tired legs be damned.

Del Ray-ites have a hefty, healthy fear of God right now, myself included.

On my run this morning, crews were still out picking up debris from last Thursday's storm. It was hot, and the humidity such that gills would have been more useful to me this morning than lungs. It was a hard day, and I didn't have a very good run.

Walking home along Mt. Vernon, after I'd had to stop several times for my legs giving out, I saw a man watering plants along his front walk. We're very friendly here, so I stretched out my arms hoping he'd spray me with the hose. He would have, I think, had he not instead pointed behind me and uttered some warning about what was coming. For the past 30 minutes I've been trying to remember the words he said, but the memory is totally erased by the image of dark purple clouds coming toward me like a wave.

Somehow, I ran all the way home - fast. I nearly collapsed on my doorstep, but the fact that the front line of clouds had overtaken me half way there and had been replaced by swirling winds and debris flying upward off the ground was enough to keep me going. I passed another runner going in the opposite direction, and we both confirmed that the other was going straight home. I'm still worried about a woman I passed standing at the bus stop. She didn't seem to be moving toward safety, and all I told her was to be careful. Her response led me to believe her IQ might be below average, and I wish I'd helped her get inside to one of the local businesses.

We still have power, but I'm not getting in the shower til this passes a bit more, so I'll have to drop a line to the office... better safe than sorry, right?

At least, that's what most of Del Ray is thinking right now.