The Storm and Stuff

The above photograph of the house across the street from my mother's house appears blurred. When I snapped that photo in the early evening of yesterday, it was raining so heavily that I'm satisfied with any discernable image, even blurred.

The storm came quickly, as did the lightning bolt that split the tree and, as the photo shows, left half of it across the neighbor's driveway, having just missed their SUV. What you may or may not be able to see is the twitching live wire severed from the utility pole on my mother's side of the street that was dancing in the middle of the street. Within minutes the Okolona (area where my mother lives) Volunteer Fire Department had arrived and blocked the street with two strands of orange tape, one of which was anchored around the tree in my mom's front yard.

With the rain continuing, Mom's TV dish unable to make contact with a satellite, and being exhausted from a long day, I hooked up the CPAP and went to bed. About 9:00 p.m. I awoke unable to breath, just as on the morning that Louisville Gas and Electric cut off the power at my house, except this time it was so dark I couldn't see. Luckily I had a pen light next to the bed.

Out in the street was a Louisville Gas and Electric truck. There were no lights on up and down the street. After about an hour, the truck pulled away. I came close to panicking! Still no lights in any house and. without electricity to operate the CPAP, no sleep for me. Then about ten minutes after the truck departed, lights flashed on throughout the subdivision. It reminded me of the lighting of a dozen Christmas Trees and was the best present I could have received.

In other matters:

• I've not seen Alex since the day we took him to Janel's house. She tells me that he's adjusted well and is doing OK. I'm overjoyed for my kitty, but still miss my little friend very, very much.

• My mother continues to improve at the rehab center and is talking about returning home in the next couple of weeks.

• I talked with Supplemental Social Insurance today and the eligibility worker wants some medical tests run on me regarding my breathing. In the meantime, she has recommended a ninety day provisional approval of my application.

• Bell South (now AT&T) has cut off service to my cell phone. That leaves only this Internet dial-up connection, which may be discontinued at any time. Thus, if I again disappear, you'll know what happened.