The June Monsoon...

I am on "vacation" in my hometown, visiting the parents, family and the hometown friends. While usually anticipated for a good time of eating awesome favorite foods and taking in some fun and sun at my aunt and uncle's house, this vacation has already taken on a new theme. Ridiculousness is the theme.

For starters, Mother Nature has been a serious bitch to the northeast. Since arriving in PA last Thursday, it's rained just about every day since. Monday and Tuesday of this week, I swear it stopped raining for a good 12.8 seconds. That's not really fun considering everything I want to do is outside. It's also not fun that I failed to pack foot attire other than flip flops. Clearly, not helpful.

Every time I come home, my cousin Jen and I participate in our ritual of dinner and a movie. Last night, we planned to drive to Bloomsburg (30 minutes away) for dinner at Applebee's and a movie (closest movie theatre is in Bloomsburg). We figured since it was raining, this was a good way to at least have something to do.

On our drive to Bloomsburg, it poured and poured and we noticed potential flooding in different areas on the way. We arrived at Applebee's in one piece and figured we could eat a good meal, see the movie, then battle the rain home. At some point while eating dinner, a commotion ocurred at Applebee's. Our nice server, Mike, informed us that the only entrance/exit was starting to flood. Funny how there was barely a puddle there when we arrived an hour earlier. Funny how, also, SUVs were having difficulty getting out of the lot. Great, I thought. I had mom's car, clearly as low to the ground as possible, instead of my wonderful Santa Fe. While finishing our meal (and free dessert), the fire company had to come and help a car get out of the flooded entrance. Spectacular. My car just happened to be sitting in the middle of the parking lot where the waters were beginning to get higher from both sides. We had to get out of the lot, and we had to do so quick.

The Applebee's staff orchestrated a "ramp" so we could drive up onto a curb and get out on the highway and avoid getting flooded out in the entrance/exit. Jen manuevered the car over the ramp and onto the highway. We discovered, however, that driving into town, which is what we needed to get back to Mount Carmel, was not really an option. Everyone was driving away from town, towards us. We called my aunt and uncle who live outside Bloomsburg, explained our situation, and asked for directions to their house. Jen successfully completed the plan and we arrived safely at their house. We learned upon arrival that all roads into and out of Bloomsburg were closed and much of the quickest route to get home had areas of flooding. We camped out for the night.

Upon waking up today, we learned that much of central PA has been victim to the wrath of Mother Nature. My gram called it yesterday afternoon when she said, "This is like Hurricane Agnes and the flood of '72". Somehow, she anticipated this weather we were having could be the worst this area has seen in decades. She may just be right as the weather reports predict serious flooding tomorrow when the Susquehanna River crests. We also learned today that the easy routes home to Mount Carmel all had flood areas. Therefore, we had to drive to 20 minutes west of Bloomsburg to Hazleton and then drive south another hour to get home. Nothing like taking the scenic route.

I swear, though, at one point, Jen and I were pretty convinced the end of the world may be in sight. Either that, or it's time for the northeast to deal with the wrath of Mother Nature. She is seriously pissed about something.

One thing is certain, I apparently can't go for a month without being stuck in the middle of some ridiculous situation (last month: see crime scene debacle). The madness at the Applebee's parking lot made the local paper today... interesting how they could call someone in to take some pictures but couldn't find some way to help the customers and staff get out of the lot. Thank God the Applebee's staff had some creative thinking or I could just be floating away somewhere in Columbia County.