Grand Slam Communication
SPRING IN NORTH TEXAS
The weather is starting to warm up.
It’s not hot enough for the air conditioner yet.
But the house is feeling kind of stuffy.
With the ceiling fan on, it gets too cold.
But with the ceiling fan off, it gets too stifling.
I’m working in my home office on a lovely 73-degree afternoon with the fan on as well as a sweater.
Welcome to spring in North Texas.
SPRING IS TORNADO SEASON
Spring is tornado season.
I was stocking up on emergency supplies.
Which got me to thinking…
Would our shelter, an interior bathroom, be called a panic room or a safe room?
I had to Google it.
It seemed, in the moment, to be much more urgent than any actual emergency.
It turns out that panic room and safe room mean the same thing.
An invulnernable shelter.
Well.
My mind is blown.
A BIG STORM IS MOVING IN
A big storm is moving in.
My dog is pacing nervously.
I already know how the rest of my day is going to proceed.
She is going to sit in my lap, fearful, while I try to work on my keyboard around the trembling.
Yep, we’ve been down this road before.
My girl does not like thunderstorms.
IT FROZE OVERNIGHT
It froze overnight.
Not in a picturesque, Christmas-card sort of way.
Just in a very cold way.
The Grown Son lives farther north.
He got a good snowfall.
Not enough to make a snowman, though.
He was only able to make a very small snow mutant.
This concludes the winter of 2020.
THE WEATHER APP IS DRUNK
At 6:00 this morning, the weather app said that it was clear.
However, it was pouring rain at the time.
The app also said that we might get some snow later in the day.
However, it also said that we will be at 37 all afternoon, which is too warm for snow.
I think the weather app is drunk.
Go home, weather app.
Try again tomorrow.
Yesterday was the Storm of the Century.
It had been hyped in the news all week.
It looked like the brunt of the storm was going to hit to the east of us.
Sure enough, by the end of the day, all we had gotten was some drizzle.
The Grown Son decided to take the dog for a walk before dinner.
While they were out, the Storm of the Century screamed alive with gusto.
Wind, thunder, lightening and an absolute deluge of rain blasted down all at once.
“Are they still out there?” The Husband asked me, shouting over the storm.
“Yep.” I hollered back.
He drove out to rescue them, and eventually returned home with everyone soaking wet.
Even The Husband, who was driving, was soaking wet.
I’m not sure how that happened.
The dog was freaked out.
She huddled in a towel, shivering, on my lap.
She’s an old girl, and not so enthusiastic about exercise on a good day.
We may never get her back on a walk again.
This morning we even had a bit of snow.
Again, the dog was not amused.
I think we have entered a new phase of Cranky Old Dog.
Thanks to the Storm of the Century.
POWER OUTAGE
I received a text from SCE.
They told me that despite our medical exemption from voluntary rolling blackouts, we may experience a power outage due to fire conditions.
They told me to prepare.
Apparently SCE doesn’t realize that we have moved out of California.
I laughed and laughed.
Our insulin is secure in the fridge.
I don’t miss the Santa Ana winds at all.
Stay safe, Ventura County.
THAT CLOWN IS HAUNTED
The storm on Sunday was severe.
The news is reporting that seven tornadoes touched down.
One of them was as big as an EF3.
I don’t like tornadoes.
At times like this, I miss California.
All I had to worry about in So Cal were earthquakes, fires, floods, power outages and outrageous gas prices.
But no tornadoes.
The thing that is really annoying me right now is that my neighbor’s massive blow-up clown is still standing.
Seven tornadoes couldn’t take that thing down.
That clown is haunted.
At least that’s what I think every morning while it watches me drink my coffee.
STORM DAMAGE
Wow – what a storm we had last night!
At first light this morning, we went outside to inspect for damage.
In the middle of the street was a large piece of debris.
It was a very wet sheet of cardboard.
Bob gathered it up and stuck it in the trash can.
That was the extent of the storm damage on our street.
Whew!
A tornado touched down nearby causing significant damage.
Luckily, our neighborhood was not in the path.
I’m not a big fan of tornadoes.
SIGNS OF RESPONSIBILTY
We had our first rain of the season.
I was very pleasantly surprised to find, early this morning, an old towel on the floor by the dog door.
The Grown Son had thought to wipe the dog’s paws.
“Look!” I exclaimed to The Husband, “Signs of responsibility!”
And laughed and laughed and laughed.
“That was me,” he said, “I had to let the dog out in the middle of the night.”
Oh.
The Grown Son has not shown any signs of responsibility.
At least as far as housework is concerned.
Speaking of which, we are down to three spoons.
I’m guessing the rest of the set is under his bed.