2023
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Migraine Relief
Well, it has finally come down to it. As much as I hate to take daily med's (serioulsy, I'll pop anything for short term, but hate taking stuff everyday!) after 14 migraines since January 1st, I cry Uncle! But, I'm not happy with what the dr gave me - it has a long list of side effects, and I'm sure suicidal thoughts, excessive sweating, balding and nausea should be higher on my list of concerns, but the weight gain and insatiable cravings for sweets & carbs is what's really getting me worked up. I just took the first pill. Let me know in a week if you can tell I'm getting fat, cranky, have facial tics and homicidal tendencies, and/or depressed. I'll let you know if I get any migraines, deal?!
This Week's Performances
Gib participated in a symphonic band performance at a local high school last Saturday. Mike took alot of photos of Gib behind a giant drum, but I liked this one the best. He got to play a piece from The Pirates of the Carribbean on it. I'm sorry I missed it (migraine - bummer!). Mike said it was really good. We have a snow day today, so I think I'll try to take Gib in for a hair cut since we had to cancel his appt last week due to the band rehearsal. Unless you know the kid, he's almost incognito under all that hair!
Last night, Mariah played "See U Again" from Hannah Montana on her electric guitar in the talent show. She did great! It was exciting, even though she wanted to sing and dance, but her mean mom made her play her guitar....and she told everyone that too. I heard it from her Girl Scout leader, her teacher, the backstage act mom, and the talent show coordinator! At least she received many compliments from her fellow students, which proved me right when I told her nobody would be making fun of such a cool talent!
Last night, Mariah played "See U Again" from Hannah Montana on her electric guitar in the talent show. She did great! It was exciting, even though she wanted to sing and dance, but her mean mom made her play her guitar....and she told everyone that too. I heard it from her Girl Scout leader, her teacher, the backstage act mom, and the talent show coordinator! At least she received many compliments from her fellow students, which proved me right when I told her nobody would be making fun of such a cool talent!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Skiing!!
Gib and I left with the scout troop on Friday night at 6pm. I was driving one of the 12 passenger vans and we were heading for Boone, North Carolina. We arrived at our lodging, Boone United Methodist Church, a little after 2am. We got our gear all situated and hit the hay by 3am, we were only going to get about 3 hours of sleep, we lost an hour due to time change.
The wake up call came quickly. We assembly lined a lunch making table and everyone prepared their own lunch for the day and then we headed out to McD's for breakfast. One of the adults stood outside the door and handed each person a $5 bill as they went in the door. With that completed we headed up for Sugar Mountain.
Saturday turned out to be the busiest day of the season there and it took us 2 - 3 hours to get our lift tickets and rental gear. Gib decided to go with a snowboard instead of ski's, this is his first time skiing. All the first timers were enrolled in a group lesson. The lesson was essentially worthless, they allowed too many skiers in the same time and basically told them how to do a few things and were told to go practice.
I headed up the lifts for two runs while Gib did the lesson. On my second run down I headed over to the "Easy Street" slope to find Gib. As I get toward the bottom, I see him in a lift line with another scout, so I join them. I am assuming that this is the "Easy Street" lift and that he has been on it previously. So as Gib an I approach the head of the line, Gib turns to me and asks how to get on the lift, he hasn't done it yet. Ok, no problem, I can help with this. So, on we go. Now we find the real surprise, this lift is not "Easy Street", but is one of the lifts that goes all the way to the top of the mountain. Needless to say, we have no choice now.
What would take me 10 minutes to ski down took Gib and I almost 2 hours. There was a blue square path all the way down the hill, but still was a little too much for Gib. He struggled all the way down, got frustrated, and was near ready to just quit. When we finally got to the bottom, we did our lunch thing and then headed over to the correct "Easy Street" lift. The afternoon was much kinder to Gib, he actually had learned a good deal on that torturous trip down the mountain. He was now comfortable with snowboard and could do some basics and the slope was more his speed. The lines were so long, We only got two more runs in that day.
The next morning, I spent skiing with another adult who was closer to my skill level and Gib worked all the green circle runs with some other scouts. I hooked up with Gib at lunch and skiied with him and his buddies for a couple hours. Gib was having a great time this second day and is now in favor of another trip next year.
We headed home on Monday. All in all it was a great trip for the boys and I enjoyed skiing again for the first time in fourteen years.
