Live from the Storm Track

Gainesville

Omigod. I was gagging and cringing, as I always do when reading anything I wrote long ago, when I noticed the line:

I got someone (not Terry) to fix Version 2.0 problem, so we're about to release it. I need to find another programmer to work with & decide "what's next."

My dear blog readers, that "someone" was Bill! I had seen him a few months earlier during his interview for his first job at UF, but this was the first time we interacted and noticed each other! I guess I found another programmer, and a whole lot more... Thanks for keeping the letter and transcribing it.

Meanwhile, back in the eye of the storm-- it's raining. It rained most of the afternoon, a slow, sullen, windless soaking, and a very welcome one. We were all surprised when at around 5:30 we got notice that UF would be closed tomorrow! This is unheard of-- in the old days, no way would we have closed for this. I am calling this The Katrina Effect-- after that catastrophe, no one wants to be responsible for putting our Customers in harm's way. What if one of them were to get hurt trying to get to class?! It would be UF's fault, even if unrelated. So everyone stays home. Am I complaining? As if.

Rain stopped shortly after we got home. It was preternaturally quiet during dinner-- none of our numerous electrical devices was humming, nor those of our neighbors. It was weird! Then I remembered, it's the sound of a hurricane, when none of these things works, and you suddenly hear the world as it really is.

Raining again now, though. Started about the time I started this post, and getting harder. No wind to speak of, no thunderstorms, either. I'm relieved that we now have enough rain to ease the drought. Uh oh-- starting to get some winds to speak of, nothing too scary yet. It could be a long night. And after six hours of sleep last night, it's good to not have to face the tank tomorrow.

Thanks to my heroic efforts last night, dinner tonight was a breeze-- the marinade was sun dried tomato-based, so I got to use some of the ones Sandy sent me. Quite wonderful! Bill remarked on the tomatoes in particular. Recipe called for round steak, but I substituted London broil-- which came already cut into small wedges. Probably crispier than it should have been.

Thanks for the farm and kitchen report, Sandy. Potato bugs-- eeewww! Ah, the romance of the garden, picking them off by hand. But that's the reality. Chosing sides, destroying other plants and insects that threaten them. How nice to have guests and an excuse to cook up. As for olives in the chicken recipe, I didn't get a chance to get any good ones, and god knows, I wasn't going to sacrifice the Holy Moreas for a mere relish. After perusing Publix's offerings, I chose some Lindsay large green ones stuffed with jalapenos. I painstakingly removed the pepper stuffing, using one of those olive picks, then rinsed them. They retained just enough of the kick to make them interesting. Not ideal, but a good choice, I think.

I'm so proud of you, Mom, doing all your routines! Awesome. If it were'nt so late, I'd hunt up a star to post here. My token routine tonight was to change the towels and get the dirty ones laundered and put away.

Okay, now the winds are starting to sound scary. We're glad we had those trees taken down recently. Which is not to say that others won't decide enough is enough, and even one across a power line can ruin your whole day. Knock knock. We have enough supplies of the basics to see us though a day or two. Shit, I didn't really believe we were going to have to go through this drill so early in the season. I just heard the sound of one coming down. Ah yes, and the first flicker of the lights. Think I'll pour myself another drink and hunker down for the night.