The Power of Nature, Numero Uno and Chachie on Drugs

I am still completely in awe over the lightning strike I pseudo-witnessed last Thursday night when the tree in front of my house was pretty much zapped to hell. I doubt I'll ever forget the initial couple of seconds - which felt like an eternity. I am torn between wishing my shades were still up -and being thankful that they were drawn. The initial flash was very bright. The immediate blast of noise that followed shook me (and my house) to the core. It was near-deafening. The red flash that lit up my entire house was beautiful yet completely frightening, and the sparks that fell to the ground looking very much like snow were something that I never thought I'd see. I have heard people try to explain an emotion that has come over them during a storm or time of crisis that "feels like the world is ending". This might be the first time I have experienced that so intensely. My immediate reaction was to run upstairs and get the baby, and to see where on the house the bolt struck. After verifying the house hadn't been hit and the baby was okay (and still asleep - he takes after his Mommy), it became apparent that it was the tree that was hit.

Upon starting my own hockey team in 1997, I knew I wanted a team name and logo that had some oomph. I have always been somewhat of a sissy during thunderstorms, and I liked the power that a lightning bolt symbol represented. I named my team "Shock Treatment", and never looked back. After seeing what lightning can do up-close-and-personal, I have no plans to change the name or the symbol should I take the franchise to another league.

My weekend was relatively uneventful. Friday night went up to Casey's for the first time in forever for the Casey's Berwyn Fantasy Football League draft lottery. I had the #1 pick last year, and was keeping fingers crossed for a top-3 pick this year, preferably 2 or 3. I got my wish, as I was awarded the #1 pick for the second year in a row. Last year, I won my division and made the playoffs in spite of a relatively poor early draft. I am eager to get at it on the 13th and for doing a better job of picking my team. Last year my team was called The Chupacabras. This year I am going with an Italian/Roman theme, and my team will be known as "S.P.Q.R.".

And now a Chachie update. After taking Chach to the vet last week we were told that his dining room-as-urinal policy was purely behavioral. Duh. The vet asked if he was a skittish cat and we told her he was. This was an understatement as Chachie has a propensity for breaking into a full run up the steps if someone exhales upon entering a room. I now have a cat on Valium. A cat on Valium... I have never done drugs, even spurning doctors who wanted to put me on behavior-modification drugs (for my shoulder twitch, etc) for anxiety and now my CAT is medicated. I told my wife that there will be no frappin' animal psychology in my house. If we get to that point, it's time to go in another pet direction. As far as we can tell, there has been no further damage in the dining room - but it is way too early to tell if this is going to alleviate the problem.

[Currently Listening: The Descendents - "Suburban Home"]