Lightening Flashed, Thunder Roared, & the Cat is Down to Eight Lives

Dear John,

 

The thunder did stop around midnight and we all went to bed. The dog woke me up at 1 wanting to go out - he hadn't been out for hours because he was too afraid of the storm. Then, right on the stroke of 2 AM, there was this HUGE bolt of lightening and clap of thunder.

 

The ground shook from it, and everything lit up as bright as daylight. Jethro had been asleep lying on my head, and Hunter had been in the window sleeping on the sill next to the screen. The dog yelped and flew straight up in the air, landing on my head on his way back down. The cat yowled and flung himself out of the window and across the bed. Jethro began calming down as soon as I had the light on. Hunter was hiding in the hall trembling, and had to be held and rocked, and is now down to eight lives. It took about half an hour to get them settled and happy again.

 

By then I couldn't get back to sleep. I finally took Benadryl, which took about an hour to make me sleepy - I entertained myself with some Internet research I'd been wanting to do, and finally got to sleep around 3:30. I woke up at 6:15, a few minutes before the alarm was set to go off. And since a major front had gone through overnight, I felt like I'd been beaten by baseball bats, really terrible pain all over. There wasn't much happening at work today, so I texted Kathy, took Vicodin, and slept until 9:00. I woke up feeling much better, and had a good day at work.

 

Everything feels much better today. The temperature and humidity are way down, and all animal life has breathed a sigh of relief. I'll need the summer blanket tonight - last night it was so hot and humid that I ended up sleeping on top of it. I doubt that the cat will ever sleep in that window again. Poor thing, I can imagine how terrifying that was for him.

 

We're in our usual places tonight. I stayed up for the 100th episode of Burn Notice, which says it's ending after this season. Hearts are breaking everywhere. It's a good thing they're on Netflix. Jethro is asleep at my feet and Hunter is in the window stalking the petunias. Kathy only needs me for a few hours in the afternoon tomorrow, so I'll run some errands in South Bend before work. If you were here we'd go together, eat Italian somewhere, and make a day of it. Without you, I'll probably get a dollar taco and free senior drink at Taco Bell. Haute cuisine!

 

You missed lots of entertainment again last night, and I'll miss you tomorrow when I go to South Bend. Thank you for praying for our safety last night! I saw one big tree down today. Most of us just got a good soaking rain. Oh goody - it will make the grass grow.

 

Love you so much, and wish I could cuddle under the blanket with you tonight,

Joan.