Oh What a Clatter

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Tis the sound of a breaking heatwave.

We've been having a thunder storm off and on for most of the last six hours. Sweetie my inlaw's dog and Merlin our cat have been nervous as a Granny walking through a field of nettles in her Sunday nylon stockings. And, yeah. Me too.

It's not my favorite feeling to be sitting alone in a tin box listening to the claps and booms, watching the windows light up.

Even more nerve wracking was to discover that my FIL has moved the flashlights somewhere. So if the power goes out I'm going to be sitting here in pitch black with a cat and a dog that won't let me walk out of the room without trying to follow. Follow? No, that would mean they were behind me. No. They want to walk beside me pressed against my leg (Sweetie) or between my feet or winding in out of my legs (Merlin).

When the storm first started I tried to turn off my in-laws PC just in case the power went out. Only to discover it had to install 28 updates before it could power down which took it over thirty minutes during which I sat there watching the screen count the completed installs in between flashing the message "do not turn off your computer..." as I practically held my breath that the power would stay on long enough for it to finish, fearing that my good intentions had just set up the PC for a irrecoverable crash. But the power held out. In fact it never went out except for one brief split second hiccup that didn't even make the clocks start blinking.

I was making my nachos during the worst of the lighting. I was just sure the power would go out while I had the table covered with stuff belonging in the fridge and the cutting board covered in chopped tomatoes, green onion and mushroom and the beans and cheese heating up in the microwave and when it held long enough for me to get my plate fixed and the food put away, I worried I would end up having to eat in the dark. But that didn't happen.

Earlier this afternoon I had sorted out my laundry and stripped the bed. I had planned on starting laundry at eight but the storm was at its height then so I waited. When I noticed at ten-thirty that I'd not heard a clap or boom for quite awhile and then that both Sweetie and Merlin were asleep, I figured that was a sign that it was safe to start a load. I've got three to process by noon tomorrow.

I can't believe my 3.5 days home alone are down to the last 12 or so hours! Where did it all go? Well, mostly to watching TV and DVD, listening to music, some daydreaming, a fair bit of reading and a lot of napping and a little sewing. Oh and snack and meal prep. It seems like I've been in the kitchen way more than the normal amount.

I spent an hour on Thursday moving my sewing, books and laptop and accessories out to the living room and making a bed on the sofa so I could camp out with the cooler and fans. Which means I need to allocate an hour to moving it all back before noon. I spent an hour today cleaning in our room and sorting laundry. There'll be three loads to put away by noon and the bed to make. Though I might wait for Ed's help on that as it entails lifting the mattress to get the fitted sheet on. I'll need to allocate at least thirty minutes to putting the kitchen in order before noon. And an hour for a shower and shampoo. So my little 'vacation' is all but over. I've got twelve hours and eight of them should be devoted to sleep as I promised Ed I would not inflict my sleep-deprived self on him upon his return.