30 July 2011

'Twas a dark and stormy night!

No, really it was.  But then every writer dreams of that opening.  Here's my chance.

Your humble host was invited to give a talk to experienced engineers on the DayJob('tm)'s products.  Our hosts were most gracious and treated us to far better accommodations than when I perform similar duties for the $DayJob(tm).   Still while our host covered our room and board, the bed quite frankly was about as comfortable as a cement slab!  The SCQueen and I actively discussed what might have been softer.. the bed or the floor.   Another renter suggested a box of doorknobs would have been more comfortable.

Plan A was to enjoy the nice dinner & campfire with the group, spend a 2nd night at the inn and return Sunday AM.  But with fresh bruises from the previous evening... the SandCastle Queen wanted nothing more than her own bed tonight.  Call it Plan D. (plans B & C were already in the rear view mirror!)

So we enjoyed a pleasant dinner with the group and made our departure around 7pm.  Initially the lighting was far off in the distance then struck closer.  Soon the SCSon was asking questions about "what happens when an aircraft is struck by lightning?"  (Answer:  Faraday cage: don't sweat it!)

A couple strikes were so close it merely lit up the landscape like a flash bulb (for those that remember flash bulbs).  It rained so hard visibility dropped to around 100 ft even with wipers set on kill.

Leaving the storm in the rear view, lighting struck a quarter mile off the freeway... "Yawn"... it's already shown us better than that!

We're home safe now and will be in our own beds tonight... it doesn't get much better than this.

Don't wake me in the AM!

No comments: