For all the women....but the guys might find it instructive.

I did laugh during this -- loudly, at several points.

http://wendi-aarons.blogspot.com/2007/03/as-seen-on-mcsweeneysnet.html

To my younger audience: bad words used appropriately -- always best when written, not verbalized!

About Small Towns....

Some of you have probably received a list of "small town isms" from a friend. There are a few posted here and there on the Internet. The funny thing is, I didn't grow up in a small town, though many friends did. The list took me somewhere else.

For those who have missed it, here’s a combination of two lists:
( Small Towns )

Where I've found I've gone in my mind is to the summer small town -- the place that seems more Real to me than any other home, despite the current battles to keep high rise condos out of the village limits. It's the place I will probably be buried.

I’ll bet you have a few stories -- You must have gone snipe hunting or cow tipping. Or laid on your back at the county fair right under the fireworks, ooo-ing and ah-ing in unison, layered like dominoes with your heads on each others' stomachs. Did you get cheated at a carnival, which was a useful life lesson? Did you have Senior Skip Day? Have you ever returned for Homecoming?

I'm writing up my memories for a Book View Cafe blog post -- I'll tell you when it goes up. In the meantime, no matter how large a town you grew up in -- what small town memory, be it current or historic, comes to your mind?

It was itty-bitty hail

I used to leave NOAA weather radio on during storm season. W hated this, even muted. So, several tornado warnings went out and I did not know about them, so I was not in the closet where I should have been. I'm not back in the habit of leaving the station on. And I was not daydreaming out the window today, so I did not see the black strip across the northwest horizon until I went out on the balcony to shake out rugs.

Amazing how fast you can find two cats, a jug of water and the boom box, even after a move. I had not opened the D batteries and put them in yet. The bathroom seemed the best choice, so we stayed there while the hail rattled the roof.

The battery installation has been rectified. The car windows did not break, but the hail was nickel-to-quarter-sized, and did cause tiny dimples. It's a thirteen year old car, what can I say?

W had softball sized hail. By the time it was safe to go out and get one, they had melted to golf ball size. He lost the skylights. And of course sent me email to ask who fixes the roof.

A mutual friend had his front car window smashed on the way home, giving him a lap of glass and some cuts. But not really serious (like needing stitches) since his wife is patching him up.

EM is not coming tonight, since the warning extends until 9:00 pm and there is no covered parking. I will probably also look for the medical kit I used to keep in the kitchen.

Just in case. Time for a storm kit.

I grew up in tornado alley. Wish I had the full basement we had.