nails, rivers
2004-05-26, 5:08p.m.

I can't stand these nails anymore. My hands look as though I've dug my way out of a grave. And I'd like to get a manicure, but my nails are too short even for that.

So I'm doing something I don't usually do--I'm buying into the hype. I've been seeing these ads on TV for "Nutra-Nail 5 to 7 Day Growth Formula". I got some, and I'm trying it out. So far, so good...The first time I used it, my cuticles seemed better, and after about four times, I my nails and hands are starting to look human again. I don't know if this stuff is going to make them grow longer, but I'd settle for getting rid of the raggedy cuticles, and the tendency to rip down to the quick.

Having to leave early to get Spouse to work dumped me into the commute at a very bad time, traffic-wise, this morning. Combined with all the flood-induced road closings, traffic was hellish. Fortunately, I was able to keep from getting too pissed off by singing along with Jann Arden. Not cheery, exactly, but at least my anger was well-channeled.

The floods in this area are just as bad as ever, despite the cresting of the Des Plaines in Gurnee. The water may start to recede Thursday or Friday, but we are supposed to get more rain in the area, so who knows. And Des Plaines (the city) is starting to see the rise now. To the west, The Fox is playing hell with several communities out in the county, although it looks like it has crested as well.

Back home, the Iowa is 6 inches above flood stage and the Mississippi is rising fast at Muscatine. Nothing in the Hawkeye about the river, though, so Burlington must not be concerned at the moment.

This is something that has been ingrained in me for as long as I can remember, this "keep an eye on the river" mentality that is elemental to living in the Iowa and Mississippi River valleys where I grew up. It seems far more alien to the people around here. They are all so very shocked when the rivers rise and wash them out. When you grow up by the Big Muddy, that possibility is ever present. Every spring, you watch, and you wait, and you pay attention to the river. And sometimes you sandbag, and you evacuate, and you lose everything. Because the River goes where it wants to go, and you go along for the ride.

WOW. I just read that back, and it sounds like a speech from a bad movie. I'm trying to picture what grizzled character actor would lecture the "arrogant yuppie landowner" with that dialogue.

Ohh, there's nothing to say today. Work is bearable, outside of the air conditioning cranking it down to a ridiculous 59 degrees in here, according to the thermometer I have hanging on my cubicle wall. It is only 65 outside, for crying out loud! Why the fuck is the air even on? It will be like this all summer, too, and the hotter it gets outside, the colder it will get in here. Where I work, you get up in the morning, tune in the weather, and if it's going to be 90, you wear two sweaters. It doesn't help that this ridiculous, poorly designed nightmare of a building has vents that blast icy air straight down onto the occupants of the veal pens. I have noticed that the only parts of this building that aren't down-draft riddled are (coincidentally, I'm sure) where they stick the managers. I can only hope for frequent power failures and brown-outs this summer. That is the only time you get relief from the arctic temps in here.