ex(PR)essed

It’s raining…again. For the past two days, it has rained and rained. Normally, I don’t mind a rainy day. But, it’s rainy AND cold. And, I’m wearing a skirt. And my legs and feet have been wet off and on all day, and I’m weary of this chilly, soggy sensation.

So today, as I was running a few college-related errands at lunchtime, I couldn’t help but notice the irony of my grumpiness about the rain and the book on CD I’m currently listening to: “Johnstown Flood” by David McCullough.

I’m not entirely sure why this book captured my attention. I don’t read (or listen) to much non-fiction. I don’t have much of an inclination towards history. But, I am from western Pennsylvania, and my grandfather grew up just miles north of Johnstown. I visited Johnstown several times when I worked for the PA League of Cities and Municipalities and cheered on their revitalization as they attempted to recover from some very lean, depressing years. So, I guess, for those reasons, I found myself plucking this eight CD historical perspective off the shelf for my holiday listening enjoyment! (I’m traveling to Jamie’s tomorrow, and I like to make the most of my six hours in the car by listening to books on CD…)

I just popped CD #4 in, and, so far, I’m enjoying the book very much. At this point in the story, the dam has broken and the water is raging towards Johnstown. There are several train cars full of people sitting on tracks bound to be swallowed up by the flood waters, and few people in the city have evacuated their homes, so I’m now fully immersed in the drama of this tale. And, given the torrent of water that washed away a whole city, I guess I shouldn’t be too bitter about the steady rain that simply makes for less pleasurable errand-running!