Wild Weather and Wine

Today has become a very complex day.  I'm amazed that I am able to find the time to talk about what happened, never mind attempt to process it all.

The day started normally enough.  I got to work early, had a couple of trailers to move around, and then headed out to pick up some rolls of paper.  I had heard people talking about some storms due to pass through the area, but I didn't really give it much thought beyond that.  Big deal, it's springtime in Texas, of course there will be storms.  I was more concerned with having to work out in the rain, and for poor Ms. Darkstar, who would have had to walk to the bus stop in the rain once she left work.

I was in the middle of loading up for my afternoon delivery when one of the other drivers announced that we were under a tornado warning.  I took a quick look at the sky, said something along the lines of, "Oh. That's nice," and went back to the task at hand.

A few minutes later we were all being herded into the storm shelter, although a few of the more adventurous of us (myself included) decided to venture outside to see what all of the fuss was about.  And there it was, larger than life, and seeming to have a direct bearing on our warehouse.  I snapped this picture as the storm passed to the west of us, being very closely watched (both the tornado and us) by the Mesquite police.

It appears the tornado was in mid-hop when I took this picture, because it once again extended itself down to ground level as it moved out of view.

The storm passed, and we went back to work.  I had heard, both from the National Weather Service and local broadcast stations, that the area where my apartment is could be affected by this storm.  I spent the rest of the day wondering if everything was all right at home; moreso, would there be a home to return to?

I am happy to report that all was well at home.  Other parts of the metroplex weren't as lucky.  I saw the video of one of the local trucking companies taking a direct hit, trailers being lifted into the air like toys.  The local news has shots of neighborhoods devastated by what one station was calling the worst tornado outbreak in this area since the early- to mid-1970s.

Today's delivery was postponed, thankfully, and now I relax with a glass of wine and hope things are a little quieter than they were today.

... so, how was your day?