I just had an extensive conversation with a woman on the subway who told me that the weather has been crazy since Sputnik! That's what did it -- all the going to space.

Okay, then.

Yeah, what I heard last night was that wind speeds were the highest ever recorded, and it was something in the neighborhood of a mile wide. I don't know that that's fact, but it suggests that it may have just been beyond what shelters could handle.

I'm pretty sure it was the one in '99 with those wind speeds. It was a mile wide at points though. Storm cellars were probably okay even if the door blew off, but basements have the risk of upper structure caving into them. I haven't watched any news today, but it sounds like that's what happened at the school.

Sorry, Juliebird. Do you feel a sense of relief that this is mostly over?

ION, Monica arrives Saturday and will be staying with me for a week. I've done a shitload of cleaning and got some posters framed and put up.

I seem to be alternating between anxiety and excitement. But trending more towards excitement.

Does anyone else get earwormed from rhythms of things?

Constantly! And trying to figure out why I am humming that song (whatever it is) is usually the part that makes me crazy.

Absolutely, tommy. Now I'm just wondering if my two weeks is up in two Tuesdays or the Wednesday after, because Tuesday is the only late day at the DMV.

Now that the shopping bug has hit, Jilli, what was the name of that online store you linked to a while back that had great coats and stuff?

Chic Star? That's where I've been getting a lot of things from, lately.

Merci, Jilli, that was it! ::runs off to look at more clothes::

FYI, I've had the best luck with them by ordering a size larger than my measurements.

So I went to get soup from the soup place across the way, and when the woman was sliding the covered bowl across to me, it tipped over, spilling Jamaican Jerk Chicken soup all over the counter, the floor, and splashing on my black and white houndstooth skirt.

And I'm going to a networking event after work tonight. I'm just glad I didn't order the tomato soup.

Argh.

Uck--does it show much? I hope it wasn't a tomato-ey soup, at best.

I meant to mention--if your version of old is "can't do my normal 3 mile run", well, you're significantly younger than I am, who's never been up for one of those, never mind normal.

Aren't these beautiful? They look like they could inspire so many stories. All their stuff is pretty gorgeous, and it's not often you can see the following phrase:

such notable individuals as Norman Schwartzkopf, Juan Carlos King of Spain, Pope John Paul II and Bo Derek

Oy, Consuela. At least houndstooth is busy?

I'm going to have dinner with my grandmother -- my parents are still out of town -- and I asked her if she wants me to get lobster rolls from the supermarket, and she's all lobster-ed out! I never thought I'd see the day! But her niece was staying with her all week, so I bet they went out a lot, and the niece is from RI, but lives in the Midwest now, so I bet she was psyched for seafood.