T-storms!

When it rains it pours, right? Literally, it's not pouring yet, but the thunder and lightning sure are making for a heck of a show here in Florence, S.C. It's hell-hot out, and humid. Muggy. No, sultry. That's it -- sultry.

But figuratively, it's starting to sprinkle, at least.

I left Jen and her furry, burping cookie-fiend dog, Lucy, (thanks for the hospitality!) and drove down to Fayetteville, N.C., through the Carolinas' piney forests today to meet with the local paper's editor, thinking it was just a friend-referral lunch (Thanks, Bets!) and ended up spending almost three hours there, interviewing for a job that could soon be opening up.

The editor there referred me to the editor here in Florence, too, who agreed to see me late this afternoon.

Then, as I was driving from Fayetteville to Florence, the Bowling Green, Kentucky, editor called and wants me to drive up for an interview early next week. It's about 8 hours straight up the interstate from Columbia, where I'll be tomorrow, hanging with Bets. She's got plans, she said, including, perhaps, a trip to Charleston on Sunday, South Carolina barbecue and some meet-and-greets at her paper where there are currently no jobs open because McClatchy is still trying to pay off its World-Domination Plan.

(Really, I'm just jealous. I wish I could finance world domination. Please don't read this, Mr. McClatchy, and blacklist me for my snarky comments. You know I still love you. You rule!)

I found Florence's historic district, called the Beauty Trail, and wanted to stop and take some pictures, especially of the Spanish-Moss-draped trees, but there's no shoulder along the road and SC drivers are just as impatient as those in the NC.

Maybe tomorrow or Sunday.

Thunderstorms chased me all the way down here, the sky getting steelier in my rearview every hour. Now they've caught up with me. I wish my room was a wall of windows so I could watch the whole sky. I do have a nice view of the giant yellow Waffle House sign next door, though. And beyond that -- the dark grey skies. I wish we'd get rain, hail -- the whole works, because that would be worth bragging about.