We had the unexpected yesterday. After a week of temperatures in the 80's and blindingly bright sunshine, we were treated to sleet and hail yesterday evening.

The cats were taken by surprise. In the evening they like to be out "in the wild" (aka the back yard) and they had to sprint through the hail to get to the back door. Seems never to have occurred to either of them to hunker down and wait it out. Their attitudes were accusing, as if I were personally responsible for their having to act in such an undignified manner. Humpfh.

The meteorological event provided an unexpected diversion for the people at our potluck, too. Our Small Group was hosting a Saint Patrick's Day potluck and was just getting the limerick contest under way when the hail started. It was so loud on the skylights that we all trooped over to the glass doors (just like a bunch of little kids) to see what was going on. Much pointing and exclaiming.

Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed the potluck. I have never been much for large social events, but I found myself having a great time. Helps that I knew just about every single person by name; when it's just a bunch of strangers I get bored with the inanities of general conversation very quickly.

I did get very tired, though (damn this MS!); however, I seem to be able to manage it pretty well by taking a nap beforehand and just sitting down to rest when I realize my battery charge is on "Low". I'm not going to let my MS turn me into an invalid. Not now, not ever.

Second unexpected thing: I won the limerick contest. I actually stood up and read my limerick written ad lib. I can remember the bad old days when I was too shy even to speak in public. Saying "hello" was an ordeal and people thought I was being unfriendly or stuck up.

The only bad part of the evening was that my husband, who wanted to join us (corned beef with cabbage and Irish soda bread), was his usual condescending, conservative, obnoxious self.

He made a couple of people quite angry with his assertions that we're doing the right thing in Iraq and we should have flattened the country in the first Iraq war. The problem with Obama, he says, is that he wants to negotiate when he should bomb. Obama is too idealistic; we need hard-headed realism. Yeah, try selling that to a group of UUs. I was embarrassed and finally drifted off to join another conversation.

Altogether quite a different day.