The wake up call came quickly. We assembly lined a lunch making table and everyone prepared their own lunch for the day and then we headed out to McD's for breakfast. One of the adults stood outside the door and handed each person a $5 bill as they went in the door. With that completed we headed up for Sugar Mountain.
Saturday turned out to be the busiest day of the season there and it took us 2 - 3 hours to get our lift tickets and rental gear. Gib decided to go with a snowboard instead of ski's, this is his first time skiing. All the first timers were enrolled in a group lesson. The lesson was essentially worthless, they allowed too many skiers in the same time and basically told them how to do a few things and were told to go practice.
I headed up the lifts for two runs while Gib did the lesson. On my second run down I headed over to the "Easy Street" slope to find Gib. As I get toward the bottom, I see him in a lift line with another scout, so I join them. I am assuming that this is the "Easy Street" lift and that he has been on it previously. So as Gib an I approach the head of the line, Gib turns to me and asks how to get on the lift, he hasn't done it yet. Ok, no problem, I can help with this. So, on we go. Now we find the real surprise, this lift is not "Easy Street", but is one of the lifts that goes all the way to the top of the mountain. Needless to say, we have no choice now.
What would take me 10 minutes to ski down took Gib and I almost 2 hours. There was a blue square path all the way down the hill, but still was a little too much for Gib. He struggled all the way down, got frustrated, and was near ready to just quit. When we finally got to the bottom, we did our lunch thing and then headed over to the correct "Easy Street" lift. The afternoon was much kinder to Gib, he actually had learned a good deal on that torturous trip down the mountain. He was now comfortable with snowboard and could do some basics and the slope was more his speed. The lines were so long, We only got two more runs in that day.
The next morning, I spent skiing with another adult who was closer to my skill level and Gib worked all the green circle runs with some other scouts. I hooked up with Gib at lunch and skiied with him and his buddies for a couple hours. Gib was having a great time this second day and is now in favor of another trip next year.
We headed home on Monday. All in all it was a great trip for the boys and I enjoyed skiing again for the first time in fourteen years.
Tennessee Governor's Academy
Wow! Taryn received nomination to apply!
http://tga.tennessee.edu/academics/index.shtml
Taryn is very interested. She loves the idea of learning in a non-traditional environment and I've seen her in action getting way into field studies in environmental studies, hiking, science/research, and boldly forging into rivers and caves on field trips in middle school. She loved the outdoor classroom. She also really likes the idea of helping deaf students with math & science while learning ASL. I wonder if this program is way beyond a normal American kid though.
It is a long shot, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. What an amazing opportunity - especially to springboard to a college.
Email I sent to school teachers and counselor:
Taryn has been offered an opportunity to apply to the Tennessee Governor's Academy, and for the past month, has been steadily working on her application essays, while rehearsing for the school play, studying, and hopefully, competing ALL her school assignments. We're proud she is willing to put herself on the line at a vulnerable time a teen's life, knowing that her chances of receiving one of 12 spots for girls is very, very slim. She is not a perfect student, but she is intelligent and unique, and as parents, we'd like her to walk away from this experience feeling good about herself. If you could please let her know that you are working on the teacher recommendations and provide some encouragement, it would go a long ways to boost her morale and self-confidence.
I'll try to be brief, but I'd like to share something about Taryn that may help you to see how far she has come as a student. I'm by no means trying to put words in anyone's mouth for the recommendations, but Taryn has overcome some adversity that I feel is worth mentioning. (If anything, this information will probably rule her out of TGA). As you may know, Taryn has ADHD. When diagnosed in the 3rd grade, she could not read a book by herself because her eyes could not focus on the words. She got grades each week ranging from A's to F's. We never knew what day she'd get an A or an F in the same subject! It was horrible to see our child withdrawing and losing her sense of self worth. But a wonderful thing happened - multiplication tables! She was the first girl and the 3rd child in her class to memorize them all. Excelling at math was the only thing that saved her self confidence. Another positive occurred when the school counselor listened to our concerns and helped us get Taryn tested and diagnosed. The miracle happened the first weekend Taryn tried medication for ADHD. She read an entire Harry Potter book. My child, who was faking reading along with the class so nobody would know she couldn't read, was able to finally read for her own enjoyment!
