For a day that started with a power blackout and ended with a massive rainstorm, I feel pretty lucky that I got as much done as I did. The blackout could have come in the middle of the day, when I was trying to squeeze spreadsheets out of my poor, tired brain. And the rain could have hammered us in the afternoon, making it less likely that I would have been able to get out for a (much needed) lunch with Suzanne.

But I did get out for lunch, and it was great, even though I nearly choked on my French dip. Eating too fast, I guess, or maybe I’m just not used to being out in public. I’ve been sequestered all month, and I haven’t had to eat with people around. The coffee shop where we went this afternoon was busy but not crowded. I didn’t make too much of a spectacle of myself, although anyone who chose to look would have seen my face turning red and my eyes watering. Still, I survived. And I got filled up, too, so I could save my left over roast potatoes and grilled chicken for another day.

If I’m saving it for a rainy day, I think I’ll have a good chance tomorrow. The way it’s raining tonight, it’ll either blow through fast or it’ll settle over us until we’re completely under water. I wouldn’t place a bet either way, but for now I’m glad it didn’t start until after dark, when I didn’t plan to be anywhere but inside my cozy bungalow. Here all I have to do is hope the roof holds up and the trees stay rooted in place.

On the other hand, this is the kind of storm that could bring us a more serious blackout than the one we had before I even got out of bed. I woke up to the flashing numbers on the clock radio, so I had to get up and make sure I hadn’t overslept. It was about an hour before I wanted to get up, so I went back to bed. I tried to oversleep, knowing I would have had a good excuse, but it wasn’t in me. Too responsible, I guess. Or too scared of falling behind again. (Is that the same thing?)