Stormy Dinner

It was almost noon (read: lunchtime) when we pulled out of the church parking lot yesterday. Natalie, who is constantly hungry right now, chirped sweetly from the backseat, "Can we go out to eat?"

I glanced at Corey. He glanced back. "Maybe later tonight?" I said under my breath. "Teyla is going to need to go down for her nap soon."

So the deal was made. We would go out to eat -- possibly to "Red Lumpster" -- for dinner.

Four-thirty rolled around. The day, which had started heavy and hazy, had grown ever more foreboding. A storm just to our north was boiling in the sky. Suddenly, the sirens sounded, piercing the air with their rotating scream.

Being a Certified Weather Geek, I immediately ran to our deck. The skies to our north were dark and angry. But we were clearly on the edge of the storm. The skies above us were only gray. And to our south, the sun peaked through the patchwork haze.

I ran back inside, and simultaneously pulled up my favorite weather website and turned on the TV. Normal golf coverage on our local NBC station was pre-empted for Storm Watch. (That's what we called it back in San Diego. Of course, Storm Watch in SoCal means "your patio furniture may get water spots on it; stay tuned for this crisis as it develops." Here in Minnesota, it means something slightly different.)

The TV screen was a swirl of psychedelic colors. The meteorologist (Sven! In Minnesota! I love it!) was saying things like, "There's a confirmed tornado on the ground in Coon Rapids. The storm is moving directly east at about 40 miles per hour. It's a fast storm, capable of 60 mile per hour winds and golf ball-sized hail."

Be still my beating heart.

Natalie, who is slightly sensitive to bad weather lately, particularly tornadoes, appeared ashen and quiet at my elbow.

"Is the tornado going to get us, Mom? Should we go to the basement?"

Good question. The tornado wasn't headed toward us at that moment. If it stayed on its projected path, it would hit towns about 15 miles north of us -- certainly close enough for us to see the storm, but not close enough for us to seek shelter.

And then Corey appeared. "Are we ready to leave for dinner? We promised the kids."

Hmmmm. Another good question. We were on the edge of the tornado warning area. It wasn't even raining at our place. The restaurant where we were headed was south of us, which meant we'd be moving even further out of the storm's path.

What would you do?

33 comments:

  1. Well, go of course. Risking a storm is worth not having to clean up the kitchen. At least in my world.

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  2. I would go just to avoid the topic of the storm. Nothing worse than trying to distract a sensitive child and stuck at home.

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  3. Girl, you know I'd be eating a picnic dinner in the basement.

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  4. Hmmm. I think I would stick around the house until all of the crazy weather had passed. But that's just me. And I would be glued to my TV, watching the path of the tornado. I hate the damaging effects of a tornado, but I love stormy weather.

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  5. I'd be a shivering wreck in the center of the house. And as soon as it all blew over, then I'd go eat.

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  6. On our wedding night, the hubby and I drove parallel to a tornado in OKC on our way to dinner.

    I'd take my chances and head to Red Lumpster. But then again, it wouldn't have been my first rodeo.

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  7. Um, did you say dinner would mean moving AWAY from the tornado? Then Go, Diego, Go!

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  8. Red Lumpster. Fo. Sho.

    My kids were playing outside the whole time. We did make them stay in the yard where we could call them in if needed. But it "felt" nasty. I could tell something was going on.

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  9. I totally would have gone, knowing that you had the situation under control.
    (I probably would've just waited a bit longer for the storm to move farther away!)

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  10. Proceed with plans, keeping an eye/ear on the weather to make sure storm didn't change course. Not much would make me miss a trip to The Lumpster. Cheese biscuits, y'all!

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  11. You'd have found me in the basement...praying adn listening to the weather radio. I am TERRIBLY afraid of tornadoes.

    So...WHAT did you do?

    And what is your favorite weather site on the web? I'm a bit of a weather geek too.

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  12. I would want to hide in the basement, my husband would want to go - so we'd go, he's my protector :)

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  13. Love the NEW look of your blog this morning!!

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  14. Love the new look, would probably go, the lumpster has a basement right?
    But, this is from the Canadian who spent her two years in Texas wishing for a Tornado so she could see one. I may not be the safest person to ask!

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  15. Before this weekend: gone to eat
    After this weekend: gone to basement.

    Lesson learned :)

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  16. Wait a few minutes then go!

    COOL new layout!!

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  17. We would have stayed home. My husband has recently become scared of storms... to the point where the church secretary asked me if he had ever been in any kind of tragic storm!! We've had some really bad weather come through the last month or two so I guess it's just made my hubby very cautious. I use to be terrified.. but they don't bother me much now.

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  18. I Would probably be in the basement, trying not to let the kids smell my fear!

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  19. In the past we would have gone. But after this last spate of storms that hit our little town, Husband would have probably required waiting to see if it would pass. Giving wee ones appetizers at home would have purchased us some extra time.

    Love your new design.

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  20. I would take my family and move to Carlsbad, CA, right away. There's a Chick-fil-A in San Marcos.

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  21. From one weather geek to another I would not be able to leave my weather coverage and live feed radar! Take out?

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  22. Well, I'm sort of a weather geek myself. You say you were heading south--that means you'd miss the storm altogether!
    I would go, but I'd be sad not to at least be able to see a little bit of it. I'd delay, hoping to at least see some lightning. I love lightning.
    Of course I'm the person that sent my husband out for bread during a military coup d'etat...but there was no shooting in our immediate area, and we needed bread! He's never let me live it down.

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  23. Girl..I have had the same stuff going on here in the last 24 hrs!!
    I mean the exact same thing.

    Mom must remain calm and completely minimize the tornados and say things that the over dramatic weather man is not saying...

    "Its moving North of here..its on the other side of the city..."

    I flat out HATE tornados and those dern sirens. Panic erupts among my boys!

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  24. Eat House, here we come.

    LOVE the new look!!! I GASPED. Everyone is getting Extreme Blog Makeovers lately! So fun!!

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  25. 1) Stay home.

    2) Order a pizza.

    3) Snuggle with the baby girl.

    4) Enjoy being safe & dry, secure in also knowing that the real flood is about to hit the email inbox with all the accolades over the new darling blog design!!

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  26. I would hop in my car and play Storm Chaser. (sans the kids and husband who would've insisted on going to the basement)...do you HAVE a basement?

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  27. my hubby is so like you--certified weather geek! hed stay in just to watch the storm! id go out! lol

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  28. I love a cliff hanger!!!
    I would face a storm if it meant I didn't have to cook!
    On the other hand my kids freak out in stormy weather so they wouldn't want to be out in it.
    I can't wait to hear what you went with.....

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  29. After seeing what that storm did to Hugo, I would have to say I would be huddled in the basement. So scary!

    Great new design!!

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  30. I love your new look! Too adorable! You have such great subjects to work with :)

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