A Day in the Midwest

It started at 8:30 pm this evening, though it really began at 4 pm when the heat index had hit 110. National weather service warnings came onto the radio, interrupting Bon Jovi and his prayer. Severe thunderstorm warnings in the county just north of mine. At 8:46 pm, the warnings came again, this time reporting 59 mph winds at the nearby airport. At 9:15 pm, my county was finally included in the warnings. The neighborhood was dark and the street lamps were without electricity. Across the street, the neighbor's power had gone out. Their generator sputtered and their lights flickered making their house look like a mad scientist's lair. At 9:20 pm, I decided to escape the neighborhood to find comfort in my university office building. The dog, who insisted on coming, is finally asleep at my feet, having been a nervous wreck at home. The walls in the office are much thicker, and the booms of the thunder are barely discernable over the noisy HVAC. Margo Timmins sings over my headphones, and I review the evenings network simulation numbers.