verbatim: Unusual Weather We're Having, Ain't It?*

Today after lunch I piled the kids into the car to go get their summer haircuts. It had been hot and sunny all morning, but the sky had darkened by the time we left, so I grabbed the umbrellas. Sure enough, big, heavy raindrops began to fall; by the time I was a few miles from the house, the rain was coming down in sheets and there was thunder and lightning. I could barely see where I was going, so I decided to drive right by SnipIts and head back home instead. A few minutes later, what I thought was the heaviest downpour imaginable suddenly doubled or even tripled in intensity, and I really couldn't see a thing. I didn't dare try to pull over to the side, because I couldn't even see where the side was, and I feared someone would hit me or I'd hit them. So I inched along, amid hail now, until I could finally make out some red tail-lights ahead of me. A few minutes later the worst of that downpour had subsided, so as we passed a video store, I suggested we rent a movie instead of the haircuts. I pulled in, but just as we stepped out of the car, there was a terrific boom of thunder and such a bolt of lightning that I was sure we were all dead. "Everyone, back in the car!" We continued on home, through some big puddles but not much rain, until we came to a section of the road that appeared to be impassable. I watched a few cars go through, and the water was almost covering their tires. I pulled into a parking lot and drove through it to the other end, so I had to drive through the "lake" for only about 10 feet, but I held my breath as I went through. I was never so happy to get home—bored, long-haired kids and all. Oh, and my next-door neighbor called to say she'd lost her power, but we didn't, so I have that to be thankful for as well.

*Name that movie. (Lauren, you're disqualified!)