If I had a hatch, I'd batten it

We survived the storm just fine, thanks.

It was just a big thunderstorm, with tornado watches and warnings. Pretty normal for this time of year in North Texas.

The basic anatomy of it was 3 inches of rain in an hour, horizontal winds up to 90mph, thunder, lightning, electric brown-outs...a normal May Wednesday in Texas.

Lately the Jesus of Cheese has been appreciating the fact that I bought a radio. A normal, plug-in radio. Being the technogeek he is, we're totally connected--until the satellite and internet go out. Then he panics until he sees the radio, and then he realizes it wasn't such a stupid purchase.

We have a storm drill. Since we don't have basements or cellars down here, the safest place we have is my clothes closet. Into that goes my purse, cell phone, and everyone's shoes. The Jesus of Cheese is responsible for his own wallet and phone.

(In the past, I was in charge of our son and the dog, and the JoC was in charge of our daughter and the cat. Being the cat and dog are both dead and the children are now very mobile and opinionated, the only rule is that we're all in view of each other.)

Yet as the storm was raging, I couldn't help multitasking. I put some cleaner in my kitchen garbage cans and on that cover from the bottom front of my refrigerator, and put them outside. Hey, it's an effort-free, no-cost power wash!

The Jesus of Cheese didn't like me opening the door during the storm. If I coulda, I woulda sat out there in the middle of it.

I like storms. They're cool.

I wish I could teach my family to not be afraid of these storms. What's the danger? Damage to the house and other property, fire from lightning, damage from tornadoes.

Of those things, the only thing I can actually control is where I am when it happens, and even that doesn't matter that much. I can't stop the wind from taking off my shingles, knocking down my fence, leveling my landscaping. I can't control the lightning, as it strikes where it will. I've been in a vehicle that was struck; it really sucked, but it's not like we could have been somewhere else when it happened. And I'd like to think that if lightning struck my house and set it on fire, I'd be smart enough to leave.

As for the tornadoes, they go where they want, too. I'd hope that there would be a siren, and if that failed, I'd hope that we'd hear the rumored sound of a freight train before it struck. If those things happened, we'd be in my closet with all of my out of style business suits and discarded craft supplies, pretending for the kids it was all a game.

But even that, I wouldn't have much control over.

So I'd rather sit back and watch the storm, and will it to try and take me on.

And every storm that fails, I've gotten a bonus day, bonus year, bonus life.

I really love storms.