not again

 I hate the weather

    I have never been a big fan of storms.  And after Emily lost her house in one, I brecame even more concerned about nature's fury.

    I grew up in Chicago.  We didn't have storms.

    Sure, we had heavy rains which flooded streets and basements, but things like severe thunderstorms or tornadoes were not really an issue in the city.

    My first experience with severe storms came at NIU.  I was walking back to my dorm when the weather turned bad.  I went into the old field house for protection, then stood by the windows and watched garbage cans blow down the street.

    I did not know that a field house,  with its large roof, is the worst place to shelter, and that standing in front of huge glass windows was not recommended either.

    When Jackie and I were married, we lived in an apartment above an appliance shop in Rochelle.

    It was a Palm Sunday.  The weather was bad.  I was in a panic.  I went into the hall for safety and a window in the vacant apartment across the way was pierced by a section of corrugated roofing that became loose in the high winds.

    It sounded like an explosion.

    I went screaming down the stairs, leaving Jackie at the top looking at me like I was an idiot.  Then I knocked, well, pounded on the door of our next door neighbor yelling, "Tornado!  Tornado!  We're all going to die!"

    Which he was very appreciative of because he had just gotten his now hysterical wife calmed down.

    So....my history with storms is not good.

    So far the weather radio has toned 5 times since 7.  All the storms are  north of us, but I can see lightning to the west.  

    It will be a long night.

    Stay safe, stay alert.

Peace and Love