Most uttered words in Maryville: "Let's go to Wal-Mart!"

Setting: Maryville...quite possibly just like every other college town in that most students are GONE. Those that remain typically fall into one of the three generalizations below, feel free to rant if you're offended:

• Professional drinkers. These fine folks still need to work a bit on hiding their amazing drinking abilities/dependency on alcohol from Mommy and Daddy, so they are being "responsible" and working throughout the summer on some summer classes. *wave bullshit flag here* Realistically, these are the people who bring in the water bottle with 'flavored water' to your class.
• Legitimately studious people. These are the people who have ink on their noses, are concerned that their 99.9% isn't good enough, and wouldn't dream of being less than 30 minutes early to class. Once you manage to get them away from their books, they are pretty entertaining folks...
• Everyone else. They mix their studying and their fun, often with passing results. They aren't complaining.

Now that we've developed our setting, it's time to insert the weather. In case you are unaware, Maryville attracts only the undesirable whenever you realize that you're out of food, need to replenish your alcohol supply in your apartment, want to go out to the lake, etc. Last night, for example, it POURED and HAILED in what can only be referred to as the Monsoon of Maryville. I would tell you whether or not anyone drowned, but I was busy enough trying to stay afloat myself that I'm not too sure of anything [might also have something to do with the hail that hit me in the head]. Baseball-sized hail is not cool. 

Of course, this is when I am actually watching one of the very few shows I do watch. Glee was interrupted at least 40 gazillion times by weather updates and alerts, so I basically got to see someone's face on screen, and then had to pray that the alerts would land during the commercials. No such luck. I'll be re-watching later. 

As soon as the clock struck 9, we [yes, I have friends.] decided to go to Wal-Mart. We probably should have looked a bit more closely out the window first. By the time we made it from the door to my friend's car about 20 feet away tops [which was parked much much closer than mine], we were soaked to the skin.I was secretly pretty thankful that I was not the one driving, and it was quite creepy to realize that half of the town was without power, including Wal-Mart. As the dry vessel containing the two of us proceeded to turn around and go to Hy-Vee we looked around to realize just how close Hy-Vee was to also not having power. Luckily had power and everything she needed. 

By the time we had shivered our way through the exceptionally chilly Hy-Vee and my feet developed blisters from my flip-flops, we went back out into the swimming pool of Maryville.Small limbs and some massive hailstones were splayed throughout the town, and we shook our heads over the whole reason for this particular trip to Wal-Mart/Hy-Vee:

ONE GREEN PEPPER...and I hate peppers.

Of course, after all of these adventures, I still had to walk to my car, which I had parked hella far away and it had been sunny and 85 when I did so. Now it was about 11pm, and I fell 3 times on my way. Not because I am clumsy [which I am], but because of the very deceiving puddles with slick bottoms. I have a very lovely knot on top of scars on my right knee. I want to get an "out of service" sign to put there...because it hurts like crazy. The walk and drive proved fairly uneventual besides my horrible slip-n-slide abilities, and I was thankful to change out of those wet/freeze dried/wet clothes.

I think I hate green peppers even more.