Here? In the dark? Would you, could you, in the dark?
I would not, could not, in the dark!---Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham.

The promised storm came through today, all day today, with a vengeance. Winds got up to 70 mph gusts. We woke up to the rain pelting sideways. We decided maybe God didn't really want us to go to church today, even though it's Ash Wednesday, and the news of all the accidents confirmed that decision.

However, I still wanted to make the first vet trip, since both cats are overdue their "well-baby checkups" and shots. I called them to make sure they were actually in the office, and yes they were, though the lights came and went. OK, so we loaded a protesting Abby into the cat carrier and dashed out to the car. As we left the driveway, look! There was a tree down in the street two houses down! They obviously should have taken care of the mistletoe!

We walked into the office and the lights came back on, so they were happy to see us! We got into the examination room and got Abby out of the carrier, and she got so low she was trying to be one with the examination table. She weighs 8.5 pounds, and this time the vet decided not to try to medicate the eyes, since they never totally clear up. Maybe she's allergic to cats! The vet found a sweet spot, and Abby warmed up to her, even with the shots. She could have become the vet's 8th cat!

Rich placed one of his caches, and we came home. We hadn't been here 20 minutes before the power went out. It came back soon, in brownout mode. The TV worked and the VCR also did, but our answering machine only produced brratz, brratz, static blurps. All the lights were low. We could see fairly well, but we couldn't use the computers. This is the time I wish my laptop battery worked! So, couldn't login, couldn't write, couldn't play games, could only read by low light and watch old tapes. I boiled eggs for lunch on half-power, which involved keeping the lid on to get the water temperature up, and boiling them a longer time. The radio station (emergency broadcast system!) got knocked off and took over a sister station.

I was reading THE RUNAWAY JURY and decided the judge was far too lenient. I'd declare contempt and throw the jury in jail, myself.

Rich went out to see the Jesuit game in the evening, just as the lights went well and truly off on our side of the street. He found all the lanterns so I could read, anyway. Just before he got back, with fast food fish-n-chips, they finally got the lights on, powering up through brownout to full power!

Pagan found me these pictures of Laramie back when.

Neal Boortz lists some possible other amendments.

Instapundit quoting a woman reader:

the full quote from Kerry is:

In case after case, President Bush�s actions have made American women less safe and less secure - on the job and on the streets. As president, I will put American government and our legal system back on the side of women. I will stand up for their security, ensure their safety, support their rights, and guarantee their dignity. This nation can do no less.

Maybe I missed something, but what the hell does Kerry think that Bush has done to make women less safe and secure? I can't name a single thing that he has done that has had an effect on women in particular that it has not had on all Americans. Furthermore, as an American woman, I personally feel much "safer and more secure" with Bush as president, knowing that he's willing to go out and kill terrorists and evil dictators who hate America than I would with Kerry as president, whose solution would be to threaten them with a UN resolution.
...
Reader Elizabeth King agrees:

Sign me up as another woman who feels much safer and more secure with President Bush in the White House than I would if John Kerry became Commander in Chief. My man Bush is taking it to the enemy. Kerry thinks that the enemy is us.

A possible interview:

Brice: You've gone on record as being opposed to gay marriages.

Kerry: That's right. I'm for all the people but we didn't have any same-sex marriages in Viet Nam.