On the outside looking in

Ever since moving back from Saint Louis, I scoff at the weather. There, as with most of the midwest, they are littered with tornadoes, sometimes several a day during their 'tornado season.' Yesterday, however, was a little different. I was standing outside in the sun talking to the Schwan's man, when the sky darkened, and the wind stopped blowing. Mothers were running outside looking for their children. I went inside and turned on the television and stared in disbelief at a map of Anna, Texas with a bring pink "C" surrounding our fair city.

My phone rang. It was my father: "ARE YOU IN SHELTER?" He asks. I look outside again. Fierce rain is pelting the house and our fence sways unnaturally. Its was as dark as night. I blink at the television. Tornado.

Now, I've lived in Texas most of my life, and sure we have a 'corridor' for them to travel down, and we've made preparations before to sit them out in shelter. We watched this tornado (two-minute video) real-time from Irving as it tore through downtown Fort Worth heading straight for us.

But yesterday was the first time I've ever sat in a bathtub to wait out a storm.

I suppose it's because I have kids now.

Fortunately, the children's bathroom is spacious and well equipped. So the three of us sat in the tub while listening to the screech of the mixture of wind, rain and debris pelt the house. Ten minutes later, it was sunny and quiet again, and the children wen back outside to play.

It never touched down.