Curse

Malice Black · Nov 18, 2013, 03:09 PM // 15:09

Do you live in or around tornado alley?

**cosyfiep** · Nov 19, 2013, 05:51 AM // 05:51

I was born there...watched some of them move thru towns when I was a kid.....but really just about ANY place in the us (and canada?) can have a nice fat tornado, some places are just more 'lucky' than others.
The most popular area for them in the us is: any place in the midwest, with states like Kansas taking a big bow for hosting quite a few; but really if you live between the rocky mountains and the appalachians...you are in prime tornado territory.

I pwnd U · Nov 19, 2013, 12:15 PM // 12:15

Pretty much in. One town around us gets hit a lot and of course got hit again.

Well I have heard from pretty much all of my friends from there now. Some had little to no damage, others obviously lost everything. It is just sobering to keep seeing pictures and videos of the destruction that this tornado caused. I saw my mom last night, took her water since their water wasn't working. They are doing okay, they have a gas fireplace that is on and a generator to power the fridge and freezer. They are extremely lucky compared to what most of my hometown has...

**cosyfiep** · Nov 19, 2013, 05:38 PM // 17:38

good to hear pwnd.
yeah being without electricity in the late fall (or winter!) can be fatal here, usually tornadoes dont happen this late in the year, but other things Mom does can knock out the power too....
we wish all those affected good luck and warm wishes (especially with this cold front that moved thru BRRRR!)

Malice Black · Nov 19, 2013, 09:44 PM // 21:44

(don't take this personally)

Why would any sensible person live in such an area? Is it not asking for trouble..?

**cosyfiep** · Nov 19, 2013, 09:59 PM // 21:59

at first...no choice, you live where your parents do. Then as you grow up you find that most of your friends live around the same area....

actually MOST of the usa has some kind of issue...california- earthquakes, florida--hurricanes, etc....so there really is no perfect area to live in.
I live where I do now because of the availability of jobs (eg income, would be nice to live anywhere I wanted, but there just arent many jobs on deserted islands

).

So there usually is some kind of thing you give up to live someplace...though with the advent of the computer age, that may come to an end soon (though will still need to get food to my island!)

I pwnd U · Nov 20, 2013, 12:15 PM // 12:15

You probably have less of a chance to get hit by a tornado then you do being hit by a hurricane. It is a rare occurrence that a town gets hit by a tornado. This is the first time my hometown has been hit by a tornado like this in many many years. I can't think of the last time it has been even hit by a tornado. Plus like cosy pointed out, no place here is really safe. Natural disasters can reach you anywhere. If no one lived in Tornado Alley, then half of the country would be unpopulated.

I have a friend who is going to get me in to town this weekend to help with the clean up. They won't let non-residents in and since I no longer have a ID that says I'm from there, I can't get in on my own.

**cosyfiep** · Nov 20, 2013, 04:58 PM // 16:58

only been in one hurricane, but 6 (no 7...er 8?) typhoons while I lived in japan....though a really bad thunderstorm here is worse all of those were....even had one the last time I visited in 2007 going on. (2005 was a bad year there for them---they had 6 in april before the season even officially started...and had about 30 before it was over that year).
Lived thru a few minor earthquakes there too, and felt the one that hit the Nagano/Niigata area as well.....but they dont have tornadoes there--nor thunderstorms!

pwnd send our best wishes to those people!

I pwnd U · Nov 20, 2013, 11:25 PM // 23:25

I've only had to deal with bad thunderstorms. I've been close to tornadoes but never one that has affected my hometown like this one. Definitely a new experience that I don't wish upon anyone.

I will cosy. Will be interesting to see it in person on Saturday...

**cosyfiep** · Nov 22, 2013, 12:59 AM // 00:59

thanks pwnd....

I heard the weather for this weekend...and its gonna be COLD!!! so bring some gloves and a scarf! (even the possible S word ...Brrrrr!)

I pwnd U · Nov 22, 2013, 03:08 AM // 03:08

Yup, going to dress warm. Also need to get a tetanus shot at some point just to be safe...

**cosyfiep** · Nov 22, 2013, 04:09 AM // 04:09

you should get a boster every 10 years for that (you might want to check with your doc since you were required to get one before you entered college--and they last for about 10 years so you may not need it).
I get mine on the 8's...so I have a few more years for that one too.

I pwnd U · Nov 22, 2013, 12:14 PM // 12:14

Ya found out last night that my last booster was in 2002. So I'm at 11 years. Had to get it for high school or something. They might be offering free ones out at a church in my hometown. So I'll try to get one there for free.

**cosyfiep** · Nov 22, 2013, 12:23 PM // 12:23

yeah past time to get a new one then! always good to keep that one up to date (I might hate going to the doctor and getting shots, but the consequences from tetanus are just too much to play around with! and I remember my first shot--kindergarten I sat on an old old chair that had rusty screws and it fell apart under me--I wound up sitting on one of those screws--not only did that hurt but the shot hurt even more!---seeing as I remember it some 40+ years later).

I think its past my bed time now

I pwnd U · Nov 22, 2013, 11:41 PM // 23:41

Ya I have never had anything like that happen. Sadly I don't think that the church is doing the free shots anymore and when I went to Wal-Greens they said my insurance wouldn't cover it there... So I have to go see my doctor to have it covered... Dunno if I can go help tomorrow or not now...

**cosyfiep** · Nov 24, 2013, 11:11 AM // 11:11

hope it works out.
dang its COLD!!!
been snuggling on the couch watching dr who, cant believe its been around for 50 years, when I watched it as a kid it wasnt mainstream at all--now peeps know what it is, very strange indeed....I even had a dr who scarf (tom baker)...and went to sci fi conventions with it (I knitted it myself)....and fiep is a fan of K9.
well, too cold to sit at the computer tonight...back to the warm snugly blanket on my couch!

I pwnd U · Nov 24, 2013, 02:50 PM // 14:50

I was able to go out yesterday. Didn't get the booster, but I was safe. I will have to schedule one at some point just because it is good to have. But ya.

Yes, it was freezing out yesterday. I had on 3 pairs of socks and my toes were still frozen. Just a frigid day. But I got my buddy's friends house cleared out with him. Spent 4 hours helping out where I could. Seeing pictures is one thing, be there where it hit is completely different. Took some pictures that I might upload later. Just super sobering.

**cosyfiep** · Nov 24, 2013, 08:14 PM // 20:14

yeah, going someplace where things like that have happened is a big wake up call (I have been to places in japan near where one of the big earthquakes happened--not even IN the city it happened and it was still pretty dang scary).
I remember when the big lemont one hit in the 70's the next time we drove thru there---it was like a year or so later, and while lots had been cleaned up, nothing new had been done yet----big empty lots

I pwnd U · Nov 24, 2013, 10:20 PM // 22:20

Definitely a wake up call here. I think lots of people are extremely glad that their house had a basement in it. I told my wife when I got home yesterday that when we buy a house, a basement is a non-negotiable must have.

Hopefully they rebuild, it is such a great community that I think that they will. But it is going to take probably a year and a half to get it all rebuilt. It definitely does not look like what it used too. And it will take a long time to even look habitable again.

**cosyfiep** · Nov 25, 2013, 06:18 PM // 18:18

good to hear you got out there and your friend had help.

woke up to SNOW

and whats with the price of gas...it went up almost $.30 in the last few days

, it had been coming down nicely then BAM its back up