From the beginning, Taryn has been adamant about not being labeled by having an IEP. In our home, we do not oversee homework or manage our children's time for them. It's not easy, especially for Taryn and her younger sister who also has ADD, and sometimes this has hurt her grades. But Taryn tries to give her best effort, and we decided to celebrate that over straight A's. While in middle school she was not placed in the pre-algebra class she was capable of, because she didn't test well on the english portion of the placement exam, and the school would not make an exception. An IEP might have changed that. This year, Taryn is trying to regain ground by taking both algebra and geometry, so that she can go as far as possible mathmatically in high school to put herself in a better position to get in a college of her choice.
Even though TGA sent out a larger mailing this year to double their applications, after all she's been through to succeed academically, we think it's pretty special to have made the list to begin with. Thank you Ms. Foster for your kind words about that in an earlier email. Considering the obstacles, we're so proud of Taryn; she has taken the initiative herself to complete this application to TGA with NO help from her parents.
Slightly off subject, but still pertinent, I'd like you all to be aware that Taryn recently requested a reduction in her medication, and has been on a lower dose this week. Will you please let me know if you see her struggling or notice any changes that could be something to keep an eye on.
Thank you very much,
Chrissie
http://tga.tennessee.edu/academics/index.shtml
Taryn is very interested. She loves the idea of learning in a non-traditional environment and I've seen her in action getting way into field studies in environmental studies, hiking, science/research, and boldly forging into rivers and caves on field trips in middle school. She loved the outdoor classroom. She also really likes the idea of helping deaf students with math & science while learning ASL. I wonder if this program is way beyond a normal American kid though.
It is a long shot, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. What an amazing opportunity - especially to springboard to a college.
Email I sent to school teachers and counselor:
Taryn has been offered an opportunity to apply to the Tennessee Governor's Academy, and for the past month, has been steadily working on her application essays, while rehearsing for the school play, studying, and hopefully, competing ALL her school assignments. We're proud she is willing to put herself on the line at a vulnerable time a teen's life, knowing that her chances of receiving one of 12 spots for girls is very, very slim. She is not a perfect student, but she is intelligent and unique, and as parents, we'd like her to walk away from this experience feeling good about herself. If you could please let her know that you are working on the teacher recommendations and provide some encouragement, it would go a long ways to boost her morale and self-confidence.
I'll try to be brief, but I'd like to share something about Taryn that may help you to see how far she has come as a student. I'm by no means trying to put words in anyone's mouth for the recommendations, but Taryn has overcome some adversity that I feel is worth mentioning. (If anything, this information will probably rule her out of TGA). As you may know, Taryn has ADHD. When diagnosed in the 3rd grade, she could not read a book by herself because her eyes could not focus on the words. She got grades each week ranging from A's to F's. We never knew what day she'd get an A or an F in the same subject! It was horrible to see our child withdrawing and losing her sense of self worth. But a wonderful thing happened - multiplication tables! She was the first girl and the 3rd child in her class to memorize them all. Excelling at math was the only thing that saved her self confidence. Another positive occurred when the school counselor listened to our concerns and helped us get Taryn tested and diagnosed. The miracle happened the first weekend Taryn tried medication for ADHD. She read an entire Harry Potter book. My child, who was faking reading along with the class so nobody would know she couldn't read, was able to finally read for her own enjoyment!
From the beginning, Taryn has been adamant about not being labeled by having an IEP. In our home, we do not oversee homework or manage our children's time for them. It's not easy, especially for Taryn and her younger sister who also has ADD, and sometimes this has hurt her grades. But Taryn tries to give her best effort, and we decided to celebrate that over straight A's. While in middle school she was not placed in the pre-algebra class she was capable of, because she didn't test well on the english portion of the placement exam, and the school would not make an exception. An IEP might have changed that. This year, Taryn is trying to regain ground by taking both algebra and geometry, so that she can go as far as possible mathmatically in high school to put herself in a better position to get in a college of her choice.
Even though TGA sent out a larger mailing this year to double their applications, after all she's been through to succeed academically, we think it's pretty special to have made the list to begin with. Thank you Ms. Foster for your kind words about that in an earlier email. Considering the obstacles, we're so proud of Taryn; she has taken the initiative herself to complete this application to TGA with NO help from her parents.
Slightly off subject, but still pertinent, I'd like you all to be aware that Taryn recently requested a reduction in her medication, and has been on a lower dose this week. Will you please let me know if you see her struggling or notice any changes that could be something to keep an eye on.
