My heart bleeded, girl

So yesterday afternoon there were thunderstorms and microbursts and it really did sound just like a train. It happened really fast and then it was over with. I saw a tree in the backyard fall and by the time I could get to the front of the house, the big oak tree in the front yard was down. It has to have been 130 years old, and it was twisted off about five feet from the ground.

It fell towards the street and not the house, luckily, but it took out the power lines. In fact, it broke the poles and pulled the lines down. The tree is laying all the way across the street - it's a big tree - so our road is closed and there's about 6 houses that don't have power.

All the neighbors gathered to take pictures, of course, and then Lar and I loaded up the electronics to go to Panera's and charge things while we ate. I haven't seen any Allegheny Power crews yet, but I'm sure we're on a very long list.

Our street is a crescent, running adjacent to the main road, with an entrance on each end, and right in the middle, there's access to a whole 'nother area of houses. So, just because the road is closed doesn't mean folks don't have to use it to get home, but it's entertaining to see the number of cars trying to get through by our house and having to turn around. It's hard to know from the main street just where the problem is.

One woman, yesterday, pulled into our driveway to turn around, got out of the car to look at the tree, put her hands on her hips and HUFFED, got back in her car and left. Like it was someone's fault she was inconvenienced.

This all happened as the school bus was dropping the kids off, and we're all just lucky the timing wasn't just a little bit different.

It's the only tree that provided shade when I'm on my treadmill, so I guess my days of running at 10 am are over. I'm gonna have to get up a bit earlier, I think.

I'm at Panera now, what with their outlets and their wireless, and I may spend most of the morning here. Half the other people in here are also without power, charging up their phones and laptops. Larry's off teaching an ABLS course (Advanced Burn Life Support) all day, and if I was home, I'd just keep looking out the window for the power crews to show up. There are wires draped over our mailbox, although I don't think any of them are live. I should probably be home for the mailman.

Lois and I are going to the ballet tonight - Swan Lake - so that takes care of the evening. When there's no power it's so boring. And quiet. One of our neighbors has a generator, which reverberated around the neighborhood all night. It was easy to hear because there was nothing else making noise.

I guess I'll buy some ice to stick in the fridge and the freezer in the garage, and just hope they fix things before my fish die.

It is, of course, the perfect day to spend writing, as there's really nothing else I can do.

Is metafandom ever going to talk about anything other than Mary Sues ever again? Is there really anything left to say?

Some thoughts on SPN, which I don't think are spoilery. Sam and Dean are just so fucking human, aren't they, which is the whole point, isn't it?

I don't at all think the show is making either of them out to be wrong, or bad. They're just human, with overwhelming problems and issues. I just enjoy them as flawed human beings and complex characters, without blame.

My thoughts on 5.18 have already been articulated by lots of other people, so have some pictures of my tree. If it had fallen the other direction, it would have taken out our sunroom, and most likely the kitchen, so I'm feeling pretty lucky.




( Two more under the cut )