Tomorrow the city will be all abuzz w/the tale of the big thunderstorm we are having tonight. It’s a doozy too. I just saw my first flash of lightning. I got up and opened the blinds in my bedroom.
People often look it me funny when I tell’em I love thunderstorms. And I do. It’s one of the few things about Texas I miss. The only type of rain you get in Texas is usually courtesy of a nice fat thunderhead. It sorta just boils across the sky like an angry mass of mindless energy. (And if you think about it, that’s kinda what it is.)
Thunderstorms bring back memories of my early childhood before my foster mom got sick. Before I had to watch her waste away for 2 years battling lung cancer. Before life got ugly. You couldn’t keep me out of the rain. I lost count of the the number of ‘whoopin’s’ I used to get. My mom finally gave up. And I was never once afraid of getting struck by lightning. I’d watch those great bolts flash down across the sky and stare up in amazed wonder. Even not knowing what lightning was, I was just amazed by the sheer power of it. The flash, the smell of ozone, the loud crash, and the soft, wet ever refreshing rain. Afterwards, everything felt so clean. The air was free of pollens and dust. (In Texas, everything is dusty!) It was like someone hung a big sign out saying “wash me” and god finally obliged.
I didn’t realize how much I missed thunderstorms until tonight. SF rarely gets rain in thunderstorms. Usually, our moisture comes from fog, drizzle, and the occasional light rain. I’m amazed at what they consider “coming down hard” here. To me, it’s a sprinkle.
So here I sit in my boxers, with the blinds up, a glass of red wine, and rain pouring down my windows. I can’t wait till tomorrow when everything has that “new planet smell”.
Ni’night!
The best sex I ever had was in a car during a horrendous thunderstorm.
i have lived most of my life in the philippines where we had torrential rains. heck, half of the year is the rainy season. when you live with that much rain, you develop a certain hatred for it.
I’m with you on the thunderstorms, Moby. It’s fascinating to experience – all of the sights, sounds, smells… I loved them growing up back East, and now hardly get any here in Western CO. You must have loved the huge daily 15 minute storms that would roll into Boulder almost every day during the summer 🙂
Moby….
You’re right. Thunderstorms in SF such a rarity. But boy, when they did come strolling in the Bay Area, I love them too. I have to say I experienced more thunderstorms living over on the East Bay side of the Bay Area out by Dublin/Pleasanton/Livermore, probably because I was cloer to the Central valley where then can have some doozers due to the mountain range. I loved falling asleep to them-still do!
Know there is a thought – a glass of red wine, sitting in my shorts, next to you, blowin’ in your ear (gotta create that wind storm too!) and taking in the show and the rain. Ok, Tony , head out of fantasy land. Focus, focus, focus. Heehee! Couldn’t resist Moby!
And I bet that new mattress, in tandem with the thunder/lighting show, just put you into peaceful bliss.
I too love a good boomer. The best memories of my dad are sitting there wathing them roll in off the lakes and then throught the big window of the house when it started to rain.
Thunder storms are so primal, like the blood thrum of the heart. I can’t think of a more beautifully evocative description than your words “So here I sit in my boxers, with the blinds up, a glass of red wine, and rain pouring down my windows.” Your words describe one of my favourite moments of joy.
A gentle rain with the occasional rumble of thunder is one of the best sounds to fall asleep too….however, the earth splitting crack and beat through your roof hail will not be missed. see you in a week.
kel
I miss sitting in the living room at my parents’ house on the lake in Washington. Watching the cold rain come down on the lake while I curled up on the couch, under an afghan, reading a novel.