Thank you very much,
Chrissie
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Snow Day
The kids finally got a real snow day. Even though it was a light dusting, it was good enough to call off school. They all enjoyed the relaxing sleep in day. Now I know for all you Utah folks, a little dusting is nothing to get excited about, but here in Tennessee people tend to get a little worked up over even the slightest hint of snow. And really, its OK with me that the girls don't have to drive to seminary and school early in the morning with potentially icy conditions.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Backyard Progress
The rock walls are complete, the patio on the top level is complete and the walkway is complete. Here is what it looks like so far, it is a rainy day today. We still have the landscaping to do and we are looking at putting in some wrought iron railings at each set of stairs. Also, they still need to do a stone landing at the bottom of the first set of stairs.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Wacky for Webkinz Party
Mariah's Wacky for Webkinz birthday party was held on Saturday. Indy and Taryn decorated the house while Mariah was sleeping so she'd have a big surprise in the morning. How sweet is that?! 15 girls attended along with their favorite Webkinz animal. The party started at 3:00 p.m. and went to 7:30 p.m. Mariah and I planned it over a month ago and had been steadily working on getting everything ironed out and supplies purchased. It's a good thing we started early because we ended up having to move the date up 2 weeks, when just a week after my surgery we found out the Saturday we had planned on conflicted with a Girl Scout camp-over. It's a wonderful feeling to be able to say, hey no big deal, we're ready to ROCK!
The first thing we did when a guest arrived is make a pet collar for their Webkinz so we'd know whose was whose if anyone brought the same pet. Then the girls got a jean tote to carry their pet around in, and to use to put all the other stuff they'd be getting during the party. We played a game of our own creation called Webkinz Sardinz, where one person hid their Webkinz and we had to find it, put our Webkinz in its hiding place and race to the couches. Whew! We were tired after an hour of that!
Then we went on a Gem Hunt, kinda like they do in the virtual Webkinz world. We bought flat sided jewels and put them on sticky tape inside easter eggs. Taryn hid them for us in the living room. The girls had to spin the Wheel of Wow and find that color egg. Mike made us a great Wheel of Wow using our Game of Life Spinner. Once everyone had gone thru 3 times and had 3 eggs, they opened them using only their Webkinz - it was great watching them problem solve that one. Someone quickly figured out that you could pick up the egg using the Webkinz' paws and throw it to the floor making the egg break open. It was alot of fun!!!
Then we played another game we called Tic Tac Toss. We made a tic-tac-toe out of masking tape on the floor and the girls had to stand back about 6' and toss their Webkinz onto a square. When 3 Webkinz made a tic-tac-toss row, those 3 girls got to go to the scarf tower and choose a color of fleece to make matching scarves for themselves and their Webkinz. They were alot better at that than I thought and we found ourselves way ahead of schedule. So I just told them to free play for awhile until the pizza arrived.
Next thing I knew, the girls were in about 3 groups playing with their Webkinz together. It was so cute. I was especially impressed with a gal who turned her red fleece scarf material into an Academy Awards Red Carpet event. Pretty soon most of the girls were either throwing tic-tac-toss or making entrances down the red carpet like celebrities. I ran up with the camera on flash and yelled "The Paparazzi are here!" and started snapping pictures. Everyone got into the action and it was great! We all gathered as a group to pose for the Paparazzi and took a bunch more photos.
Mike and Gib soon arrived with the pizza, we ate, and then Mariah opened her presents. When she opened a present from a friend, that person got to take the Jellybean Challenge - which was to enter their guess of how many jellybeans were in the jar. That is a daily activity in Webkinz World.
Then we were ready for the birthday cake which was cupcakes formed into a Wheel of Wow. Everyone took a spin to see what color cupcake they got to eat. Once we were all sugared up, we moved onto the crafty critterz portion of our Webkinz party.
We had two crafts - Totes of Wonder and making Matching Scarves and accessories. We took the jewels they got in their Gem Hunt and using glue dots applied the jewels all over the tote bags. Another group was making their scarves and a matching one for their Webkinz. We had all sorts of fleece scraps from the other scarves and they were free to do whatever they wanted with them and boy were they creative! I saw a bandana, ponytails, bows, braids, and a bodywrap!
