Since Sunday night, the weather has been ridiculous. First, it was colder than it has been. Then, gale force winds, non-stop driving rain*, floods, and we woke up this morning to great thunder claps, crazy lightning, and hail. It even SNOWED in a few places. The traffic has been extra shitty, the streets are filled with tree debris, and the bins are filled with inside out umbrellas. It’s looking a bit demilitarized around here.

Last night, I met with Joel’s mom quickly to get some paperwork for my visa (hooray! everything is done!), and she gave me some chicken soup and bakery fresh bread. We layered up in sweats and blankets and ate, and I don’t know when we’ve ever been happier. If there’s something better than a hot shower when you’re wet and cold and tired, it’s a hot bowl of delicious mom-made-soup and fresh bread after said hot shower.

I sat in bed listening to the storm this morning, and asked Joel if it would be crazy for me to call out of work because I was afraid of being struck by something from the sky–electric or icy or whatever. With the Idiot Girl week I’ve been having, I was concerned that the steel toes in Docs would be conductors. But they’re the only shoes I can wear that won’t leave my feet soaked. They also make me over 6 feet tall and apparently climbing stairs in them makes my calves so sore I can barely walk. /champion. And when Joel said I shouldn’t take my umbrella because that would be the conductor, I nearly cried.

But, being the peach he is, Joel fed me coffee, wrapped me in an extra rain coat, and shoo’d me out the door. And once I got on the street, the weather lightened up. I even saw blue skies briefly when I got to work.

The rain came back just in time for me to be sent home with a migraine (joy), and around 3 today, the rain pretty much stopped, it’s started again, but thankfully without the wind and storms. From what I’ve heard, this kind of weather is an Australian winter thing, and it doesn’t usually happen this hard core–unlike summer in the North, where cyclones seem to happen every two weeks.

I’m thankful for an apartment whose windows don’t leak, and for a space heater that warms our room in about 10 minutes. Also, is there anything like that firey smell of the first heating session of the year? Ha, I’m just really excited about all things cold weather right now. Did I tell you I wore socks *and* slipper boots *and* a long sleeved shirt with a jumper over it *and* sweat pants *and* sat under a blanket next to Joel and it was amazing? I don’t like how the cold weather doesn’t dry our towels all the way, but I’m really elated to not be leaving sweat trails everywhere.

We are supposed to have sunny skies tomorrow, so fingers crossed. I love rain, but even I’m over it at this point.

(See: socks not drying out all the way in cold air)

*or as my coworkers said, “it’s absolutely pissing rain.” I heart Australia.