thanks, ike.

Holy falling tree limbs, Batman! What's left of Hurricane Ike (and there was a LOT left in Ike's tank) blew through Cincinnati yesterday afternoon. We had about 4 hours of sustained tropical storm-force winds (gusts were recorded above 75 miles per hour). There's a remarkable number of trees, debris and power lines down in our neighborhood; streets are closed and traffic signals are out. We lost power at 2 p.m. Sunday and it just popped back on about 10:00 this morning; apparently, 90% of homes and businesses in the city lost power. I'm at home today, as work is still without power and closed. (Snow day!!!)

The wind velocity yesterday was eerie. The huge trees in our neighborhood shook and swayed like we couldn't believe. After we lost power, the house got really warm, so we sat on the side porch and watched the massive oaks across the street rattle to their cores. I'm surprised the big lodge-pole pine on the corner opposite our house is still standing (I raked bagfuls of its needles out of the front yard this morning).

Here's what's weird: Rob and I figure Wrigley knew the storm was coming before it hit. He was unusually clingy yesterday, and he begged not to be left behind when Rob and I both left around noon. I hopped in the shower just as the wind started to kick up around 1 p.m. yesterday; when I got out, I found Wrigley in our bedroom closet -- the front door had blown open and it startled him so much he went into hiding.

We made the most of it: We grilled dinner and then dined on the side porch, drank a bit too much wine, listened to sports on the transistor radio, went to bed early. Wrigley and I went for a long walk and then discovered that the coffee shop just up the road was one of the very few businesses in this area that had power. They were packed.

Naturally, the local TV news has already branded this "Blackout 2008." I'll have to get the T-shirt.