Twister

Last Friday was April 13...Friday the 13th. I thought nothing of it. Just not into superstitions: I love black cats, think nothing of walking on cracks on the sidewalk or spilling salt. Perhaps I should clarify, I am selectively superstitious as I purposely avoid passing anyone on a staircase, I touch wood to avoid jinxing something I've said, and opening an umbrella over one's head while indoors is something I avoid.

Last Friday was our first experience in Texas with a major storm front that produced tornadoes We've seen the tornado warnings on the local Dallas stations, but they have usually been for rural areas beyond DFW...until last Friday.

The air last Friday was thick with humidity and dreadfully still. When the air is humid and still you know a storm is on its way. I didn't really think much of the tornado warnings late that afternoon, although I did ask hubby to try and leave work a bit early to avoid the storm. When they announced that sirens had been sounded in Ft Worth I developed a sinking feeling in my stomach. (I had a dream about a tornado Wednesday night.)

When I actually heard the sirens in Dallas my pulse started racing. I tried to stay calm, but I was worried about hubby who was picking up take out at Blue Orchid on Oaklawn. He was home within minutes and we ate downstairs in the spare bedroom huddled in front of the tv watching the local weather people trying to predict where the tornadoes might touch down. Then we lost electricity, although luckily it was only for about 15-20 minutes and when it came back on the possible tornadoes had passed us by heading on an eastward path. We were lucky. What a freaky Friday the 13th.

On a side note, the movie Twister was shown on one of the movie channels the next night. After Friday night I have a new appreciation for the film. (I was surprised to see Philip Seymour Hoffman in a supporting role as a storm chaser.)