kirabug’s idea files

So I’m lying in bed in a pitch dark room listening to the dogs settle, and a little flash catches my attention. After the third grey light dented the darkness, I peered over the edge of my mattress.

Chance was “fluffing” the blankets in his bed that he was building up a static charge between the fuzzy bed, the wooly-feeling dig blanket, and the terrycloth towel he’s recently decided he owns. And the more he got zapped, the harder he fluffed the bed.

I finally removed the blankets - discharging them through my fingers, I might add - and he wetted when I re-covered him.

But if he’s smoking in the morning, I’ll know why…

Think you’re coming down with the flu? If you’re like a growing trend, you’re googling “flu symptoms” and similar terms before you’re calling the doctor. The result: Google can tell where the flu is spreading based on what regions are doing the searching.

Just thinking about it gives me a sore throat

Well, the folks at CBS 3 say last night’s fancy sky event was definitely not an aurora, nor was it a freaky meteor shower. They claim it was a virga.

I’d never heard of a virga before, but, well, these guys are paid to know what the sky’s up to, so I’m willing to believe it.

It was really awesome, either way.

I’m still checking the news on a regular basis to see if any of the local channels pick up the funny white glow the sky took on earlier this evening. I say “funny” because it looked like it was made up of perfectly vertical white streaks of varying brightness, and that’s not normal around here.

I’m almost sure that it was a rare sighting (for this far south) of the Aurora Borealis. Granted, when we do see the northern lights it’s almost always at this time of year — probably because of the extremely clear air, the fact that we’re closer to the sun, and that we’re tilted to get as much dark as possible, so there’s more time to catch the magnetic pole’s freak show.

Or maybe the universe just wants me to freeze my hands off.

See, now this is the kind of decorating I’d probably decorate with…. though I’m not sure if I’d put it in my real estate listing.

Having witnessed my brother launching himself off the couch (and onto the coffee table, teeth first) as a child, I’m not surprised.

This is why I was so tough on my friends and relatives when they wrote crappy papers in high school.