The weather here has been awful, and last week -- to escape the predicted power outages -- we [George and I and Sheba] drove south to Fort Smith and spent several days in a very nice Mariott Courtyard hotel, with excellent food and a staff that spoiled us rotten. We had of course not packed many things we needed, including George's laptop, but that was predictable. After we got back we learned that the Holiday Inn, only a few blocks from us, has backup power and takes pets, which will be a lot easier than driving all the way to Fort Smith, but we were very glad to be there while we were there.

They're predicting another round of the same -- another ice storm -- in the next few days, and we'll be pleased to have the Holiday Inn to go to.

I'm dreading the thunderstorm season that's just ahead of us, since this will be the first time I've ever had to go through thunderstorms above ground. I'll miss our underground house. It would be nice to think that the storms won't be bad, but I'm afraid they will be; our weather now, in this time of Climate Change, is pretty uniformly wicked. It's going to be hard for me, I'm afraid. But George assures me that the way our apartment is structured means it would be a good place to be if we have tornadoes, which is reassuring.