Friday, March 31, 2006

And The Wind Shall Follow You Home

This is me reading the paper in Tulsa, while Monkey shopped for provisions last Saturday. I didn't mean to post this, but I did accidentally, and I have to wait so long for pics to upload, that I didn't want to delete it, so....
A blustery day in Central Standard. The winds of Oklahoma seem to have followed us home. After a rainy start to our drive yesterday, the skies of Missouri opened up clear and warm. We arrived home under sunny skies at about 3:30. Unpacked. Monkey checked her email, made a grocery list and headed to the Hyve for provisions. I decided to try to make it to basketball.

Unfortunately, no one else (save Sports Editor and some other dude) showed up. I was home by 5:30, but the evening was not lost. Coach and Mrs. B were having folks over for Margaritas and socializing at Club Sonora.

The Monkey and I arrived and enjoyed the spirits and company of the usual suspects (and Mr. and Mrs. Sports Editor, among some new folks). Around about nine, however, the excitement began in earnest as the sirens wailed through the now cloudy and lightning-filled night air.

That's right, friends and neighbors, another tornado warning. Two this month. No touchdowns that I am aware of, no hail this time, either. I think if we had more hail, every insurance company in the country would forsake our poor state (along with the east coast, the west coast, and the gulf coast). They would choose to do business only in Idaho, Montana, and the Dakotas, where all it does is snow, and the wind blows hard, but straight.

At any rate, some of us huddled in the basement momentarily, but, try as they might, the weather folk couldn't really terrify us as much as they did last time. Honestly, it didn't seem that their hearts were in it, this time. I don't know why. Maybe it was because of Spring Break (which everything in this town is being blamed on (Husband: "Hey, the roof is leaking!" Wife: "Huh, must be Spring Break."... Child: "Mommy, my gold fish is floating." Mother: "Oh, dear. I think it's Spring Break."... Patient: "I don't know, Doc. I fell asleep last night watching Conan O'Brien. When I woke up this morning, I was blind." Doc: "See it all the time. Spring Break, you know."), by the way).

When the novelty of the tornado warning wore off (right quick), we all just settled into talking about music and schools and graduate classes and books and movies and meatloaf and African languages (of which, Aunt James was surprised to learn, there are more than one) and The Sopranos and children and bagles and birds and blogging and PT Cruisers. By midnight plus, Monkey and I sat with Mr. and Mrs. B and wound down the evening. I fine return to our adopted, temporary homeland.

Hey, by the way, here's a pic of the new car. For some reason, Monkey and I have taken to referring to it as "The Penguin." Of course, you can see my shadow on the front quarter panel. I've never claimed to be much of a photgrapher. Should have stood on the other side, but the background wasn't as picturesque. Ah well, next time....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very exciting action shots! Can you get some of tornadoes? Or at least tornado warnings? Or maybe this spring-break-itis you keep talking about?

Anon AMVB, she likes the pictures

Anonymous said...

Did I mention that I like the pictures? Here are just a few:

Across the tidal basin

Jefferson monument

Looking up!

Washington monument

Gteiig!

Anon AMVB