Here are some things that have been running through my head the past few days:

First, I now know what it’s like to live in London or Seattle or any of those other places that have constant rain. I believe it has rained practically every day here in northwest Alabama for the past three or four weeks. Everybody and everything smells sort of moldy, and all conversations include phrases such as ” … after I put my umbrella down … ” I don’t even know where my sunglasses are anymore. I think we may get a break next week, if that unfamiliar round yellow symbol on the weather chart is right.  But the rain and flooding has been more than inconvenient in so many places —  in Georgia, several people have died in the rising waters. I never understood how quickly and frighteningly flooding can happen until I was driving home from Corinth, Mississippi, this past Friday afternoon, going east on U.S. 72 through Barton, Alabama. It all of sudden started raining so hard that it was a whiteout — I literally could not see the road. I crept along looking for a place to turn off and started to drive through a convenience store’s parking lot when I noticed that what I thought was the parking lot was in fact brown swirling rushing water. Luckily, it wasn’t deep and after a few heart-pounding moments parked on high ground beside a Dumpster, I realized I could drive out safely and so I did. But Oh. My Goodness. That was scary. I now have a healthy respect for those words, “Flash food warning.”

Second, the reason I was driving back from Mississippi was that I had gone to the Tupelo hospital — our insurance is networked in Mississippi — to get a Reclast injection. Has anyone else done this? I have osteopenia, which is kind of like you-don’t-have-osteoporosis-yet-but-don’t-hold-your-breath, sister. For years I’ve taken Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva (do not get me started on Sally Field) with the only result being heartburn and indigestion, so my doctor recommended Reclast. I would only need it once every two years and it’s supposed to be easy on the tummy, so sign me up. And of course, like when you take most meds, you’re warned that Reclast can cause nausea, upset stomach, etc. And of course, like with most meds, you just nod and say, “All right. Sure. Okay.” But Saturday morning after my Reclast injection on Friday afternoon, I woke up with … wait for it … nausea, upset stomach, etc. Ugh. And I started panicking, thinking that I’d put this stuff in my body for two years and I was going to feel like hell for the whole two years and why-oh-why was I so stupid???  Luckily, it was just a 24-hour thing and I felt better the next day. I’m going to have to see my bone-scan numbers to decide if Reclast is worth it. Anyway, to anybody else considering Reclast: Plan for a full day of recovery. At least.

And have you read the People article that says “Kardashian wedding to be ‘classy affair’?” http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/22/khloe.kardashian.wedding/index.html I mean, really? Seriously??? Can any Kardashian possibly describe herself as “classy” with any semblance of integrity? The mind boggles.

And I’m fully into Dan Brown’s latest, “The Lost Symbol.” We can all agree it’s not great literature, but it sure is gripping page-turning fun. Plus, I love that this time it’s set someplace I know and can envision. Secrets in Washington, D.C.!!! Who’d have thunk it???!!!