Pages

Sunday, August 28, 2011

too-rah loo-rah too-rah loo-rah lay

Come on Irene! Well the song is actually Come On Eileen, but it did come up both in the office and on the radio this week waiting for Hurricane Irene to make landfall in the nations capital. Needless to say, to me it was pretty disappointing. Then again, having grown up in the South where I'd heard stories of hurricanes and lived through at least one tropical storm that I remember. As far west as I live, she ended up being just a bunch of rain and a little wind. There were a couple branches down in my complex, but no trees that I saw, no serious property damage, no power loss, water loss, or gas loss. Not even any thunder and lightening. So, for me at least, I escaped the wrath of Irene pretty unscathed.

On the note of the other natural disaster that occurred in the area this week, it really couldn't have picked a lovelier day to happen at least. The weather was seriously perfect to have to stand outside for 45 minutes while they swept the building for damage. The earthquake itself shook for probably five seconds, although it felt more like fifteen. I haven't actually looked up the figure to know for certain. Probably half the people in the building wondered at least once if it was an explosion because they evacuated the building by turning on the fire alarm rather than announcing over a PA that there was an earthquake and we should evacuate. There are quite a few people in the building who were with Mobil in New York during 9/11. In any case it was sunny and warm instead of hot. I got home and the only casualty of the day was actually a bit of a surprise. My mom gave me a decoration of Peace on Earth for Christmas a few years ago, and when I arrived home it was broken on the floor. Any doubts that these are the Last Days?

Dave's Corner: Dave is doing well for the most part. The air conditioning comes and goes so he's had to deal with some pretty bad heat but he's coming down to only about a month left in Sangin. The most interesting story I've heard recently definitely was that he was searching an Afghani man when the man pulled a live bird out of his pocket. Dave admitted to being startled. I probably would have squeaked in surprise.

Stella's Corner: Stella has managed to break one leash by getting it stuck in the hood of a car while we walked. The leash had to be cut out to detach it from the car hood. She's well on the way to ruining her next one by chasing too many overenthusiastic squirrels who make me drop the leash so I don't get bowled over. I am seriously considering wrapping it in duck tape to preserve its live.