I smell funny!

After all that time in the pool and out of it, I still smell like sun screen. Sure did not need it as the sun barely made itself known today, and in fact, we were nearly rained out of our picnic at Rita's subdivision's community center. Very nice gathering, great folks and an excellent array of foods. I took my MI hot dogs, Koegel's, 'with a snap!', and even had a couple come home with me for another time. It was just a nice, nice time, even with the rain. Funny, but the ladies and children mainly ended up sitting in the room where the food was set up (the kitchen) while the men gathered across the patio in a fireplace room. It just got too cold for any of us to sit outside any longer and there was not enough seating in the meal room for all of us. At least the men folk were not sitting around, smoking cigars!

I was the only adult who had actually gotten into the pool, although it violated all my rules (water too cold and the sun not fully out) so I was extra chilly in my wet suit and now wet beach cover-up. It was thundering and lightning with brisk wind and the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. And then Rita came around with a box of ice cream sandwiches for us all! Sure, why not?

After a certain point, the rain let up but did not stop so I decided to pack up my stuff to go home. Rita's son went to bring my car up closer to the clubhouse for me, and they helped me carry my items to the car. My antique slow cooker for the hot dogs, the leftover buns, the hot dogs in Tupperware, my beach bag, and me! I had forgotten that my CD player was cranked and when Sumner got out, I apologized to him for the booming music. He said it did surprise him when he started the car, as I imagine "The Phantom of the Opera" might! While I waited for my car, I spoke to the security guard on the porch. I teased him about having to police this rowdy church picnic and he said this was nothing compared to parties at his other neighborhood---Chimney Lakes! Guess those Westsiders know how to party! And likely not a church picnic either...

On my ride home, I gave Mom a call to see what was happening in Manty. They were freezing, too, but were actually closer to that on their thermometers than ours were. The heater was on in my car and likely in Mom's home as well. I did not use my seat warmer for fear of electrocuting myself in my damp suit and cover-up. As I got on the ramp to exit from the freeway to Hwy. 17, I saw that the traffic signals were out. GREAT! Now what? Probably the lightning affected the lights but there were no police there to direct traffic so we had to gamble moving from the ramp into the lanes. Folks were nice enough to let some of us go across, but then when we got to the next signal, it was out too. We yielded to cars trying to get on from the ramp. The next signal was also out, three total, but Wells Road was working. Only one of the intersections had a traffic cop directing traffic, in the pouring rain. A brave soul, he was!

Once home, I was relieved to find the elevator in working condition. I had stopped at the mail box as instructed by my mom, and found another of my new books, the last one I was waiting to arrive. Also got two invitations to graduations and parties, both of which I had already RSVP'd my attendance on Facebook. After I got my stuff all put away, I put my nightie on, hung my suit in the shower, grabbed the Snuggie Lisa gave me for Christmas and tried to get warm. About three hours I later, I stopped shivering! If I had taken a hot shower right away, that would have helped, I am sure. At one point I took a little snooze and that renewed me nicely.

The rains ended for good about 5:00 pm or so and the sun came back out. It is breezy now and likely overcast but it's too dark to tell. One unfortunate thing about this much needed rain is that it is also time for TPC at Sawgrass, which got rained out for those hours. In checking the local station, it seems they resumed play when it was still light outside. Hard to imagine the ground being dry enough to play on but it must be. Time is money!