we giggled about the rain while we stood in a circle, chatting it up in the lobby of the Open Book. the rain was coming down in sheets, buckets, like cats and dogs, and any other cliche you can think of. it was pouring out.

people broke off into groups of two or three to make the mad dash to grumpy’s. ken, hilary, and i made it as far as the cubicle between the two doors that lead to the open book. we peered outside watching the endless rain and the lightning. we were joined by a woman who had no hair.

“it looks like it’s letting up,” i said.
“it’s not the rain i’m worried about, it’s the lightning,” ken said.
“ahh, i’m not worried about that,” i said.
“you should be,” hilary said. “you’re really tall!”
“does lightning strike tall people first?” i asked.
“i don’t know,” she said. “but you’re closer to it than anyone else.”
“i have cancer,” said the woman who had no hair. “i don’t know if i should just go for it, because i’ve been struck already and i’m safe or if i’m cursed and doomed to get hit.”

she decided to make a dash for it. but not before she told me that she liked me because i was so tall. shortly afterward, ken whipped out his umbrella and started running.

that left just me and hilary. we were superwussy. she, because she was wearing suede shoes and a cashmere sweater. me, because i am big and slow. eventually we sucked it up and dashed over. about half-way down the block i stopped and took my shoes off. they aren’t good running shoes under any condition. but they’re super-terrible when they get wet. they’re a little too big and when they’re wet and my feet are wet, i slide forward with every step. it sucks.

if i had known that getting to grumpy’s was going to be the easiest part of the night, i’d still be there.

after drinks and various fried nibblies, we disbanded. the rain, it was still coming down in sheets, buckets, etc. we huddled by the back door, i took my shoes off and went out into the torrential downpour. i made it about 10 feet and had to put my shoes back on. that’s when Kelly noticed the car stranded in the middle of the street, water up to it’s headlights.

i finally made it to Ruby sopping wet, blind (because my glasses were all wet), and breathing heavy. of course, again, that was only the beginning of my journey. i pulled out headed onto 35W south and about two miles down the road came to a screeching halt. it was a parking lot and it stayed a parking lot for about 40 or so minutes until i got past highway 62. it sucked.

it so super sucked. i don’t deal well with driving in inclement weather. it freaks me the fuck right out. i think it’s because sister #2’s best friend died in a car accident caused by bad roads. so i’ve somehow managed to convince myself that if i were in any kind of accident when the weather is bad, i will die.

i can tell when i get freaked out. i sit up really straight, grip the wheel at 10 and 2, my peripheral vision seems to disappear, and i start to hum. i hum. not a song or melody, just a steady hmmmmmm, mmmmmmm, mmmmmm, mmmmm like i’m putting myself into some sort of weird rainman-like freakout trance. i’m sure it was a sight to behold tonight. hair plastered to my skull, flabby-upper arms displayed, tanktop stuck to my body, and humming away like a weird robot on tilt.

but the good news is that after over an hour, i arrived home. home to peanut butter waffles and dry clothes.