A Footnote In Someone Else’s Happiness

[Does Your Husband Know – Fall Out Boy]

Happy Chinese New Year, and happy Valentines for 2010!

This is YEEEEEEEEEEAR…of the TIIIIGER! (Sing that to Eye Of The Tiger).

I didn’t write about Thursday, so this will be fast, since it’s quite late.

On Thursday I went to Monash Uni to play badminton with Jenny, Lois and He-. It was a very hot day, and so I sweated a LOT. But it was a good feeling to finally do something active again – even though I knew at the time, and surely enough it did happen, my body would pay for it afterwards.

After badminton (in which He- soundly beat me) we went to Maccas (yes the irony isn’t lost on me) for lunch. Just managed to catch the 12 – 2 lunch specials, so got a six-dollar Quarter Pounder meal.

Said bye to Lois and He- after lunch, and went with Jenny to Cold Rock. It started raining by then (just started. Little did we know how bad it would get) so we went into the Glen and hid out in the food court. I left with Mom came to pick me up, and when we were about 2 minutes away from the front door it really broke loose. The 10 second dash from car to door actually soaked me.

And my area had it easy. South Melbourne and Flinders, as reported on the news, were at times knee deep in water.

Jenny told me afterwards that after I left the power went out at the Glen and she was left stranded there in the dark.

I laughed.

Friday was uneventful; took Mom to the doctors for her routine checkup, and bought pizza home because Dad wasn’t going to be home for dinner and obviously she doesn’t trust my cooking.

Today I woke up after having slept 10 hours without realizing it again – seriously, I thought I’d broken the habit! – and went out to finally buy the coleslaw I’ve been craving the entire day prior. I ate coleslaw while watching the Vancouver opening ceremony, but went downstairs to watch Conan movies halfway through.

Got my computer back – as you can see – and now I’m running on Windows 7. The interface is still something I should get used to.

That’s a quick catch up for now. Originally was going to go to St Kilda fest and/or movies with Jenny tomorrow/today (technically today, by now) but she has to stay home to take care of her brother. So postponage!

Alex.

The Thunder Of Guns Tore Me Apart

…You’ve been…THUNDERSTRUCK!

Last night (or very early this morning) was the best way to greet us into Halloween 2009.

Just before midnight, (well it would be much earlier but I only noticed it as I was getting ready for bed) a ferocious rain started pelting outside my windows, so hard that my mom was worried some windows would be shattered. I replaced my toothbrush in the glass, and a momentary flash of cold blue cut itself into the warm glow of my bathroom. I looked up in time to hear a deep rumble announce itself outside the window. I quickly washed my face, excited about what must be going on outside, and ran up the stairs to my bedroom. I drew open my curtains, and turned off the lights. I was suddenly grateful that my bedroom had a view over most of Wheelers Hill and Mulgrave.

Another split second of brilliant cobalt revealed the sky to be filled with storm clouds. The rain was violently lashing itself against my windows, angry that its natural ferocity would be thwarted by a pane of human glass. The thunder became more volatile, ripping itself from the sky instead of allowing itself to rumble quietly. I picked up my mobile phone and texted Carmaine, Catherine, Eunice, Jade, anyone who I thought would be watching the show. I was half right, only Catherine and Eunice were enjoying the spectacle Mother Nature had given. I looked at the time, 12:02. Happy Halloween, She was saying. And don’t forget who’s boss.

I was on the phone with Catherine for a couple of minutes, just silence, static and the occasional “WOW!” emitted from me when an especially glorious fork slashed through the clouds. Then I was on the phone with Eunice who lives closer to me, and there was one time when two flashes came very close to each other, and at the same time both of us yelled in excitement. Eunice was annoyed that she hasn’t yet seen an actual lightning strike, just flashes, but after I hung up on her she texted me to say that she has, and it had made her day just a little bit more complete.

I sat there for almost another hour, willing Mother Nature to please, one more big one, just give me one more big lightning strike and I’m happy. The rain had ceased, respectful of the attention that Mother Nature required for her show, and somewhere in the distance a wail of siren sounded before quietening again.

People say that when there’s a thunderstorm, it’s the skies being angry. But it didn’t feel like anger last night, just a reminder of the awesome power that nature holds.

It felt peaceful.

(Probably not for whomever the siren was aimed towards.)

Alex.