From the Inside Out

I went to sleep in Texas last night, and when I woke up, I thought I’d been transported to Colorado! Everything was blanketed underneath a heavy coating of snow — a treat for those of us who live in North Texas. We normally get ice and sleet, and on those rare occasions when we do get snow, it’s only a light dusting. But not today! By mid-morning, we had three inches of snow on the ground. It was a pretty sight to behold.

Tonight, we broke the all-time record for snowfall in North Texas! It’s astounding. The previous record was 7.8 inches. We easily surpassed that record by early evening, and the snow is STILL falling. It really does feel like I’m in Colorado, not Texas — it’s fantastically bizarre! So much for global warming, huh?

Now if only there were some mountains nearby, I’d strap on my skis and go for a run!

You may not have realized it, but today was Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his winter hiding spot (a ceremonial tree stump) this morning to check for his shadow. And yes, you guessed it, he saw it. According to tradition, this means we’ll have six more weeks of winter.

I hate winter. If I could skip it altogether, I would. The only time I mildly enjoy winter is when I’m snow skiing. Winter weather and snow is great for a weekend trip to Colorado, but I don’t want to live with winter weather (or cold temperatures) here at home. We’ve already had too many cold snaps this season. I’m done. I’m so ready for spring and then summer. Those are my favorite times of the year. Wakeboarding, swimming in the pool, cycling, sun, warmth — oh, how I long for you!!

Alas, I must endure six more weeks of winter according to the famous groundhog. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Phil has seen his shadow 99 times. Only 15 times in Phil’s history has his shadow been absent. The tradition of groundhog day goes back to medieval times, according to an article on CNN.com, “all hibernating animals emerged from their caves and dens to check the weather on Candlemas, which is halfway between the winter solstice in December and the vernal equinox in March. Seeing their shadows would mean winter would go on for another six weeks, and they could go back to sleep.”

I do have a slim ray of hope, though. Most meteorologists don’t put much faith in Phil’s predictions. He’s only been right 39 percent of the time. Could there be a silver lining in those gray winter clouds? Could the wait be less than six weeks? I sure hope so!

It’s about 12:30 am. I’m watching Fox News and marveling at how stupid reporters are. Geraldo Rivera is standing just a few feet from the Galveston sea wall as the storm surge is coming over it. The road is breaking up and pavement is floating away. The winds were clocked at 135 miles per hour. Geraldo has been hit by debris, the waves are forcing him to move to higher ground, and a palm tree is the only thing that’s keeping him from falling over. Still he remains outside reporting on the hurricane. It’s an interesting sight to behold.

The other reporters seem to be a bit more cautious. They are choosing to stay close to their hotels, but still it’s hilarious watching them try to stand upright as they battle the wind and flying objects.

I wonder if these guys actually volunteer for this punishment or if they simply got the short end of the stick when assignments were passed out. I guess if you’re stuck in the TV studios most of the time, it could seem exciting — crazy and stupid, but exciting nonetheless.

Below is an example of a reporter in Galveston earlier today. This is a perfect example of a “what were you thinking moment”. Seriously, who thought that was a good idea?

As I watch the coverage, I’m amazed at the power that these storms bring with them. It looks like Ike is going to cause a lot of damage in Galveston and the cities along the Texas coast. At least most people were smart enough to evacuate. I’m hoping that means the injuries and loss of life will be minimal.

I have family living in the city of Pasadena, which is located South of Houston. They decided to board up the windows, secure all loose items and ride out the storm. My prayers are with them tonight. I trust that God will keep them safe.

The storm will roar through North Texas tomorrow. Luckily, it will be much weaker by the time it hits here, but I’m sure it will be an interesting day. I’m certain there will be more reporters trying to stand upright in their slickers as they battle the wind.

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My family met for dinner tonight to celebrate my Mom’s birthday.  After arriving home, Gary and I sat down in the media room and got ready to watch the latest episode of Survivor.  We fired up the DVR, hit play and…wait…that’s not Survivor.  It’s a man standing in front of a storm radar.  No problem, I thought.  It should be over in a couple of minutes, and then they’ll return to regular programming.  Wrong.

Why does every meteorologist think it’s a good idea to interrupt prime time television when a storm blows through town?  C’mon people, it’s spring in Dallas.  There are plenty of storms this time of year.  They don’t all justify a meteorologist breaking into local programming and showcasing his radar screen for 30 minutes to an hour (or longer).  Why can’t they just break in for one or two minutes?  Better yet, let people read the scrolling text at the bottom of the screen.

Not only did we miss the entire Survivor episode because the meteorologist was getting his “hour of fame”, but we also missed a few other shows due to the continuing storm coverage.  It’s frustrating and unwarranted.  You would have thought there were twenty tornadoes on the ground.  There weren’t.

I realize people may be a little edgy because of the storms that blew through town last week, but tonight’s storm didn’t warrant a 2 hour newscast.  It was just a typical springtime storm.  Sure, there was a small tornado (which caused no damage) and hail, but it paled in comparison to last week’s storm.  So, let’s save the detailed coverage for the 9:00 and 10:00 newscast and let everyone else enjoy their regular programming.   

Last night was rough for many people living in the southern US.  Tornadoes ravaged Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky, killing 55 people and injuring countless others.  My prayers go out to those who lost loved ones and the others who are now faced with rebuilding their lives. 

I’ve lived in Tornado Alley all of my life.  You get used to it when you live here, but it’s not easy to watch people lose everything, especially when you know it could have been you standing there in front of a pile of rubble that used to be your home.  Nature is so unpredictable; disasters like this are a not-so-subtle reminder that we are very small in this grand universe that God has created.  

When I was a child, my family lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma (another Tornado prone area).  In fact, I still remember the day my sister and I were sitting at the table eating when all of a sudden my mother sternly instructed us to take cover in the closet.  Too young to fully understand what was happening, we reluctantly obeyed.  Not long afterwards, she allowed us to leave the closet and go outside.  Standing by our Pinto, we witnessed one of nature’s ultimate windstorms, a tornado.  It had formed over our house and touched down about a mile away.  I still remember it vividly.  I was an amazing sight to behold.  I was in awe until I realized that there were people we knew nearby who might be in the path of its destruction.  Then, fear set in.  Fortunately, none of our family or friends were hurt, but that day has been forever scored in my memory.  It was the beginning of my fascination, awe, and fear of storms.

For many years, I was afraid of storms at night — worried that a tornado would come and destroy our house.  As I grew older, though, that fear subsided.  I wanted to know how storms worked, why tornadoes formed, and what caused lightening.  In school, I loved the science classes that focused on the weather.  I think I would have loved to be a meteorologist, but life didn’t lead me in that direction. 

Still, even today, I’m fascinated by weather and storms.  I love to sit and watch a great cloud formation.  I can’t explain it.  Maybe it’s because it reminds me of how small I am and how great God is.  I don’t know.  Regardless, it can still captivate me like nothing else. 

I’m a sucker for reality shows, and lately I’ve been watching the Tornado chaser shows.  Those people are insane, but I would totally love to be with them.  It would be very cool to go along for the ride while they use the latest technology to understand the storm, predict where dangerous weather patterns will occur and then chase down the storm in hopes of catching a tornado.  I think it would be neat to witness one again, but this time I’d like to see it in an unpopulated area, not in my home town. 

Who knows…maybe one day I’ll do a ride along with the “Twister Sisters”.