Lightning Is Not Your Friend

We had a front creep through, some thunderstorms, but nothing severe. As the storms subsided, and the rain let up, lightning struck close enough where the flash, and sound, were simultaneous. A step out on the porch showed the security light was out. The television, which will sometime turn off when lightning strikes close went off. The lights didn't flicker. 

My nephew lives across the road, and he soon drove up with his wife to check on me and my wife. He stated they saw sparks falling after the strike, and thought our house was hit. I noticed something in the yard under the security light, and went to investigate. 

Apparently, lightning struck the fixture, and the high current blew the top cover off the fixture when the insides instantly blew apart. Examination of the roof, around the yard, and the service drop didn't show any damage, which gave me some relief. I was concerned lightning struck the roof, and there was fire in the overhead. 

 

When the lightning struck, we were watching a DVD, so when we turned the television back on, everything was working. That was a relief, but examining the bedrooms showed the televisions would not turn on. To make things worse, when we switched to satellite to watch, it's out too.  

The security light is on a service pole is less than twenty feet from my house, so the strike was as close as it can get without striking the house. Too close for me, but far enough I thank God it didn't hit the house. That, and the lightning went to ground through the provider's grounding system instead of through the wiring in my house. 

So, tomorrow will require a call to the satellite provider, a trip to the box store for two televisions, and the hope none of it will cost too much. My feeling is that the damage will be below my deductible, and calling the insurance company a waste of time. 

Five Years Ago

Ike was ashore, but it was still really, really windy.

Curious, I used Google Earth to check the miles I was from the center. Around forty miles, as a crow flies.  Twelve hours before Ike hit, I was still thinking it would go ashore around Freeport.

Rita, and Ike were "hundred year" hurricanes. I hope so. I don't ever want to see one like either again.

In A World of Mediocrity...

...acceptance of mediocrity leads to fat-headed, self-absorbed students without a clue. 

Don't Be Stupid....

...when someone else is better at it than you.

I was driving down the highway on the way home from work, which is a usual occurrence and the typical driver in the traffic knows how to drive. There's always someone that needs some more time to learn, but they usually stay in the right lane; hiding behind the steering wheel, with their eyes closed.

Today, while cruising along at 70 mph, the driver in front decided to slow a little, so they could take the next exit. I understood what they were doing, so I eased off the accelerator to give them a little room.

Meanwhile, a good Samaritan in the right lane decided they would slow a little to allow them in. This was the mistake. Both went into brain freeze and the next few moments were what scare the crap out of me when I drive.

They both continued to slow; the driver in front wanting to exit and the good Samaritan slowing to allow the lane change. The problem was they were pacing each other, the traffic coming up behind didn't appear to be slowing and I had that feeling you get when you know something really bad is about to happen.

I laid on the horn. Meanwhile, stupid 1 and 2 where now at about 20 mph and the traffic approaching was getting way too close to my rear bumper.

Finally - before we all were killed - the driver in front accelerated, passed the car and crossed into the right lane. I had the peddle to the floor and steadily insured I was ahead of the traffic behind. I passed them as they tried to figure out how to get where they were going, since they missed their exit.

Now you know the reason for my title. If you aren't sure what to do in such a situation, here's what's best.

1 - If you decide to slow a little to allow someone access to the right lane, you only give them two seconds to make their decision. If they don't accelerate and quickly move over, accelerate back to highway speeds and ignore their middle finger salute. After all, their being mad is a lot less dangerous than a 5000 pound pickup going 70 mph.

2 - If you decide to move to the right lane and someone decides to allow you in, you have 2 seconds to accelerate, pass in front of the car in the right lane and make the change, or you're supposed to accelerate back to highway speeds, find another exit and realize you're not as good a driver as you thought.

Those are the polite suggestions, which usually work, except in rush hour traffic. My suggestion is to never let someone in, unless you've drank beer with them and know their parents. If they don't fit that description, then you don't let them in and prove you're a bigger dumbass than they are.