Twisters, Aliens, and BBQ

It is Thursday night. I'm up watching (sort of) the Hornets-Spurs game. I have to say that Chris Paul is phenomenal! I stayed up way too late last night watching the unfortunate Jazz game, and I shouldn't repeat that again. Tonight, I finally planted the vegetable plants we have had growing in the kitchen since Easter. Sarah is worried about having them out there without putting rabbit fence around them. We'll see how it works out. It is a beautiful night here. I must say, Iowa is a wonderful place in the spring, and also in the fall. The weather is warm and breezy, with sun clouds, and the occasional nasty thunderstorm. The other day, we finally bought a weather-alert radio. If there is a tornado warning, the radio will turn itself on and we'll hear the alert. What made me actually buy one was an experience I had last week. First, I must say that I have been a bit obsessed with tornadoes since moving to the Plains. It's a combination of really wanting to see one, and really not wanting to get, you know, hit by one. Anyway, one night last week, we went to bed with the news saying there was a chance of tornadoes during the night. As I slept, it was in the back of my mind. In the middle of the night, we woke up to hear a high-pitched alarm going off. My first thought was "tornado siren", and I sprang out of bed. I then realized the noise was inside the house. I made my way downstairs in the pitch dark, catching my lower leg in Asher's trike at the bottom of the stairs. My shin wedged between the seat and the little step on the back, causing a flash of pain and also a sudden one-legged tricycle ride forward into the kitchen. At that precise moment, the power came back on, causing a floodlight I didn't even know our neighbors had to come on, illuminating the kitchen in an unearthly light. In an instant, I went from thinking a tornado was coming to thinking alien abduction, then realizing that everything was fine, except for my messed up shin. It turns out our smoke alarms, which are wired into the house, have a strange little alarm to let you know when the power goes out. Anyway, that whole ridiculous story to say that I decided if a tornado really is coming, I'd rather hear the details from a calm, pleasant, robotic voice on the NOAA radio than to try figuring it out in my disoriented, half-asleep state. It is a cool device, and it does give a bit of peace of mind. You program in which areas you want to hear warnings for. It is also nice to have the weather at the push of a button. This weekend, we are heading to Omaha. I am actually judging my first barbeque contest, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which is across the river from Omaha. While I am judging on Saturday, Sarah and Asher will visit family. I am really excited to be judging a contest for real! I am signed up to do at least three more this summer.