Finally it was time to wrap things up with photos of our Webkinz, Totes of Wonder & scarves, which we are submitting to Webkinz World in hopes of getting into their Crafty Critterz online. Everyone got to leave with their loot and some other party goodies to fill up their tote bags. Mariah had a wonderful birthday and I was really worn out!
Waiting for the Party
Red Carpet
Webkinz Celebrities
Posing for the Papparazzi
Up in the Air
Wheel of WOW Cake Table
Totes of Wonder
Scarf Corner
Webkinz in Totes
Wacky Webkinz Finale
The first thing we did when a guest arrived is make a pet collar for their Webkinz so we'd know whose was whose if anyone brought the same pet. Then the girls got a jean tote to carry their pet around in, and to use to put all the other stuff they'd be getting during the party. We played a game of our own creation called Webkinz Sardinz, where one person hid their Webkinz and we had to find it, put our Webkinz in its hiding place and race to the couches. Whew! We were tired after an hour of that!
Then we went on a Gem Hunt, kinda like they do in the virtual Webkinz world. We bought flat sided jewels and put them on sticky tape inside easter eggs. Taryn hid them for us in the living room. The girls had to spin the Wheel of Wow and find that color egg. Mike made us a great Wheel of Wow using our Game of Life Spinner. Once everyone had gone thru 3 times and had 3 eggs, they opened them using only their Webkinz - it was great watching them problem solve that one. Someone quickly figured out that you could pick up the egg using the Webkinz' paws and throw it to the floor making the egg break open. It was alot of fun!!!
Then we played another game we called Tic Tac Toss. We made a tic-tac-toe out of masking tape on the floor and the girls had to stand back about 6' and toss their Webkinz onto a square. When 3 Webkinz made a tic-tac-toss row, those 3 girls got to go to the scarf tower and choose a color of fleece to make matching scarves for themselves and their Webkinz. They were alot better at that than I thought and we found ourselves way ahead of schedule. So I just told them to free play for awhile until the pizza arrived.
Next thing I knew, the girls were in about 3 groups playing with their Webkinz together. It was so cute. I was especially impressed with a gal who turned her red fleece scarf material into an Academy Awards Red Carpet event. Pretty soon most of the girls were either throwing tic-tac-toss or making entrances down the red carpet like celebrities. I ran up with the camera on flash and yelled "The Paparazzi are here!" and started snapping pictures. Everyone got into the action and it was great! We all gathered as a group to pose for the Paparazzi and took a bunch more photos.
Mike and Gib soon arrived with the pizza, we ate, and then Mariah opened her presents. When she opened a present from a friend, that person got to take the Jellybean Challenge - which was to enter their guess of how many jellybeans were in the jar. That is a daily activity in Webkinz World.
Then we were ready for the birthday cake which was cupcakes formed into a Wheel of Wow. Everyone took a spin to see what color cupcake they got to eat. Once we were all sugared up, we moved onto the crafty critterz portion of our Webkinz party.
We had two crafts - Totes of Wonder and making Matching Scarves and accessories. We took the jewels they got in their Gem Hunt and using glue dots applied the jewels all over the tote bags. Another group was making their scarves and a matching one for their Webkinz. We had all sorts of fleece scraps from the other scarves and they were free to do whatever they wanted with them and boy were they creative! I saw a bandana, ponytails, bows, braids, and a bodywrap!
Finally it was time to wrap things up with photos of our Webkinz, Totes of Wonder & scarves, which we are submitting to Webkinz World in hopes of getting into their Crafty Critterz online. Everyone got to leave with their loot and some other party goodies to fill up their tote bags. Mariah had a wonderful birthday and I was really worn out!
Waiting for the Party
Sardinz Holding Pen
Tic Tac Toss
Red Carpet
Webkinz Celebrities
Posing for the Papparazzi
Up in the Air
Wheel of WOW Cake Table
Totes of Wonder
Scarf Corner
Webkinz in Totes
Wacky Webkinz Finale
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Twister Twister
Twister (1) by Mike
Tuesday turned into a rather interesting and long night. I started out with Gib at his weekly scout meeting at 6pm and returned home a little after 8. When I got home, Chrissie told me that Indy had indoor soccer at 8:30 and she had already left, so I headed back out the door. Chrissie was concerned about the weather that was shortly to be here and I was told to make sure Indy and I returned safely. Meanwhile, Gib and Chrissie prepared our storm shelter under the stairs, making sure we had water, flashlights, and blankets to cover our heads, and enough floor space for us all to fit in. The cats were rounded up and put in the master bedroom closet and bathroom.
