After a picture perfect, 85 degree, cloudless Saturday, what does Easter Sunday have to offer? You guessed it…rain. There is something extremely calming about waking up to the sound of a light drizzle on the roof and nearby pavement. Don’t get me wrong; I am just as much of a fan of the sun as the next summer-junkie, but let’s be honest, it is almost like a free pass to be as lazy as you would like. Rainy days not only bring out the umbrellas, but also bring out statements like, “I don’t know…something about this weather just makes me want to lie around all day.” Something about my personality makes me want to lay around all day; the rainy weather is just an excellent facilitator.

Being California born and bred, I am still yet to fully adjust to the type of weather we experience out here in Texas. I was very, VERY content with only seeing tornadoes in movies like “Twister“. Last Tuesday, while at work, we had a crazy day in terms of weather. It was all over the Yahoo homepage and many news stations on TV: Major tornadoes touching down in the Dallas/Fortworth area. We heard reports that Arlington, TX had been declared a “state of emergency” right around the noon hour on Tuesday, and the storms were not done yet. I was on my way home for my lunch break, when all of a sudden the radio switched to the Emergency Broadcast. Something about the eerie, almost metallic sounding beep, just gave me goosebumps in an instant. “If you are outside, take shelter immediately.” That is all I needed to hear. Not knowing what to do, and being about an hour away from family, I turned right back around and went to the office. While hyperventilating against a wall at work, I could hear people joking about the severity of the storm. Then someone said, “The tornado is headed right for us!” As expected, the jokes subsided at that point. Even though the tornado did not come ripping through the building, lift me off my feet and hurl me 120 feet into a tree, I imagined that scenario vividly enough for it to seem real. Here is a photo of just how close it was to our work. Uhhh, right across the street? Yep.

Nobody was hurt, but the hail took out PLENTY of windshields in the parking lot. Just glad everybody was safe. Now I am sitting here, listening to thunder with a little less worry. Perhaps I have rounded the corner, and am now officially Texas weather-ready. I mean hell, I am basically Bill Paxton now, surviving tornadoes and shit. All I need now is my Helen Hunt…sigh (haha).