Then again, it was pouring with rain, and it was impossible to get a taxi. When the lines weren't busy, no one would answer them. I should have just walked down to the station, but I wasn't absolutely sure the trains were still running. I knew they were when Elvis went in to Lisbon this morning, but that doesn't mean they still would be when I left for class. If they weren't, the lines at the taxi ranks would be huge.

Finally, I decided to just slosh down the hill and see what I could do. On the way, I mooched around the hospital, and managed to snag a taxi letting off some old dear. I very courteously held my umbrella over her head while she struggled to get out, and she repaid me by opening her umbrella right next to me, getting it tangled in my own umbrella, nearly poking my eye out, and then somehow tangling my bags and trench coat. By the time I got in, I was drenched. Still, I managed to get to class only two minutes late.

Got out of class after an hour, and the sky was blue and the sun shining. By the time I walked down to the train station, however, it was bucketing down again. Good thing I didn't forget my umbrella at school, then.

Good thing class didn't run to late, either. The train I was on was the last one of the day. Guess they decided to join the strike after all. I walked out of the train station to find a couple of nasty, decrepit buses waiting to take people into Cais do Sodre. Apparently, they are required to provide minimal services, and from the looks of it they wanted to make things as unpleasant as possible. And minimal, too-- those trains are very long, and they only had two buses waiting, which was hardly going to be adequate I should think. Also, I noticed that they were making passengers wait outside in the rain until it was almost time to depart. Those crazy strikers! Doesn't seem to be the right way of getting sympathy, soaking grandma right down to her ample knickers.

Elvis managed to get a ride home early. He had heard about the trains, but not the substitute buses. Somehow, I doubt that knowlege would have changed his mind.

I walked to the store this afternoon-- in the rain, of course-- and bought some vegetables to make soup, among other things. I bought a shiny new pressure cooker before Thanksgiving, thinking I might use it to make the potatoes or something. I've been after getting one for a while now, and this one was on sale, big time. Problem is, I have no idea how to use a pressure cooker. In a rare display of common sense, I decided that cooking Thanksgiving Dinner for twelve guests was not the time to go experimenting, especially not with something that has the potential to explode.

Today I finally got around to it. It's a good day for soup, too. I must say, I love that thing. I went from raw, unpeeled veg to smooth tasty soup on the table in 35 minutes flat. Hope Elvis likes the soup. So does he, I imagine. He's getting it for dinner.

Next up: playing with meat. Stew season is just around the corner. Actually, from the howling of the wind tonight, I'd say it was already here. Calliope has spent the day guarding the space heater. Occasionally, she'll run into the kitchen and demand some food, then hightail it back to the bedroom and her new electrical friend. Oddly enough, it wasn't that cold today, although it seems as though the temperature has dropped over the last few hours. I think I'll build a fire tonight.

Tomorrow, Elvis has to get up even earlier. His ride is leaving at 6:45. Today's general strike was so much fun, they plan to do it again tomorrow. As far as we've heard, there will be no trains at all. We're hardly likely to starve, though.