Monthly Archives: August 2010

news-commentary

Tornado tourists??

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Tonight on ABC’s Nightline, they did a report about tourists who pay to chase tornadoes. I grew up in “tornado alley” and today I still live in an area plagued by tornadoes, the article just made my stomach clinch.

I can understand meteorologists chasing tornadoes. I can understand journalists and photographers. But tourists? WHY?

“For the thrill!” one could say, or perhaps even, “Just to witness mother nature.”

I grew up in school having tornado drills, something that baffled my Pacific Northwest-bred husband. Like everyone has fire drills, we would have tornado drills so we would know what to do should that day come that a tornado came straight at our school. My sophomore year of high school, that threat became very real. We were lucky, but I’ll never forget taking cover in the band hall, praying that the threat would pass us without incident.

When I think of tornadoes, though, Jarrell, Texas crosses my mind. So does Greensburg, Kansas. Good Friday 2009 when Murfreesboro, TN got hit — so close to my house — also pops into my head. (I couldn’t help but look up this list of F5 tornadoes.) Tell any of these people directly affected by these natural disasters that tourists want to chase tornadoes just for giggles, and I believe a good percentage of those people would be just as shocked as I am. Shocked and mildly disgusted.

From photos, I know there is a strange beauty to tornadoes. And their power is humbling. They are also something that regularly causes death and destruction. While people run around to chase them — pay money just to see them in this case — there are hundreds of others praying they are spared. Hundreds of others gripped with fear, in no way taking a thrill from it.

I want to believe that the people who are chasing tornadoes are doing so to help the people being affected. Who are trying to learn about these monsters. Who want to be able to predict them more accurately, or who want to find ways to protect people more effectively. Or who want to be there first to lend a hand to the victims. Not who just want to get a rush from it.

Somehow, deep down in my gut and heart, I can’t get behind the idea of people taking a thrill from the same thing that leaves so many in fear and sadness. I can’t wrap my brain around it…

…I don’t want to wrap my brain around it.

family

A leg… up?

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Periodically, my husband and I have had troubles with our air conditioning duct work staying in tact. This summer, the heat has really wrought havoc on them. It seems at least once a week, we’ll realize one of our vents is blowing hot air, which means going up into the attic, reattaching the duct to the unit, and then duct taping like crazy. No need to cool the attic!

So last night, my husband decided to look over the duct work before he left out on the road. As he went to the attic, I bit back, “Don’t fall through the ceiling!” I figured it would be both a funny joke, but also a terrible jinx on him. So instead, I started vacuuming the living room.

I heard a bit thud from above, but I figured he was probably just moving the ladder and I paid it no mind. My parents are visiting for the week, and my mom happened to go to the guest bathroom. She called at me and motioned for me to come over. So I turned off the vacuum and went over.

“Look!” she said.

I opened the door, looked up and saw… a leg.

Immediately I went, “Are you okay!?” and started pushing up on the bottom of my husband’s foot which had, yes, come through the ceiling in the bathroom. Insulation all around on the floor, I didn’t know if I should be scared or start to laugh. Upon confirmation that my husband was indeed okay, I couldn’t help but start to laugh at the situation.

My husband’s pride was wounded and, of course, concern over having to have it fixed settled into the equation. But ultimately, it lead us to a lot of laughs — as well as a series of hilarious comments on his Facebook status update for last night. Everything from “Money Pit” references to requests for pictures.

Sadly, no, I don’t have any pictures of our temporary leg light fixture (I was too shocked to think to grab my camera, not to mention worried that my husband was seriously hurt!), and at the moment the hole is covered by a square of cardboard my dad helped us put up. We’ll get the ceiling fixed soon, and it’ll give us an excuse to slap a new coat of paint on the room. Looking on the bright side of things, you know.

However, today’s topic of conversation has consistently come around to the previous night’s adventure in ceiling destruction. Come to find out, a LOT of people have similar stories! So here I am to ask: Anyone else out there have falling-through-the-ceiling stories to share??