Hail yes!

I thought we were going to have to start building an ark here a few hours ago. Torrential rain, wind, hail, thunder and lightning. When the first storm passed by I thought it might be safe to venture out to the pharmacy, but I turned on the news to see that another, even bigger, was due to hit my area at 4:48. The time? 4:47. Never mind.

Some aspect of the storm actually broke a leaf off my eggplant plant and the soil around the tops of the lettuce roots was washed away--that's how hard it was raining--but I think everything will be fine. It's a fun aspect of gardening that it makes weather a much more important part of your life. I find myself studying the predictions and making bets on whether I should water or not. I try to water in the morning but most of our rainstorms arrive in the afternoon so it's dicey. I also can't apply the much-needed insecticide until I know whether it's going to get rained off or not.

-----------
So tomorrow is So You Think You Can Dance! You know you're a big dork when you find yourself counting the days until it's on again. I can't decide what I think about this season so far. I have a few favorites, namely Twitchington, Mark, and Will, but no one's really jumping out at me (no pun intended) just yet. I'd like to ask, though, where the HECK does judge Mary Murphy shop? The trashy animal prints, the cleavage, the jewelry. Is there a Wet Seal for grownups somewhere? God, so hideous. And can someone PLEASE tell her that the screaming and the "hot tamale train" references are so, so over. People think Paula Abdul is drugged up, they should get a look at Mary.

And is Shane Sparks too busy with the Dance Crew show on MTV to do stuff for SY? (I refuse to type out even SYTYCD--too long!) I know he did the opening number for last week's results show, but I want more! Shane Sparks rules. I think this season is missing the kind of energy he always brings to a routine. I don't know if the choreographers are cutting this season's kids a break or what, but there haven't been many routines that have been truly amazing. I know, it's early days. My husband and I took Argentine tango lessons before our wedding and then did a tango for our first dance, so we were particularly tuned in to the tango routine, which featured one of my favorite moves. But what's the deal with regular tango vs. Argentine tango, and why would you bother with the former when it is a pathetic and boring shadow of the real thing? Also, I can't say I agree with Nigel that the tango should be sleazy. A little dirty, maybe, but that's not the same thing. Can't wait to go to Buenos Aires someday and go to a real milonga. In the meantime, I covet these shoes.