Thunderstruck Overnight

"I'm wide awake, it's the middle of the night.
Standing in the dark, waiting up for the light..."
-Guster

Every time I wake up in the pitch darkness, for whatever reasons, I sing that little couplet in my head.

This morning, reasons started with some serious wind blowing against the western side of the house where my bedroom is. The sound of the trees whipping, and something blowing down the road... probably my neighbor's trash barrel which has been sitting at the end of her driveway since Monday morning. The window screen rattled and shook, and I got up to pee.

Geoff was getting ready for work at 2:05 am (he has to be to work at 5 today so of course, 3 hours of getting up early, doing things, making noise, is just what my brain needed. Of course).

 My best friend then texted me from a Katy Perry concert in Hawaii a few minutes later (didn't wake me up as I was already awake). And I tried not to hate on her because she's having Hawaii time and I'm a little jealous. I'd go see Katy Perry in Hawaii if I had the chance.

Geoff went downstairs like a graceful elephant and took the dog out, slamming the front door because the wind wasn't letting him close it right.

Then the wind ripped at the screen door and the crunching sound of the spring that holds it to the chain repeatedly echoed up the stairs. I went down and put the ice melt up against the door to keep it wide open (but it is just not quite wide open enough so it is still spring-squeaking).

And then the thunderstorm hit. I was under the covers, somewhat dozing, thinking I wanted to talk to Geoff before he leaves because we won't see him for a week as we're going on vacation later today. I saw the flash of light and thought it was my fitbit signaling that it thought  that I was awake now, but the thunder came on the heels of the flash. The dog lost her mind. Doug stirred, rolled over) and I decided that I was going to be officially worried about the weather if it was going to do this for Geoff's drive to work.

He leaves when no one else is on the road yet, except police officers at the end of their shifts. He took but didn't pass his EMT licensing exam, so we've got to get him back in that direction as soon as possible. But his current job takes him around with a crew of people going to stores and doing inventory. It pays alright for him, for a starter job. And the hours are pretty much like an EMT would be experiencing anyway.

But this morning he is driving our good car, not the beat up jeep with no name as we'll be taking that to the airport parking (Doug and I are headed out on vacation this evening). I don't want him to get blown off the road. The windshield wipers suck and need to be  replaced. And I worry. Oh man I worry.

I know now why my mother always was anxious when I'd travel.

Geoff is off to work now, the storm has slowed down. A bright flash just a second ago followed by a three second pause before the thunder, so we are not out of the woods as it were. Geoff is pulling out of the driveway after adjusting the seat, all the mirrors, everything. The rain isn't driving as hard as it was, but the wind is still harsh. I'll worry until he texts me in about a half hour to let me know he made it there alright.

The dog has fallen back asleep on the floor in front of me.

And I'm standing in the dark, waiting up for the light....