I got to the soccer arena just after the first game started, (they always play two games). About halfway through the first game, Chrissie calls and says the weather is ugly just west of us. Shortly after Chrissie's call the arena announces a tornado warning has just been issued for the Fairview area about 20 minutes west of us. Finally they decide to call the game with one minute left and everyone leaves. Indy and I race, not too speedy, home ahead of the storm line.
The TV channels are broadcasting their radar pictures of the storm lines and generally calling the play by play. The first track goes by us about 10pm, tornado sirens blaring, and the nasty super cell passing approx 15 miles north of us. The next line of storms isn't due until 1am. So, we all head to bed, with Gib and Mariah staying downstairs because they are hard to wake up.
Our weather alert radio starts going off about 1:20a and we turn on the TV. The next line is due to pass over us at 1:50a. It looked like another nasty cell and the tracking shows potential for tornados. This cell has the possibility of passing directly over us. As it gets closer, the tornado sirens blare again, Chrissie has Indy & Taryn come downstairs. I watch the radar track as it approaches and Chrissie is posted at the front window watching the wall cloud go by. The cell again ends up passing us about 10 miles north and we hardly even had any wind or rain (weird!).
There is another line approximately 15 minutes behind this one but it shows a break between cells that is tracking directly for us. So we send the kids back to bed and watch the last storm line track safely by us and get back to sleep at about 2:30a. School and work, unfortunately, will be on schedule in the morning. Chrissie felt that last week when school was delayed and then cancelled due to a patch of ice somewhere, it was even more important, after a night of no sleep for anyone in the county, to close school. Sleep-deprived drivers are just as dangerous! But no such luck, or sensibility!
The reports now indicate that the first line of storms had one super cell that caused the majority of damage in Tennessee and is the one associated with the soccer arena mentioned above.
This link has a video overview of the path this super cell took through Tennessee:
Storm Track Video
Google map of path with info links:
Google Map Track
Twister (2) by Chrissie
On Saturday, Indy & Taryn are going to TWISTER (Tennessee Women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Research). It's a conference to help 100 high school gals learn about careers in those fields, so they can begin thinking about, or confirm, a college major. The conference has 4 sessions, and the girls got to each choose their top 6 interests. They won't find out until they get there which 4 they get to go to.
Here's their top 6 - Indy: pyschology, neurosciences, digital media, forensics, aeronautics, emergency mangement. Taryn: digital media, forensics, animal sciences, architecture, environmental sciences, genetics. Neither knew what the other chose - there was no conferring and trying to go to sessions together, which probably wouldn't have happened anyway because if there's one thing my girls are, it's INDEPENDENT. But there were only 15 openings left when I found out about it so it was a rush to get it faxed in before they closed that day. Yay - they made it!
Now they are grumbling about having to get up early on a Saturday, but this is such a good opportunity for them, it'll be worth it. Let's hope they see that right away, but if not, I know someday, they'll thank me. It's what gets me past all the eyes rolling and deep sighs. :)
Tuesday turned into a rather interesting and long night. I started out with Gib at his weekly scout meeting at 6pm and returned home a little after 8. When I got home, Chrissie told me that Indy had indoor soccer at 8:30 and she had already left, so I headed back out the door. Chrissie was concerned about the weather that was shortly to be here and I was told to make sure Indy and I returned safely. Meanwhile, Gib and Chrissie prepared our storm shelter under the stairs, making sure we had water, flashlights, and blankets to cover our heads, and enough floor space for us all to fit in. The cats were rounded up and put in the master bedroom closet and bathroom.
I got to the soccer arena just after the first game started, (they always play two games). About halfway through the first game, Chrissie calls and says the weather is ugly just west of us. Shortly after Chrissie's call the arena announces a tornado warning has just been issued for the Fairview area about 20 minutes west of us. Finally they decide to call the game with one minute left and everyone leaves. Indy and I race, not too speedy, home ahead of the storm line.
The TV channels are broadcasting their radar pictures of the storm lines and generally calling the play by play. The first track goes by us about 10pm, tornado sirens blaring, and the nasty super cell passing approx 15 miles north of us. The next line of storms isn't due until 1am. So, we all head to bed, with Gib and Mariah staying downstairs because they are hard to wake up.
