I Don't Like Prairie Life

View from John's Jeep after the tornado.

I really don’t like living life “prairie” style.  Within a one-week time span, we lost our electricity twice.  On Monday, we experienced a small tornado here in Goochland. I was actually in the middle of a job interview when the lights went out in Goochland (no pun intended).  I came down 522 to find trees uprooted and snapped in half in yards like the finger of God had touched down (Twister fans can relate to this).  Thank the dear Lord for a generator, and a husband who knows how to hook it into the house, so we had ceiling fans and a television to watch to see what may happen next.  John and Matthew actually drove through the thing on I-64 trying to get home.  I am thankful they both were safe, and that they arrived home unscathed.  I did the normal routine with a frightened Matthew, and allowed him to “camp out” in the spare bedroom in a sleeping bag next to the bed just in case more treacherous weather visited that night.

I took off to the Y on Tuesday morning to find they had electricity, but we were still without.  The heat here in Virginia has been a scorcher, so to get a text at the gym that our “juice” was back on, was a welcome sight….even though I was hammering my frustration out on a Stairmaster, I was thrilled to come home to a hot shower and air conditioning. 

Friday I think beat out Monday in the “holy crap” weather category.   Matthew had settled down on the couch for his nightly routine.  He generally falls asleep watching TV with me, and I carry his 40 pound cute behind upstairs and put him in his bed.  That night, however, I called mom and we were both watching the Weather Channel and discussing what was coming across the radar. 

We hung up, and I popped online to check facebook to see what was happening.  A teacher friend in Crozet had posted that he had experienced a horrendous storm with tornado-like winds, that it was heading east, and to take cover.  I switched the television over to WRIC to see that we were under a severe thunderstorm warning, and to take cover.  (Thank you to WRIC…the ONLY channel that cut in with weather that night). I looked out our front door, checked our flag to see if anything was amiss…. nada, zilch, nothing.  Thirty minutes later, the winds started whistling Dixie.  There was no thunder, no lightning, just those darn winds; so truly, no warning.  I hollered at John to get out of bed, and to get downstairs. 

Wind gusts had been clocked in Scottsville at 127 MPH.  I took Matthew into our downstairs bathroom and sat in the shower stall with him.  We were both shaking as we heard the winds continue to howl, and our house shift somewhat as the storm rolled through.  Of course, lights went out, and flashlights were brought out of our “junk” drawer in the kitchen, and eventually the generator was fired up.  John pretty much laughed at me, for this is “normal” Nebraska-like activity.  We’re not in Nebraska any more honey.

Matthew was awake due to the derecho line of storms until after midnight.  Again, to console him, we made up a campout in the spare bedroom.  I worry being down there.  We have an old oak tree right over that bedroom, and while it has sustained a hurricane, earthquake, and numerous storms, I know its time is limited.  If it were trimmed back, I’d feel much more comfortable, but with a layoff in the household, our income is limited.  I still may get some price quotes, and just do it. I’d rather be safe than sorry and pay the price now, rather than losing our lives later.  Our power was restored rather quickly, while my parents’ neighborhood suffered through until Sunday night/early Monday morning.  My dad has COPD, mom is diabetic, and another neighbor is on oxygen.  I don’t know what I need to do, but I will make sure Dominion Power is aware of this information as soon as all the drama from the storms this past week calms down.

My nemesis-the oak tree

Enough for the weather report…I didn’t get the job I had interviewed for during tornado hell.  I literally fell to the floor in our kitchen in a fit of sobs after they had called to say, we loved you, but we didn’t love you that much.  John was at home thankfully and came flying into the kitchen to hold me while I totally lost it. While stressful at points on our marriage, he has been a pillar of support. He knows I’m trying, and yet besides the fact he is well aware that I am trying, I still remind him every day!  I don’t want him to hate me for the tough times that may lie ahead.

Failure is what I feel.  How did I get to his point….along with half a million other people in our country right now?  What did I do to deserve this?  Is God mad at me?  These are questions that I try to decipher in my head every hour, 18 hours of the day.  Really, I don’t sleep much.  I have lost weight (not in a good way).  I am working out harder than ever, just because I am mad. I am probably rolling at least 9 ½ to 10 miles a day on the treadmill, just because it is hotter here in Virginia than hell right now, and I can’t run outside.  I am pissed off, and I’m not afraid for the world to know it.  Unfortunately, my anger blew a gasket at my mother yesterday, who has helped me through more trials and tribulations this past year, so to her, publicly, I say I am sorry.  Your love and perseverance have been undying, and I appreciate all that you have done.

On a happier note, I’m having a ton of fun with Matthew.  We have experienced reading times and a puppet show at the Goochland Library (note…FREE), fun times at the YMCA pool with friends, and several rounds of Angry Bird tournaments on the I-Pad.  Thank you God for at least giving me this little blessing, for I know that his love for me will get us through this. I can’t wait to continue to write about our adventures over the next few weeks, and here is hoping a job comes through sooner rather than later.

Love to all of you for a blessed and safe 4^th of July.

Cindy, and the rest of the gang.