Lousy weather last night!

Wife Gator and I were sitting here talking this morning before she had to leave for her part time job about the thunderstorm that passed just kissing distance away from us last evening. We were mentioning that we don’t remember when we’ve had the frequency of thunder/lightning storms prior to this summer. Of course, there have been other summers with frequent and numerous storms and in a couple of years we’ll have forgotten this one. But there sure have been a lot of them.

We were watching the morning news on WCSH and the news pair, Lee Nelson and Sharon Rose, began talking with weather guy Kevin Mannix about, of all things, the frequency of the storms this summer. At that time, Kevin didn’t know off the top of his head what the record number was and soon after WG left for work, I turned the TV off so I don’t know if he ever did that research. But record or just many storms, it sure does seem like we’ve had our share this year.

On our South Side of Route One plot of land, we have had neither the number of storms nor the amount of destruction that other areas in Maine and New Hampshire have experienced. But the one that rolled through here last night was memorable, at least for a few hours. I think the first rumble began with a couple pretty good flashes way off in the distance, as most have this summer. But that first rumble just seemed to continue to roll for the next hour and it came closer and closer. The flashes became brighter and brighter.

It probably wasn’t and I don’t make mental notes of the length of a thunder roll, but this one seemed to be the longest I can remember. WG would tell you my memory is excellent for, oh, maybe two or three minutes. It was only the second time we’ve completely shut down our computer equipment and the TV during a storm this season. All our equipment is, incidentally, powered through battery backup surge/power protectors.

About an hour after it all started, the rumble moved back off into the distance and faded away. We did get some rain accompanying the storm, but I think it may have been the closest we’ve gotten here so far this summer. And the season is only about half over.

The Red Sox finally beat the Yankees last night, but Red Sox Nation is now in the middle of its annual “Manny being Manny” chapter. He could earn a measly 20-million dollars next year if the Sox pick up his option. But the poor boy is “unhappy.” He’s so unhappy with his plight, he took himself out of the lineup a few games ago but when tests showed he wasn’t injured as he claimed, he demonstrated his unhappiness on the field. He spouted off again yesterday and, apparently, got it out of his system as he seemed to be back to his old Manny productive self last night. Even the ESPN commentators mentioned that perhaps Manny has it out his system. At least for a while.

I do know that I’m among a few folk who are beginning to believe the Sox might be just as good without him and his annual distractions. At least this year, for now anyway, his little tantrum only lasted a few days. If it is indeed over. Last year, you may recall, he was out for nearly the last third of the season.

Ye Olde Governor Baldacci and his very carefully chosen cohorts are trying to fool us once again. The offset payment tax charged to insurance companies has been set at $150 million. The insurance commissioner has to review the SOP, but she is among those carefully selected appointees chosen to support the governor’s attempt to fool the public and bring universal health care to Maine. If you think we’re high taxed now, wait until you see what UHC would cost. I wonder if we’ll be given specifics on where all that savings was made from servicing 12-thousand insured on Dirigo. Oh, yes, I remember, the state didn’t pay all its health care bills last fiscal year, did they? I think the state is calling it provider voluntary contribution, or something like that.

Another Monday has arrived and the sun is shining brightly out there this morning. We do, apparently have a reprieve from the storms for a little while, at least a few hours. And I’ve got to head out for my regularly scheduled blood test. I hope you have a great day.

Edited when I got home: Where’d all the sun go? It’s now cloudy again and there are some rain droplets on my driveway and car. I’m not sure this day is going the way the forecasters thought.
GiM