Our weather alert radio starts going off about 1:20a and we turn on the TV. The next line is due to pass over us at 1:50a. It looked like another nasty cell and the tracking shows potential for tornados. This cell has the possibility of passing directly over us. As it gets closer, the tornado sirens blare again, Chrissie has Indy & Taryn come downstairs. I watch the radar track as it approaches and Chrissie is posted at the front window watching the wall cloud go by. The cell again ends up passing us about 10 miles north and we hardly even had any wind or rain (weird!).
There is another line approximately 15 minutes behind this one but it shows a break between cells that is tracking directly for us. So we send the kids back to bed and watch the last storm line track safely by us and get back to sleep at about 2:30a. School and work, unfortunately, will be on schedule in the morning. Chrissie felt that last week when school was delayed and then cancelled due to a patch of ice somewhere, it was even more important, after a night of no sleep for anyone in the county, to close school. Sleep-deprived drivers are just as dangerous! But no such luck, or sensibility!
The reports now indicate that the first line of storms had one super cell that caused the majority of damage in Tennessee and is the one associated with the soccer arena mentioned above.
This link has a video overview of the path this super cell took through Tennessee:
Storm Track Video
Google map of path with info links:
Google Map Track
Twister (2) by Chrissie
On Saturday, Indy & Taryn are going to TWISTER (Tennessee Women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Research). It's a conference to help 100 high school gals learn about careers in those fields, so they can begin thinking about, or confirm, a college major. The conference has 4 sessions, and the girls got to each choose their top 6 interests. They won't find out until they get there which 4 they get to go to.
Here's their top 6 - Indy: pyschology, neurosciences, digital media, forensics, aeronautics, emergency mangement. Taryn: digital media, forensics, animal sciences, architecture, environmental sciences, genetics. Neither knew what the other chose - there was no conferring and trying to go to sessions together, which probably wouldn't have happened anyway because if there's one thing my girls are, it's INDEPENDENT. But there were only 15 openings left when I found out about it so it was a rush to get it faxed in before they closed that day. Yay - they made it!
Now they are grumbling about having to get up early on a Saturday, but this is such a good opportunity for them, it'll be worth it. Let's hope they see that right away, but if not, I know someday, they'll thank me. It's what gets me past all the eyes rolling and deep sighs. :)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Superbowl Party??
Email from Indy to Chrissie on Friday from school...
Would you mind if I invited some people over for the Superbowl Sunday night? I'm thinking that we could get chips, salsa, food, etc.. like dad had for his football thing and we have a lot of room. Would be a good way for you to meet everyone and the family could have people to hang out with. You could bring Lara and Taryn could invite a few or so. Just an idea. Most of the people I'm inviting you have met or heard of..it's pretty much all boys, so Gib won't be outnumbered ;)
If you get this, try to email me back by 10:10.. if i don't get one I will probably call you during my lunch break.
By the time Chrissie had the opportunity to talk with Indy she had already assumed the correct answer and invited many. I believe the actual invitee list was approximately thirty and we ended up with fourteen. It was a fun night, the game was great, and there was plenty to eat.
Would you mind if I invited some people over for the Superbowl Sunday night? I'm thinking that we could get chips, salsa, food, etc.. like dad had for his football thing and we have a lot of room. Would be a good way for you to meet everyone and the family could have people to hang out with. You could bring Lara and Taryn could invite a few or so. Just an idea. Most of the people I'm inviting you have met or heard of..it's pretty much all boys, so Gib won't be outnumbered ;)
If you get this, try to email me back by 10:10.. if i don't get one I will probably call you during my lunch break.
By the time Chrissie had the opportunity to talk with Indy she had already assumed the correct answer and invited many. I believe the actual invitee list was approximately thirty and we ended up with fourteen. It was a fun night, the game was great, and there was plenty to eat.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Someone left a Surprise!
So the workers are here today laying a paver walkway from the back of the driveway around to the back of the house. Well this involves laying sand down and smoothing it down just before laying the pavers. They finish smoothing a section and then decide it is lunch time, so they take off. During their absence, Pixie decides that this is too good to pass up. She is certain that they made it just for her! I saw her leave the scene of the crime, quite excited and pleased with herself!
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