Wednesday, via Facebook, I learned from a life-long friend that his mom had died. She had been in the hospital once or twice in recent years with liver issues, but this time she had gone in to get a heart valve replaced. Apparently, her liver couldn't clear the chemicals used for anesthetic, and she just never woke up.
Anyhow, the wake was on Friday. My plan was to go early, say hello to my friend (whom I haven't seen in person in many years), and then head out rather quickly. I really do not like wakes or funerals. My plan was foiled when, as I was shutting down my computer, the tornado warning announcement blasted out through the P.A. system at work.
The whole company has to occupy two large meeting rooms and a few hallway areas on the first floor in the case of a tornado. Ten or twelve guys were waiting it out in the bathroom, reasoning that the air conditioning cycled better in there and there was a smaller crowd. At the end of the main hallway, we could see the storm that had come on so quickly violently attacking the trees outside. The flow of rain was a furious sideways, and even went up against the glass.
I guess the wind was clocked at 70 mph. It was as though I stopped my car on the highway and I still needed the fast wipers. So much for leaving early.
At this point, I figured I had to go home and check for any damage. Based on the dark red crescent on the radar (which reached from way south of here to the Wisconsin border), it was very possible, and my lovely wife was just starting her shift as a nurse in a different county.
Well, when I got home, I saw village municipal vehicles at the end of the block, near our house. It could only be my house - that's my luck. Turns out it wasn't bad; a tree in the easement between my house and my neighbor's lost a larger limb. Might kill the tree over time, but neither of us is concerned about that.
This was under control by the time I got there, so I fed the dogs and hopped back in the car. As I drove back toward the city, I noticed another wave of black in the rear view mirror.
The wake was sad, subdued, and very elegant - suitable for my friend's mom. I was glad to have gone, but it was time to head home. I turned on the radio right away, and sure enough, the second wave of storms was heading East. I'd be driving directly into it.
This storm carried only 50 mph winds, but I was driving into them at 60. This one was a far more electrical storm with a lot more rain. Suffice to say, I'm glad we got new tires last Fall.
That was just Friday.
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