Illinois Day 2...

Ok. Sleep is impossible. Its about 7:45am right now. Meaning its 5:45am at home. I didnt sleep at all because I'm sleeping on a bed made for a small child (I actually fell out of bed last nite). I went to bed around 1am, but I guess thats 11pm at home....Whatever. I'm all screwed up and even if I wanted to sleep in - I cant. So on with Day 2.
First off all, I want to point out that a mosquito or something bit my FUCKING EYELID on Sunday and its still there. I look like I have a red droopy eye. It itches and its driving me crazy. I'll try to get a picture....
Yesterday. Got up early. Had coffee, lazed around the morning, played ball with Sam, visited with the fam. Dad, Lori, Jon and I went to breakfast at the Decatur Airport. Yup. Airport. Apparently they have great breakfast. Its true. Amazing. The waiter always served me first which I at first took as being polite, but I think he had a crush. Dude looked like the advertisement for Decatur Aiport Breakfast Buffet. Seriously. Total redneck. Moving on....
Dad drove us past the place he grew up. "This is now a really bad part of town!" We drive in. Bad. Please. Its just run down. He made it sound like we were going to get murdered or something. It was very cool, very old. I took pictures. I also took pictures of this street made of brick...weird. We then drove to Downtown Decatur. Lori and I wandered into Talbots, while Dad tried to park our rental (We upgraded from the Hamster to a small SUV). I found a beige linen skirt. Too expensive. Dad came in, said he'd buy it, we argued. He said "If you dont really want it, say Beans, Beans, Beans without laughing". Ya - you try that. I love the skirt. Thank you daddy. We wandered around, I photographed some of the buildings - very pretty architecture. (I"m taking a lot of pictures, I'm being the dumbass tourist, but I love it). We went into Dale's Popcorn shop. Apparently this used to be owned by a family member, we chatted with the folks there now as we bought carmel corn, candy and soda. People here like to talk. They tell you thier stories - its a trip. Wandered over to a pretty fountain. Then to the "Transfer". I learned what this was (Apparently its a place the busses "transfer") I looks like an asian building of somesort. We head home.
This is where life stops. I've started boredom. Its hard for me to not do ANYTHING. I'm trying to get used to it, having a helluva time. The day creeps on. Nothing too exciting. We get pizza. Its so thin and cut into these little squares. Yummy. 6:30 approaches - Dad, Lori, Jon want to go to the movies - I pass. Thank GAWD - here's why:
I"m lounging around, bored, visiting on and off with Grandad, playing with Sam. I'm waiting for the lightining bugs again. Finally about 8:30 comes - I see one. I'm outside watching them when I see in the distance - real lightning. Grandad has me bring in the seat cushins, put the patio umbrella down, close all the windows. It rolls in.
OH MY GOD.
I'm on the porch out back for a bit, till Grandad makes me come in. I'm plastered up against the door watching this spectacle. I have never in my entire life seen lightining like this. Its spiderwebbing across the whole sky and not stopping. NO pause - its like a strobe light. Grandad is laughing at my amazement. We run out front, I'm now trying to make the video on my camera work - I run to the middle of the street and try to catch it. I think I get some....I'll post it when I can. Grandad makes me come inside. I"m running back and forth from front to back watching this phenomina. About 10 or so, I"m on the front porch and the wind kicks up, then the rain starts and low thunder. Now I mean from no wind to 50-70mph wind. Insane. The rest of the fam pulls up - I"m screeching with excitement. Dad thinks I'm drunk. In about 10 minutes the storm intensifies, rain, hail, etc. I notice the lightining is bright as hell, but no more spiderwebbing - Lori says "Thats because its right above us". I'm blinded by a flash. She says "Wait till you hear the thunder and you'll hear the lighting itself". I dont know what she's talking about then as if the sky heard me - blinding flash, thunder louder then I"ve ever heard and an electrical sounding crack. I scream, we all jump. Power goes out. I"m bouncing around everyone squealing with excitement. Candles are lit, flashlights pulled out. We all sit in the living room for a while, then it dies down a smidge, I go to the front porch again. This is where I stayed until about 1am. Jon joined me, we visited, dad joined us. It was amazing. At one point there was a crack so loud I jumped a foot off the porch, and dad said he even had never heard one that loud. Even the neighbors and some of the people have said this morning that they havent seen a lighting storm like this ever or at least in a long time. We got about 3 inces of rain.
It was warm. The wind was blowing, the rain was comin down, and I'm on the porch with Dad and Jon drinking wine. I couldnt have asked for a cooler experience. We finally all go to bed, still no power. After stumbling around with a flashlight I go to bed, cant sleep. Thunder and lightining is too bright. I woke up a few hours ago to no power. Rolled out of bed and downstairs to find Dad/Grandad debating what to do. Dad gets in his car to go buy us coffee and the power comes back on.
Now to begin Day 3.