Stormy Weather

In general, I like storms. When I was very young - maybe 8 or 9 or so - there was an incident which left me terrified of lightening most of my life. Although I certainly have a healthy respect for it, I am no longer totally afraid, but am usually fascinated. It is so horribly beautiful, so powerful, to watch. From a distance!
Last night, there were storms brewing - you could *feel* it in the air. The sky had that strange bruised look. Soon after I got home from work, there were faint distant rumblings of thunder. We had planned to go out to eat, so decided we better go on before storms came. Even though the majority of the time a line of storms seem to "split", and move both north and south of us, this time there seemed a reasonable chance we'd actually get some rain. We headed into Benson (a mere 8 miles away), and before we got there the rain started. By the time we got to the restaurant we were headed for (maybe 2 minutes after the rain started), it was raining so hard you could barely see the road. When we pulled into the parking lot, Jimmy went around the side of the building to turn around so he could let me out at the door. In the time it took to do that, their power went out. A fact which I didn't realize until I made the mad dash, soaked to the skin (from going all of maybe 4 or 5 feet), through their door. The employees were just sort of standing there near the door watching the storm (except the one who went for a mop. I thought that was from me coming in, but turned out it was because the wind was blowing so hard, it was pushing rain under the door!) After a few minutes, it seemed to ease a bit (well, at least the wind did), so Jimmy pulled back up to the door for me. Of course, he forgot the doors lock automatically ... so there I stand in the pouring rain waiting for him to unlock the door!!!! I was very .. um ... WET!!!
We left and headed through Benson ... power was out all the way through town until the railroad tracks on the far side. We went on into Dunn (maybe another 10 miles from that side of town). It rained off and on, but looked like the storms were about passed over us. We went on to the restaurant, and again, he let me off in front. It was still raining, but not that hard. In the lobby, waiting for him, I overheard some people saying they'd heard there were tornados in Lillington (another town down the road, not far), and Benson. Do what??? So anyway, Jimmy got there and we went on in. It was not as crowded as a usual Friday night ... I guess most people had more sense than us about being out in that weather! LOL!
We had gone to a buffet restaurant. Just as we set a tray down on our table ... the power went out!! Good grief, again??? Well, we were by a window, so decided, having already paid, to go on and eat. Everything on the buffet was still hot ... you just couldn't tell what anything was! LOL!! We managed to pick out enough (fortunately for me, the fried shrimp were recognisable!) After the first round, we decided the cold part was probably safer (we really hadn't been there long enough for the hot food to have cooled to "dangerous" levels; but I also know reasaurants well enough to know that the food would be pulled out long before it got to that point. Still, it couldn't still be really good and hot). And, of course, the desert bar was fine! :)
It was barely sprinkling when we left the restaurant, though still a lot of thunder and lightening in the air. The power was out through a large section of town there too. As we headed home, the sky looked like we were heading into a tunnel .... except for a giant gorgeous rainbow!! I just love seeing rainbows, they're a reminder of a promise ... everything is going to be ok!!
It was still not raining more than a light sprinkle when we got home, though the driveway was practically a moat again (indication that the torrential rain from earlier had not missed us!!).
The thunder and lightening continued well into the night. I couldn't turn on the computer of course; and TV was a bit frustrating, because the satelite dish kept going "in and out". I finally gave up, and went and settled in my recliner. Jimmy was still watching TV ... no idea what he was watching. I was drowsy, and not paying attention. At some point, the rain came again. We could hear it really pouring hard; and the thunder and lightening ... while at times would seem farther away ... continued well into the night.
This morning ... after a Really Lot of sleep!! ... it seemed overcast. But now, the sun is peeking out. The forecast is for possbily more storms by this afternoon.