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Alright, here's a proper update on everything from the past couple of weeks. I'm sitting down with my laptop and my current bff, the real keyboard.

So, two weeks ago, exactly, I was at work being a smart mouth about "hah, the weather's supposed to be bad? like it ever is!"

Then the next day I roll out of bed and get ready for work in a stupor, and notice that it's really really too hot for six in the morning. Then it stayed gloomy for most of the morning, and then around my lunch break, which I usually stretch from 1100 to 1200, it started getting really dark really fast-- patients were calling to cancel because the weather was bad (and I was still scoffing) but then as I watched the news whilst lunching I realized maybe it was actually bad, especially because the newsman was saying something about a tornado in an area kind of close to my mom and sister. I had to go make a couple phone calls to them (because I honestly am a total wuss when it comes to the weather) and got to see exactly how dark it was getting outside and how quickly the clouds were coming. It still doesn't really seem like it will be that bad at this point, even though I think the storms had already creamed Cullman according to the radio, and I left work at my normal time even though a tornado watch (warning? I still get them confused.) had just been issued.

I got home pretty quickly since I used the Parkway, and was in before the rain came. The hubby and our roommate had the tv on downstairs and were very exasperated because the weather was too bad for them to actually watch anything other than the local weather cutting in, and decided to go for a bit of shopping once I'd gotten in. I stayed home and got freaked out by the weather, because you know how it shows the rain and thunder using the green and yellow and red splotches? Anyway, the storm blobs weren't just red, they were purple, which I'd never seen before, and the tornado sirens were constantly going off. Needless to say, I was on the phone with my mom again and actually flipping out since I was alone. Finally I'd had enough of being next to the window and tv and took my laptop and herded my two oldest cats into the downstairs bathroom and hid; shortly thereafter, the hubby, the roommate, her younger sister and their cat got home. Summarily, I got laughed at for a bit but I didn't really care because I'd already heard the actual train come through and thought I was screwed, so I didn't mention that to them to at least keep a little dignity. Then just a few minutes after they all came home, out power went out, and we were immediately bored.

It was really terrible at first, because my roommate was seriously being an unreasonably irritated t**t about the power being off; one of the most oft-repeated things from her mouth was, "they better hurry up and get the power back on. D:<" Finally in the one wee candlelight, we figured out that we could listen to the radio using the hubby's zune, since apparently having the ability to pick up the radio on iPod is far too plebeian for apple. During this time, I made the stunning observation of "at least the sirens are off" and was immediately reminded that they used electricity too, so of course they were off. At least it didn't sound like Silent Hill anymore.

Alas, the power didn't come back on later that night, so I went to bed earlier than normal and got up earlier than normal; I couldn't go to work with no makeup on so I had to take my whole medium-sized bag with me, and wear my reading glasses so no one could see for certain that I didn't have the usual cat's eyes. No one called me on it, except for one of my security buddies who said they were old lady glasses. :<

I went in super early on Thursday and Friday, partially to put on my makeup and partially just in case they actually needed help in the emergency department. It was pretty calm by the time I got in, and I didn't get flak for not immediately going back to work the night before since I'd already put in my eight hours. I worked in Admitting those days, and I thought I was going to die of heatstroke or something; usually I wear a camisole, a tank top, my uniform top and finally a short-sleeved hoodie because my normal work area has the A/C on all day, but the air conditioning isn't really that much of a priority when you're on generator power. Friday I got to leave early, and got back home in time to see off the hubby and co. heading out for his brother's in Mississippi; I packed up some of my things and the week's worth of laundry and went to my mom's house to take advantage of power and actual hot water. I went a roundabout way to get there though, because using the interstate is out of the way, and I wasn't sure what back roads I could take since there were so many trees down. I ended up driving past my high school, which was mostly unrecognizable since there was a huge subdivision behind it and a ton of those portables and also a proper football field. Then I accidentally drove through a storm damaged area, but it was pretty chill since it was mostly just downed trees and leaning power poles. It was nice to hang out with my mom finally, and see that everything was okay at her house when just a little ways down the East Limestone area got hit (I don't think it made things too much worse, since I think that road is the most depressing one ever to drive on). Her boyfriend (who I think lives with her anyway) and his daughter and her kid were there, and shortly after I got there my sister showed up with her kids, the two cutest girl children ever. I got to see my nieces and play with them (which means they goggled at me and clutched at my fake bling and bangs), and then I took the best shower ever and promptly fell asleep at six in the evening.

I woke up at six on Saturday morning and had the best breakfast ever, since it was hot and I didn't have to do anything but collect it from the kitchen, and a cup of coffee. We watched the news, which was all tornado all the time and was also pretty much a bummer the entire time. My nieces came back over and I hung out with them for a little while before packing up my laundry, the rest of my stuff, and some shopping from mom's cabinets. I went over to my grandma's, taking a detour through my actual hometown which was kind of strange since one side of the street had power and the other didn't, and also saw no damage anywhere. I got to my grandma's house to find a generator running with no one in the house, so I walked up to my uncle's and found out that she was fine and staying with a cousin that I'm not sure how I'm actually related to but that's not the point now, and then left after searching for foodstuffs in my grandma's house (not successful, the oranges were suspect because they were in the crisper drawer and squishy, and the apples in their bowl were smooshy and I think stewing in their own ethanol). I ended up driving through another storm damaged area; the grocery store was a pile of building materials, the gas station looked like a pile of rubbish, and the neighborhood across the street was smashed.

I got back into town around noon or one and expected the hubby back later that day. He decided to stay in toupee-lo that night and I ended up hanging out with one of the neighbors that afternoon; we walked to the pub right near our house and had the best beers ever because they were ice cold and we still had no power. That night I double locked the back gate and also the storm door as well as the regular front door, and tucked one of my chef knives between the mattress and box springs and lay down after the most freezing unsatisfying shower ever. I woke up before dawn on Sunday morning, fell asleep again when there was light, then that afternoon went with the same neighbor to have grilled out food at the baseball stadium for a change of pace and returned to the pub for more delicious ice beer later that afternoon. Still didn't get the hubby back or power, so I took another sad shower and went to bed early. I happened to wake up to a text at one am about how the power should be back, so I gleefully stumbled down stairs to flip the breaker on and hear the sweet music of the fridge coming back to life and visions of a hot shower in the proper morning dance before my eyes as I lay back down, only to have my hopes dashed as the transformer outside my window blew. :<

Monday, I went back to my regular work area, with maybe 30 patients coming in the whole day. Tuesday had a few more people come in, and was the last day I had to come early to put on my makeup. I got the best after-work surprise that afternoon when I pulled up to see utilities trucks on my street and promptly killed all the science happening in my kitchen sink, and got a real bath later that night.

It seems like everything here is mostly back to normal, what with our only real problem being the lack of power. However, the utilities work is a patch up job for now and we still need to conserve electricity, but work today was pretty much a normal patient flow. Everything seems like a strange dream, or maybe a movie. Hopefully I'll never have to live through something like that ever again.