Smack-Down

Friday, June 17, 2011
In which the storms return half-unexpectedly…

Back to the office.
The steering wheel had a sort of satisfying 17th century sea-faring vessel creak to it.

Friday was more interesting.
It started off calmly and unassuming enough. Collette had almost forgotten that there was a good chance of rain in the forecast. Thunderstorms to be specific.
Daisy-Jean warned of impending cloud when she arrived.
For awhile, things were calm. Babe Ruth was at his desk, Daisy-Jean had just gone out to run a pile of errands for VBS, and Sinai and Judah were also in their offices.
Then it came in from the northeast.
The cloud.
“Looks like the end of the world out there,” said Babe Ruth as he made a beeline for his car which had a broken sunroof. “I just put the floor mat on top of it,” he said. “That should take care of it for awhile. Yes, that is some serious cloud.”
It was ominous-looking enough outside.
They gathered around the radar as the rain began to crash and pour, so heavily, in fact, that Collette could hardly see the Rye’s farmhouse from the office window.
Then Judah accused the Snicketts gene of being responsible for the mutual fascination with thunderstorm and tornados.
“It’s sick,” he said. “They just all stand around waiting for it to hit them.”
Babe Ruth laughed. “I’m the same way. I’ll just stand outside and watch the rotation.”
Then he taught them the difference between a Nor’easter and a Yankee Clipper.

Back to the house to finally see her Puck again, where he was about to hit the tub and had a tiny tick on his leg.
It wasn’t long later that they had both joined Dad to visit Grandpa Snicketts. After Dad showed Puck how to be a gentleman and open the door for his mama, (as Dad always did for Mom), Dad buckled Puck in the back seat.
“I appreciate your help, Grandpa,” Puck said seriously.
Grandpa was front row in the chapel to listen to the visiting pianist play tunes from the good old days. His Father’s Day card was delivered, and he got a big hug from Puck. They walked him down to the lounge for an old Frank Sinatra film before departing.
Back to the house where Dad, Collette, and Carrie-Bri all made the simultaneous discovery of Entenmann’s donuts under glass.
“Why?!” was the general reaction.
And… vanished.
Linnea was off to her first volleyball practice.
And Earnest had been caught chewing up both of Puck’s new black flip-flops.

Back home where OLeif scooted up not long later on his bike, and joined Puck in feeding the baby bunny, moldy raspberries. Collette was loathe to part with them. But mold was mold.

Joe and Rose arrived at the usual hour.
Magnus was not in attendance, due to Anne’s rehearsal dinner, followed by the wedding the next day.
Pretzels.
Snapple.
Some painful Kung Fu, subtitled.

“Our universe is simply one of those things which happen from time to time.”
– E. Tryton

“There are more souls lost by thoughtlessness than anything else. If you want to go to Heaven, there are a great many things to think of. If you want to go to Hell, it is the easiest thing in the world. You can go and swear and drink as you like; it is only a little trifling matter of neglect to destroy your soul.”
– C. H. Spurgeon