Silly us; we were too tired to check the weather when we stumbled into Casa Richardson last night. We awoke to discover that weather was being wreaked all around us today. That plan I had of getting up fairly early and driving home from Atlanta?

Ha. Pass the crack pipe and sit your ass down, girl, ‘cause you ain’t going anywhere. Thunderstorms are like the nosy, bossy Aunt Bessie that most Southerners had growing up: no matter what your plans might be, you weren’t actually going anywhere until Aunt Bessie came over, sat down, and had her say. Only after she was done were you free to go.

The sky is slowly growing cloudier here, but the only indications of the incoming storm are the unsettled shiverings of the leaves in the trees. The air is heavy and still, practically wringable, with that unmistakable feeling of pause that always comes before the storms’ arrival.

I’ll be transporting plenty of Brand Richardson products on my way home today: goat cheese (both soft and queso), yogurt, and eggs. I have visions of halved Roma tomatoes filled with goat cheese, herbs, and olives; a vision that I might be convinced to share with others during the annual Wednesday-night gathering, should others so be inclined.

I keep saying that I’m going to be good and not go to Harry’s on my way home. This is, of course, utter crap. I will go, and I will romp about in the produce section, and I will come out with a couple of bags of yummies…like I do every single time I go to Atlanta.

C’mon, they have bulk SHALLOTS. In Huntsville, I can get a pack of about four shallots for as much as I’d spend on a pound of shallots at Harry’s. How am I supposed to resist the allure of bulk shallots? What do I look like, Wonder Woman? Realistically, the only way I’m not stopping at Harry’s on the way home is if a tornado flattens it before I get there.

Given the weather, perhaps I shouldn’t say that too loudly…

So why was I in Atlanta? What happened while I was here? All these questions, and more you’d never think of asking, will be answered as soon as the weather stops wreaking long enough for me to make a safe dash back to Huntsville.

Until then, stay dry and safe, and someone please apologize to the cats.