We're Going To Need an Ark Soon

I am so tired of all the rain we've been getting in the D.C. area. I think it has been raining for about a week now -- I've lost track -- but all the thunderstorms and showers haven't cooled off the city one bit. Stepping outside is like walking into a sauna; moisture coats your face, weighs down your hair, and steams up your glasses. Walking feels like swimming in an uncomfortably warm pool. Yes, rain is good for plants, but I think they need some sun, too!

The rain has been causing all sorts of problems in the region. Mudslides have shut down parts of the Beltway for hours, the Metro subway system has closed a few stations due to flooding, and the MARC and VRE commuter train lines have canceled service because their tracks are underwater. The D.C. area has been getting so much rain that we're making the national news -- oh joy. All the rain also has affected a number of buildings; my husband, for example, has not gone to work for the last two days because his office is flooded and without power. The National Gallery of Art and the National Museum of the American Indian also have experienced problems that have forced them to close this week.

On a more personal note, my mother's basement has been flooding much of this week. One of my co-workers has been experiencing a similar problem in her house. Another co-worker is in what I consider even worse straits because her condominium has lost power; reportedly, she was trying to purchase a large cooler yesterday to store all the perishables that are normally in her refrigerator and freezer. Fortunately, our house has not been affected by the rain (yet), although my husband and I are beginning to wonder whether we should buy flood insurance....

Some people have been able to find some humor throughout this soggy time. This afternoon, for example, my husband pretended to be mystified by the "strange round light" in the sky that appeared for a few brief hours. "It's like a light bulb, but brighter," he mused. "I think I remember seeing something like this a long time ago ...." A D.J. on one of my favorite radio stations also has been taking requests for songs related to water or boats. She awarded double points to one caller who asked for the song "Come Sail Away," since the name of the group who sang it, Styx, is also the name of a mythical river. As for me, I've started singing "Rain, rain, go away ...."