting couple of days, really. And I have an all-day seminar in Atlanta to get to, so I can't be catching up today, but I did want to say hey before I cleared off. So. Hey. Keep your fingers crossed that I have electricity when I get home this afternoon, okay?



The front yard before cleanup




My poor dead lamppost, which is looking a little like I made it out of tinfoil. It sits fifteen feet from the edge of the house, holy shit.

Comments

[gmth.livejournal.com]

OMG! That's so scary! Thank goodness you're all right!

[xanthophyllippa.livejournal.com]

...

whoa.

[laurelwood.livejournal.com]

A FREAKING TORNADO?!?! Aieeee! I'm so glad you're okay. RIP, lamppost, though!

Bring your laundry over to my house. While it's tumbling, we can whip you up some tasty stuff to take home.

Gosh, tornado rubble aside, you really do live in a gorgeous neighborhood. I don't think I fully appreciated from past pictures how lush and each-house-is-unique-and-full-of-character it is.

I hope your electricity comes back on soon, and I'm a million times glad you, your furry roommates, and all your stuff is okay. Be careful getting to and from the seminar!

[lolaraincoat.livejournal.com]

Holy cow. *So* glad you're all right!

[tilney.livejournal.com]

Ouch! I'm glad you're all okay.

[saekokato.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I'm glad you and yours are ok.

[thalia]

Oh, wow, how scary! I'm glad the damage wasn't any worse, and I'm crossing my fingers for your electricity.

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

Golly, what a scare! When I was in Atlanta last month I was looking at all the windows that are still boarded up in midtown from the tornado that went through there. I'm glad that you came through relatively unscathed. Fingers crossed for a quick restoration of services.

[lindyhoppr.livejournal.com]

(like everyone else) glad you're OK. After hearing about a curfew on the radio, I was worried.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

Aie! I am glad you are okay and that your bachelor has not sustained damage.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_swallow/]

dang, I'm glad you're OK.

[bowdlerized.livejournal.com]

I'm glad the damage was not worse and that you are okay, but OMG TORNADO!!!

[wishwords.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'm glad you're all right.

[emily-spinach.livejournal.com]

So glad you're okay! But I have to say, I'm laughing over the thought of you waking up and then going back to bed without noticing the TORNADO!

Good luck with that electricity.

[kickthebeat.livejournal.com]

oh man! we had some of that hail saturday night, in chapel hill, but we did not achieve tornado, damn. i'm glad you're okay!

[ainsley.livejournal.com]

Holy shit! I'm glad you're safe. Having so little damage is tasty icing. Poor lamppost, though!

[dahlia-777.livejournal.com]

T! A tornado! Wow, I am so pleased to hear you are OK.

[treesa83.livejournal.com]

Will look into it...thanks!

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I'm going to be out of town, so here are early wishes for a happy birthday! Hope you have a great one.