the upstairs trash compactor woke me up this morning around 8:00. i went to bed early last night anyway, so i didn't feel like going back to sleep. so instead i decided to read in bed, catching up on r.r. martin's a game of thrones. reading the book while watching the series fills me in on some detailed backstories. for the most part, the show is pretty faithful to the novel. i probably would've never read the book if it wasn't for the series. it reads like your typical fantasy novel with perhaps more political machination.

the greying of the sky and the sounds of nearby thunder drove me from bed. i got the cover on my motorcycle right when it began to rain. the weather forecast from last night said the storms wouldn't arrive until later in the afternoon. strange.

bram didn't leave for work until after 11:00. he told me last night that he wasn't a morning person but was still apologetic for leaving so late. he took a shower but some of the water splashed outside. he also didn't turn off the faucet completely so it was running the whole time until i noticed it.

i went to the supermarket today, but only got enough ingredients to make my rotini with mushroom-pea sauce.

rob house paid me an unexpected visit in the afternoon. he hung out for about 2 hours to chat before leaving when it looked like it was about to rain. we both lamented how poor we were and rob told me about his next project, a social cause website.

a neighbor has tossed out a box of old cooking pots for trash pickup tomorrow morning. i rummaged through the selection. there were a few non-stick pans but they were scratched just as badly as my own collection of misfit cookware. i did pick up a pair of old heavy metal 3 quart pots. they looked well-worn but still usable. one says "wagnerware sidney magnalite 4683-P" on the bottom, the other is branded with a "club aluminum" insignia. both have matching lids. not sure if i'd cook with them though, but i might use them for side projects (like making soap).

bram came home around 5:30. we exchanged some words, then he went into his bedroom. the lights were off, i think maybe he was napping.

i on the other hand was glued to the tv. i could see bands of serious weather passing through massachusetts. i didn't realize how bad it was until i turned on the news and saw there were tornados touching down in the western half of the state. at one point the emergency alert system (EAS) kicked in, hijacking the television with emergency announcements about possible tornado touchdowns and to get into your basement immediately. i don't think i've ever seen the EAS in action before. i tried changing the channel but it seemed to have override that function.

bram came out of his room right when i was cooking. i offered him some pasta; he said he was going out but wouldn't mind trying some. i should've gave him the talk about proper kitchen etiquette (1. don't scratch my pans; 2. blow the smoke; 3. clean oil splatter from stove top) but i was too busy asking him questions about himself. afterwards i noticed he didn't ask any questions about me. he's friendly enough, but he seems to be a private person. as long as he doesn't desecrate my kitchen or my bathroom, we're good. soon afterwards he went out.

the sky had been grey since the late afternoon but there wasn't too much activity in the greater boston area. it wasn't even raining. all that changed in the evening, when a band of violent storms passed through town. the sky was putting on a show with continuous thundering and lightning. there was a stretch of torrential downpour and the temperature seemed to drop suddenly. it wasn't very windy though (that's what i was afraid of the most, that my motorcycle would get toppled).