Maria! So good to see you. We've all been thinking about you. May the rain stop soonest!

Thanks for the recommendations, folks! Currently using Wet 'N Wild brand, which smudges far too easily for my taste.

Oh, Maria, glad to hear from you, and stay dry!

Maria! You come pretty close to here! But yeah, good to avoid that route going home. I think they had a fair amount of flooding at the exits around there. One thing about cutting through is that while there are stoplights, but there are alternate routes!

Thought of you when I saw they're opening gates on the Conowingo.

I am surprised to only have a trickle in the basement so far. And relieved. I don't know what the totals are so far, but it's filled my watering can to 3/4. Which is large. And half covered.

It's nuts out there.

Good to hear from you, Maria!

I just went to check my basement, and it looks like it didn't get any new water today, and the landlord cleaned up the water that was there before. The floor and walls are all damp, but there aren't any puddles.

I'm trying to figure out alternate routes out of my town. The route that I usually take is along the street that's always the first to get flooded, since it runs parallel to the creek and just a few feet away. Every other route that I could think of, and even every other way that I could find from looking at a map, goes up a really steep hill that I really wouldn't want to drive while the roads were slippery. But I don't actually have to go anywhere tomorrow -- I've got an appointment to get my new ankle brace fitted, but if I can't get there, then I can cancel it -- so I'll be OK, unless something else happens.

FWIW, my vet recommends Frontline over Advantage. According to him the chemical they use for ticks is outdated. Not that it doesn't workat all, but that more effective things have been developed and they're not using the latest and greatest.

Naturally I had just bought six months of Advantage when he told me this. But wasn't a big enough deal to not use.

Kate, I really hope the morning sickness subsides quickly. I can't imagine day after day of an upset stomach.

'suela, how is your job situation, other than untenable because of insane cow-orker?

sara, I thought I was close by you, but I didn't have time to peruse the map as I was plotting my course. The new office is off of Kenilworth Drive, and I didn't realize how close Towson actually is to downtown Baltimore. Frederick is a lot drier than east of I-95 right now.

Every other route that I could think of, and even every other way that I could find from looking at a map, goes up a really steep hill that I really wouldn't want to drive while the roads were slippery.

Hil, you should be fine. Just don't stop and start suddenly. Keep steady pressure on the gas pedal. Cars today can make the millions of adjustments needed to drive in less-than-ideal conditions.

You're still off to the west and north of me, but I take the cats to a vet in Mt Washington (which is tucked into the elbow of Northern and 83) and that's about 10-15 minutes away. I'm sure you already know this, but there's a Trader Joe's tucked under Joppa by the Towson mall.

Huh. My lawyer neighbor works up there as well. Not sure what kind of law she practices though.

After the commutes you are used to, everything in Baltimore metro probably seems close!

And godDAMNIT! Loki just nipped me in the ass because I had the temerity to fart.

Oh, and I wanted to say, I hope the new job is at least nice to you, even if I know it isn't what you want to be doing. Don't let that mess with your head. We'll have to get together once you sort out the particulars of the commute and the health-crisis alert level has downgraded.