Flood days are like snow days only wetter.

I woke up this morning to rain; torrential, wind-blown, miserable rain. I woke up late, thankfully, because I had plans to get breakfast with Libentra to try and make heads or tails of that ridiculous Chemistry homework, and she, unlike Loquatia, does not have a 9 AM class. So we sprinted to Philbrook and then to the lecture hall, where about 150 very damp Chemistry students were gathering.

Taking my regular seat, the girl who sits next to me (we'll call her Anime Girl, because she reads it before class starts sometimes) said, "He said that if you don't have your homework completed, don't bother turning it in-- it's going to either be a hundred or a zero, based on if it's all done." Fabulous. I at least was able to turn in my proof, as the book had gone over that part.

Anime Girl and I talked a bit about the ridiculous weather. I mentioned that College Road was a bit like crossing the path of a fire-hose stream, and she said that it took her 45 minutes to drive in from 15 minutes away because most of the roads were out. In fact, there was only one route on or off of campus. "That's ridiculous," I replied. "You'd think they'd cancel classes."

"Well, they never think of the commuters," was her answer. I frowned. "Actually, that's the only reason they call snow days. I mean, obviously I can come to class regardless, I just live across the street." I flipped out my phone. "I'm going to call the storm hotline."

"Curtailed Operations have been called as of 9:45 this morning..." I returned to the class and alerted my professor, but also mentioned that I understood if he held class anyway, I mean, it was 10:07 and pretty much everyone was there already. When he announced curtailed operations, there was a little cheer-- and then he burst our bubble by clarifying, "But since you guys talk so much, we're a day behind my other class. So I'm teaching anyway. "

Luckily, class was cut short when one of his TAs came in and informed him that the last bus off campus was leaving at 11, so he had to release us in time for people to take public transportation.

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As soon as I got back I noticed that Ryter was not online. This is basically the surest indicator in the world that his power is out (or that an alien menace has usurped his computer and/or his body and said alien menace has an objection to AIM), so I was expecting his call. He walked over after picking up some emergency candles for his apartment. Yes, walked. In only a sweatshirt. Since I figured you'd have to be insane to walk that distance in the deluge, I was waiting outside for about fifteen minutes...

But when the roads are this bad, it's easier to walk anyway, I guess.

I did homework, he did some writing, then we started talking about plans for the rest of the day-- if the roads weren't too bad, he wanted to go to his dad's house so there was actually power and running water, and food. But they've evacuated one of the towns on his route and there was concern about flooded-out roads and possible dam breakage. We finally elected to walk to the nearby Ace Hardware, grab some supplies, and check his apartment. As we walked, we noticed that the rain had stopped, so he decided to make a break for it and try to get down to his dad's condo before the rain starts up again. That should be happening anytime between 5 and 6. I agreed to watch Constantine, his hard-to-transport Betta fish, and he set out.

The tenuous cease-fire with the weather continues, but this is just a lull. In the next hour the rain will start again and last for the next couple days. Meanwhile much of campus is at least partially flooded. But don't worry about me. I've put in my order for a few hundred cubits of gopher wood (which I'm pretty sure is composed of compressed gophers), and I think if I build it on the roof of Hubbard Hall I'll be fine.

"Tomatoes, Tomato puree (water, tomato paste), peppers..."*

I skipped yoga today. Because I need a second pair of exercise-suitable pants. Adding that to my shopping list...

Okay, so my pants aren't that dirty and I was being lazy. I think it's allowed, sometimes. Besides, I translated Themistocles instead.

This morning Ajax, the Betta fish who nearly died a few months back but who has recovered nicely, was floating perpendicular to the bottom of the tank. Like...his head was pointing down. I was understandably confused, since I'm pretty sure Bettas aren't supposed to sleep with such radically changed directionals, but I poked the glass and he moved so I figure he's just weird. I can't imagine wanting to sleep with my butt over my head like that. Maybe the extra blood to the brain makes it easier to think?

Of course, in the words of Ann M. Martin, author of The Baby-Sitter's Club and related titles, "I've been sitting down all day. I must have the smartest..."

I can't believe I can quote a line from The Baby-Sitter's Club... and it's that line.

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This post is early because I'm going home at 3:00 today and I don't know if I'll feel like writing at home...The internet appears to be down all over campus. This lack of net access is why I ate veggie tortilla chips and mild salsa for lunch instead of something with actual nutritional value and, y'know, a plate.

It was annoying.

But my dorm has internet access and electricity, unlike Stoke Hall, where Mistake was regaled with the sounds of many young women screaming in shock as the hot water died. Wow... so glad I'm not them.

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Off to Latin, then home to retrieve all the stuff I was supposed to bring last time...

*No fortune cookie. This is the label of my salsa container.

Ah, power outages

Good news: When the power went out last night I had on hand plenty of candles ready and waiting for the chance to light my room to a nice, warm glow. I also had a fully charged computer battery and plenty of books, and a cell phone, too.

Bad news: The generous souls who keep giving me candles always give me the nice, scented sort. My bedroom smelled like a cacophony of pine, pumpkin, vanilla, various citrus fruits and gingerbread. I think this qualifies as nasal abuse.

On the plus side, the candles masked the fact that we couldn't flush the toilets or shower. Yuck.

It was inconvenient, but hey, that's pretty much par for the course over the last couple days. We watched the third X-men movie on my computer (the battery died right as the credits rolled, nice) by candlelight and Daddy picked up Chinese take-out after he took Alex to his drum lesson.

This morning I awoke to the beeping of my iPod alarm, which was taking the place of my actual alarm clock (which I left at home when I came to school, damn). I rolled out of bed and stumbled downstairs in the morning light to get some water so I might actually brush my teeth. Then we learned that The Brother still had school, just a delay, and he had to be roused and sent off with no shower and no paper that was due, as it was on his computer and hadn't been printed out in time. He was GRUMMMMMPY.

I spent half an hour chipping ice off my car- there was about a centimeter, or a quarter of an inch, of ice coating the vehicle, the grass, the trees...It was like they had dipped the world in molten glass and let it harden. The birch trees were all bent completely over and their tips had frozen to the icy grass, creating graceful arches. Pretty, but not fun to deal with on the car. I then removed the boxes of clothing and put them into Mummy's car, and once it was suitably loaded up we headed out.

The roads were okay, at least. It took us three times up the stairs, and Mummy's bad hip and my bruised knee protested every step. Mummy left for work, and I promptly showered and headed over to Dover to meet with my therapist. I'd called her a couple times to try to figure out when the appointment was, but the first time she called back and said she had no record of me, no idea who I was, and was I sure I had the right extension number?

Remember how I have issues with being forgotten? Yeah, this didn't help. Not one bit.

But she found my information, at least, and the appointment is set up so that I only am gone from the campus for three hours, instead of five like last semester.

Anyway, I'm all unpacked, except for my bed, which I haven't set up because we might be moving it around and I want to talk to my roommate. I have to get my books but I need to transfer money into my debit account first and then have Mummy pay me back... better take care of that now...