well, THAT was terrifying...

Let me be frank: I'm scared to death of tornadoes.

I'm not really sure why. I sort of experienced one as a three-year-old, but I have vague memories of it, other than the picnic table umbrella being tossed about the backyard. I think it started after seeing that episode of Mr. Belvedere when the tornado hits and they're all down in the basement the whole time.

Whatever started it, when I was about nine I started running for the basement anytime there was a bad thunderstorm. I don't do that anymore, but I still keep a very wary eye to the sky when it storms.

So today when a severe thunderstorm watch was issued early in the day, I got uneasy. Watching The Weather Channel and seeing the utter devastation from Joplin, Mo., didn't help.

I decided to check in to TWC around 5 and see what might be popping. And, of course, there's a severe thunderstorm warning for my area. Oh goodie.

And then... it turns into a tornado warning. Ohhhhhhhhhhh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit..

Now, believe it or not, I didn't panic... exactly. I got prepared. I ran upstairs, grabbed my wedding dress and my lockbox, and took them and some blankets and pillows to the basement. Yes, if a tornado destroys my house, I at least want to make sure I don't have to get married in rags!

I called my fiance. No answer. Left a - well, I thought calm - voicemail telling him to be careful. He called me back a couple minutes later.

"Hi hon! Just left the meeting I was covering. What's up?"

Me, in quavery voice: "Didn't you listen to my voicemail???????"

Him: "No, I didn't see your voicemail."

Me: "THERE'S A TORNADO WARNING, JOEY!"

(OK, at this point I was freaked out.)

I wasn't going to run for the basement, but then the National Weather Service bulletin on my screen said "Don't wait to see a tornado; take shelter now!" And then I heard SU's warning siren.

I ran for the basement.

Here's the nifty thing: My cell phone and my wireless connection on my netbook work in the basement! I could stay online while I cowered! BTW, thanks so much Weather Channel for including OUR tornado in your breaking news tweets...

I didn't cower for long. Joe texted me to let me know it was safe to emerge. I cautiously went upstairs, just in time to hear SU's siren again with the "all clear" message. I put everything back in its place and went back to normal.

Good to know my chickenshit inner nine-year-old is still alive and kicking...

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Well, it's been... um, more than awhile since I used this. I keep thinking, "oh, I should start a blog!" and then I realized - I HAVE a blog, dopey. Use it.

So yeah, I'm gonna try this time. Really. I have oh-so-much to share with the world. I'm getting married in a little over a month. I'm trying to be a full-time freelancer. I'm still coaching. I still want to write a novel, and I still can't figure out a subject for it.

Aren't you totally psyched?!

Southern Starlet's FAB Giveaway!

So in honor of the approaching summer, my Refugee friend Southern Starlet is giving away a pair of Kate Spade sunglasses!

Go check it out! B-)

Writing it out?

I haven't blogged in awhile. Every time I've felt an urge to, I've felt guilty because I have writing that needs to get done for work. So I think to myself, if I can't get anywhere with that writing, I can't be sitting here blogging!!

Here's my problem (with the work writing): I started a new job recently. It involves a lot of writing. BUT, it also requires - or seems to require - a lot of meetings. Last Tuesday I had FIVE meetings in one day! I still don't feel like I've gotten into any kind of work flow. I need to be able to sit and stew and write, but no sooner do I get back to my desk than I have to go to another meeting!

OR... I'm answering the 5,000 emails that have come in since I was last at my desk. Or not answering them, as the case may be. The one department with which I work feels the need to carry on long conversations/discussions via email, so every 10 seconds another one is popping into my inbox. And I know, I probably should shut off email for awhile and try to get stuff done but a) people expect answers to their emails two seconds after they send it, so I'd be bombarded by phone calls if I closed email, b) I just know I'd have a million emails in my inbox when I opened it back up and it would bug me so I wouldn't be able to concentrate, c) my CrackBerry would keep buzzing (although I could shut that off too, I suppose) and d) I'm sort of anal about the way my windows line up on my screen so closing my inbox would get it out of order. *red face*

So, I guess that's about it for now. I hope I can write my assignments better than I wrote this blog post, but I just had to get something out there.

Here I am, world!

So... one of my wonderful Refugee friends told me to switch over to Blogspot, since that is where the cool kids blog. :-)

Check out my old blog - I hadn't gotten very far with it: http://thegrooviness.wordpress.com/

*mwah*