Abrupt shifts

We had a massive thunder- storm just before sunset Christmas Day, 45-knot winds blowing away the 84-degree afternoon, and in the middle of it a lightning bolt roared down so close that the terrifying explosion and flash were simultaneous.

Now my phones don't ring and the DSL modem is dead -- which makes blogging about as speedy as running a marathon through mud.

It'll take me a bit to adjust to the glacial pace of dial-up. Suffice it to say work continues on ceilings and baths.