Rain

Water came down from the sky yesterday and caused great consternation throughout the land! Well, this land, anyway.
Had my doctor's appointment at 2:15; she wants me to get another blood test--hemo was down to 9 with the last one--and go to a pulmonologist. It seems the x-rays indicate my lungs aren't fully expanding. Damn, I thought I was finished with that branch of medicine after Pat died.
It had starting raining--lightly--in the morning, and when I went from the doctor's to the supermarket, it was just dripping a bit. I didn't even take my umbrella, but when I was about to come out--with a full cart--it was coming down in sheets and buckets. The wind was so fierce, the palm tree tops were violently whipping back and forth, with fronds flying off them. I double-bagged my purchases, waited a few minutes, then made a run for it. Got thoroughly soaked, but it was actually kind of fun.
I had bought all kinds of food recommended for a certain inner ailment--bananas, potatoes, cheese, yogurt--that I like but, for some reason, rarely buy. Had a banana and baked potato for dinner and greatly enjoyed it. Stayed in for the rest of the soggy day.
My brother, Jim, called; he and Therese have moved to a two-bed, two-bath apartment in Arlington. They had been in a senior living place, but were incensed when the rent went up by about a thou a month. Besides, they're not infirm (Jim will be ninety next month, Therese is 86 or so) and, for some reason, they found it depressing that they lived with others who used walkers and canes. The topper was that there were no stoves in the one-bed, one-bath place (for insurance reasons, presumably) and Therese likes to cook.
Like me, they moved late in life, found it wasn't to their tastes, and moved again to a place that was. Damn, I was born into an intrepid family and I'm proud to be part of it.
While I was about to get off the phone with Kohl's (finally got around to changing my address), El skyped me. That was a pleasant surprise, as she usually calls. She said her class of third-graders were excited and thrilled about the rain (these California kids!), but the electricity went out and she had to keep them occupied for an hour or so without electrical support. Gad, that would be daunting for anybody. It came back on, but school was dismissed early.