Did you know you could fly

Dear Bonnie -

I really do hate to be rude, but you've caught us at a bad time. It was very nice of you to think of us, but I'm afraid we're really not up to a visit right now. And no offense, but the last time we had some of your siblings over they really trashed the place. I know you appear to be much more mild-mannered, but really, we're still recovering from BP's disastrous visit, and while I know that's not *your* fault, it does make us not really disposed toward company at this time. I don't suppose you could be a good lass and bugger off?

Sincerely,
Louisiana

Season's first tropical depression forms off Atlantic coast


*casts a wary eye on the Gulf*

Sleep: 11pm to 6:30am

Weather: cloudy, 60F, 41% humidity, high 73F

Daily BPAL: BLOOD MOON 2008

Daily Tarot: 5 of Wands: Violent strife, rashness, competition. In the battle of life, boldness changes things for the better. Obstacles. Lawsuit.

MyMiniCity: Increase Population
Increase Transportation
Increase Industry
Increase Security

Reading:
Myths of the Norsemen: from the Eddas and Sagas by H. A. Guerber
Letters by Pliny
The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman
The European Folktale: Form and Nature by Mark Lüthi
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
The Sum and Total of Now by Don Robertson

Sleep: 1am to 6:30am

Weather: cloudy, 80F, 69% humidity, high 81F

Daily BPAL: THERE'S A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT

Daily Tarot: 8 of Cups, Reversed: Interest in success. Joy, feasting, a new love. The spiritual abandoned for the material.

MyMiniCity: Increase Population
Increase Transportation
Increase Industry
Increase Security

Reading:
Myths of the Norsemen: from the Eddas and Sagas by H. A. Guerber
Letters by Pliny
The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman
The European Folktale: Form and Nature by Mark Lüthi
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Seven for a Secret by Elizabeth Bear
The Sum and Total of Now by Don Robertson

Ok, so we had a thunderstorm last night. I remember listening to the rain and seeing the flashes of lightning as I was falling asleep. It was rather pleasant. Woke up this morning, and everything was wet, and a little drizzly, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. So I headed into work, and almost immediately hit standstill traffic. I figured there must be an accident or something and traffic would thin out once it was cleared. Instead, it took me an hour and a half to drive 1.5 miles from the end of my street to the highway ramp. I never did see specifically what caused *that* backup, but considering what I found on campus, I can guess. The highway wasn't bad until I hit the road into campus, where I spent another 20 mins in traffic because a streetlight was out.

The campus itself was practically a disaster area. Broken tree limbs were everywhere and some of the smaller ornamental trees were down completely. It reminded me of what the campus looked like after Katrina. Apparently, what was just a run-of-the-mill thunderstorm on my side of the city was actually a mega-storm in other areas. A check to the downtown Baton Rouge wind archive shows that sustained winds peaked at 35mph last night, with gusts of almost 70mph. That's consistent with a low-level tropical storm and the gusts almost made hurricane strength.

When I finally got to work there's an email from the University confirming that classes *would* be held today, despite the severe weather damage to campus, but asked professors to be lenient with students who missed class or came in late due to wide-spread flooding and severe traffic issues.

It's pretty horrifying. An apartment complex about halfway between downtown and my place had its roof ripped off, and large numbers of people are out of power. In Mississippi, apparently at least one person was killed by the storm. I'm glad it didn't hit as hard where I am, but I'm still not ready for this to start up yet. Hurricane season isn't until June, dammit!

Sleep: 11pm to 6:30am

Weather: humid, 53F, 87% humidity, high 82F

Daily BPAL: ALL SOULS 2007

Daily Tarot: 4 of Wands: Perfected work; rest after labour. Peace, prosperity, harmony. Romance, a coming marriage.

MyMiniCity: Increase Population
Increase Transportation
Increase Industry
Increase Security

Reading:
Myths of the Norsemen: from the Eddas and Sagas by H. A. Guerber
Letters by Pliny
City Adrift: New Orleans Before and After Katrina by Jenni Bergal, et al
The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman
Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente
Jailbait Zombie (Felix Gomez #4) by Mario Acevedo

Sleep: 5pm to 9pm, 1am to 6:30am

Weather: cloudy, 73F, 46% humidity, high 79F

Daily BPAL: NEMESIS

Daily Tarot: Knight of Swords: A dashing, brave young man. Though he may be domineering, he has a clean heart and is full of courage. The card may also mean the coming or going of misfortune.

MyMiniCity: Increase Population
Increase Transportation
Increase Industry
Increase Security

Reading:
Myths of the Norsemen: from the Eddas and Sagas by H. A. Guerber
Letters by Pliny
City Adrift: New Orleans Before and After Katrina by Jenni Bergal, et al
The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman
Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente
Jailbait Zombie (Felix Gomez #4) by Mario Acevedo

Sleep: 11pm to 5am, 6am to 9am

Weather: clear, 75F, 50% humidity, high 75F

Daily BPAL: HAUNTED HOUSE 2007: GHASTLY GARDEN

Daily Tarot: Queen of Swords: A subtle, keen, and quick-witted woman who may represent a widow or one who is unable to bear children. Perhaps she is mourning for those who are far away from her. This card may mean widowhood, mourning, privation. Kindness but also firmness. Keen observation. Gracefulness; fondness for dancing.

MyMiniCity: Increase Population
Increase Transportation
Increase Industry
Increase Security

Reading:
Myths of the Norsemen: from the Eddas and Sagas by H. A. Guerber
Letters by Pliny
City Adrift: New Orleans Before and After Katrina by Jenni Bergal, et al
The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman
The Undead Kama Sutra (Felix Gomez #3) by Mario Acevedo

Sleep: 12:30am to 6:30am

Weather: cloudy, 82F, 45% humidity, high 84F

Daily BPAL: PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Description: Buttermilk pancakes with boysenberry syrup and goat butter!
In bottle: buttermilk and boysenberry syrup.
On me: buttermilk, butter, pancakes, and a hint of boysenberry syrup. Too foody for me.

Daily Tarot: 10 of Swords, Reversed: Overthrow of evil forces. Some success and profit. Courage to rise again. In spiritual matters, looking to higher powers for help.

MyMiniCity: Increase Population
Increase Transportation
Increase Industry
Increase Security

Reading:
Myths of the Norsemen: from the Eddas and Sagas by H. A. Guerber
Letters by Pliny
City Adrift: New Orleans Before and After Katrina by Jenni Bergal, et al
The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman
The Undead Kama Sutra (Felix Gomez #3) by Mario Acevedo

Sleep: 11pm to 6:15am, 7am to 8:30am

Weather: cloudy, 68F, 56% humidity, high 77F

Daily BPAL: LARENTALIA
Description: A Roman funeral garden: cypress, thyme, oleander, crocus, gladiola, amaranth, and myrtle shrouded by herbs and flowers sacred to the Silent One.
In bottle: Cypress and thyme, with other herbs.
On me: Cypress, thyme, myrtle, and a hint of amaranth. Very herb-y, and definitely a keeper.

Daily Tarot: Queen of Cups, Reversed: A perverse character. Intelligent, but not to be relied on. Dishonesty. Immorality.

MyMiniCity: Increase Population
Increase Transportation
Increase Industry
Increase Security

Reading:
Myths of the Norsemen: from the Eddas and Sagas by H. A. Guerber
Letters by Pliny
City Adrift: New Orleans Before and After Katrina by Jenni Bergal, et al
The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman