Weathering It

It looked like it was going to rain all day Monday. It was another warm day with heavy clouds and gusty winds.

Dad sat in Line for me. The alternative would have been for him to babysit my kids all day, but after careful consideration we decided that the three of them might not survive the day had they been alone together. I like my kids, and I like my dad. I didn't want any of them driven to an early grave, so I opted to stay home.

I got back to the Line at around 5pm. The sky was ever changing, and so was the forecast. By about 8pm, we still had not gotten any rain. Levon (I'm not sure what his number is... something in the teens? But, hey, how about that for progress! The Line is now able to refer to one another by name, not just number!) said he thought the storms were all going to bypass us and we weren't going to get any rain. I told him I was pretty sure we would get wet. He wanted to "make things more interesting" and bet me five dollars that it wouldn't rain. I told him I didn't like to gamble and he laughed at me.

Turns out I could have made $5.

Within minutes of turning down Levon's bet, the sky opened up. Some people headed for their tents, but some of us thought we would ride out the storm under the awnings that had been re-erected over the sidewalk that morning (much like what we had done during the rain Wednesday). We had no idea how long the rain would pour or how severe the storm would be. I might have gotten scared or disheartened had I been alone, but I was surrounded by a fun group of people and the storm provided some exciting entertainment. To be honest, I hadn't even considered the idea of going to my car to wait out the storm. I just assumed that was a no-no. In hindsight, I almost wish I had gone to my car. It wouldn't have been nearly as fun, but it would have kept me much drier!

Jen let me share her tent with her. Since Monday night was the last night for tents, many people were downsizing, sharing tents, even sleeping on the sidewalk under the awnings. Because of the rain, I'm sure many people slept in their cars. Luckily Jen's tent survived the storm. She and I and all of our stuff made it out only slightly dampened. Others weren't so lucky. At least 2 tents were completely annihilated by the winds. And all the chairs and gear left on the sidewalk under the awnings was drenched. It was difficult to find a place to settle in for the wait today.

The threat of rain still lingered throughout Tuesday morning so it was decided that the awnings should stay up, but being under there is not very comfortable. Luckily Bob came to sit in Line for me this morning, and Timm went back up later on. After the kids go to bed tonight, I will be joining Timm back in line. We want to finish this chapter together.

It's hard to believe this is the last day. By this time tomorrow, our lives will be headed back to normal. I can't wait.