About an hour and a half ago, lightning struck a transformer down the street. I knew that at the time because the neighboring streets and the lower half of Dominguez Street (my street) were lit up still.

While all of my neighbors and in-laws walked around with their thumbs up their rears, I called the Philippine Utility Department (PUD) to make the report. It's a good thing I still use a phone that draws power from the phone line. Had I not made the call, we would still be without power, of that I'm certain.

Considering I live on the bundok (boondocks for all you Americans), an hour and a half is extremely fast when making repairs during a storm. This is one time that PUD did what it was paid to do.

Yesterday was the first day since April of last year that I didn't need a fan on me all day to stay cool. It was a balmy 84 degrees fahrenheit (28 degrees celsius) at the hottest part of the day, but it didn't last long enough for me to notice. I still used a fan for part of the evening but eventually turned it off when it got too cold. Too cold, in the tropics!? Yes. The temperature dipped to 64 degrees fahrenheit (18 degrees celsius) early this morning and it was way too cold for me!

Acclimation is a wonderful thing.