Omaha Momma

Well I do now because I looked. I would have been screwed if I was a cavewoman though no clocks or calenders.

The last thing I remember is drinking a beer with Barb Friday night. I had a sore throat that night before we went out for drinks. By the time we got home at 11: 30 my throat was swollen and my head was pounding. About 20 minutes after that I was laying in bed knowing that if I didn't get up right then to pee that I was going to piss myself. The only thing holding me back was I was pretty sure I was dying. I was soaked in sweat. My tonsils and their cohorts were so swollen that I could feel them in my ears. I was so weak that kicking the covers off to even try to stand up was out of the question. I somehow managed to slither off the bed.

40 minutes later.........I made it back to bed half dressed only because I couldn't take off what I wanted to or put on what I'd already taken off and said fuck it.

All night my teeth chattered as my fever rose. I cried. I slept. The babies woke up and I got hubs to take them and I cried more.

Taking small drinks of water was a task with shaking hand and a neck so swollen I couldn't turn my head. I shook all day and night. I managed to eat a breadstick.

I prayed. A lot.

I remember only small pieces of Saturday. Hubs wanted to take me to the hospital but I wouldn't even move to help him carry me, I may have been sick but I did not want to go to the hospital for a stupid damn virus. And, like I said I was pretty sure I was dying.

I wanted to die at home.

I need my spirit to be here so I can haunt the bitches he brings home after I die dammit.

I came out of my room for the first time at 6 p.m. tonight, or last night whatever on Sunday. I feel like hell still but I feel like I will wake up if I go to sleep which is an improvement.

If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all.

If that really rang true I would never have a fucking thing to say. Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on who you are) I don't give a shit about that saying and I think it's fucking retarded.

With nothing interesting or super fun going on today, I've had some spare time online and it made things less fun.

First of all, to the people who post pictures of themselves on myspace looking far off into the distance grasping for that "mysterious" feel . You look like a douchebag. Far off into the distance can never look good when you're in the goddamn house, and your plaid blankies laying over your plaid sofa in the background do nothing for your mysteriousness.

To the man at the grocery store. I know you felt like totally awesome because you were dressed just like Tiger Woods today, this groundbreaking day for Tiger Woods. I know you think you're almost God-like because you played golf on this day, this groundbreaking day for Tiger Woods. I know that you are a dumbshit because there ya are in the middle of the store in your golf shoes clacking down the aisle. Until, that is, you stop to relay all of the shit I previously stated to your like total BFF on the phone like a teenage girl while you stare and wink at me like it's ok that I heard your whole conversation because we're friends now. I mean, why else would you wink at me ? No. I will not be your girlfriend. Gah. Quit asking.

Lastly, to that cocksucker of a "Ninja Slot Machine" that drained me of all my tokens online last night. I hate ninjas anyway.

 The ONLY news station that had storm coverage in the middle of the night, for those who had electricity.KETV

2:18 this morning and Bana's is telling us that the lights went out from the storm. Normally during the night and this happens I tell them things are alright and to go back to sleep, the light will be back on soon. Not this time. I jumped put of bed and so did hubs, which in itself is odd considering he never wakes when the kids come in. We came downstairs and listened to the wind and seconds later the sirens sounded. Hubs got the babies as I tried to stop Didda from what I almost thought was a seizure, turns out that's her "I'm scared shitless" dance.

By the time we made it to the basement it was already happening, the stillness stood in our neighborhood as the sirens screamed. The hairs on my arms stood on end and I started to shake. During a storm I always tell my kids that things are alright and to not be scared, and not one time did I tell them that this morning. I wasn't sure things were going to be alright.

The tornado's path started only a few blocks from here, but with new evidence it may have started less than that, as in across the street.

The sirens were going off too late, by the time they were sounded the tornado was here. There were homes destroyed, their occupants still in bed at the time.

Afterward, we went outside to survey the damage, along with everyone else. When the conversations about being thankful ended, it turned to the fact that we had no warning, and as Barb turned on her FM radio, Hannah Montana serenaded her, with no sign of a weather report. I'm hearing too that for the people who didn't lose electricity they didn't fare much better with a couple of our local stations. They can say what they want about how they didn't have enough warning either and that it was 2 minutes from the time we were in a severe thunderstorm warning until it was upgraded to a tornado warning. Still, they dropped the fucking ball here.

We all stood in our pajamas, still shaking and asking if everyone was alright. The tornado sirens went off again and with no electricity we didn't know if it was tracking back towards us, or maybe a new one was on it's way. We all went back inside and waited. Soon after the sound of sirens filled the air again, but this time firetrucks, police, and ambulance sirens. We calmed the girls who were all shaking uncontrollably just in time to hear thunder approaching.

Another storm rolled through about 45 minutes later and we were all back in bed at about 5 a.m.

Barb and I went out along with everyone else in the town to take pictures this morning. So here you go ! I'll start with a picture of the statues of our local Omaha slogan O!, this time it means "O! shit there's a tornado !" --You can click the images to see them full size.

We heard the roof was taken off Wal-Mart, there was no debris evidence, but they closed today.

Here's a trash can stuck in the fence by the soccer field.

This used to be the supply shed about 10 feet over

 Roof shingles stuck in the ground    

Splintered wood sticking straight up

  Where the storage shed sat, in the middle is a golf ball stuck in the mud from a gas station down the street, Phillip's 66. That golf ball is now sitting in hub's display case with his other "special" ones.

Path of tornado through the trees

Grain elevator and semi trailer

Remnants of the grain elevator

Roof of the car wash

 Billboard --duh

  Barb showing off her damage--the only branch she had down in her yard.

The police have most of the other areas with the worst damage blocked off, leaving us unable to get any more good pictures.

All the reports we've heard say that even though people were in the rooms that had roofs taken off and collapsing everyone escaped with only minor injuries.

When I say they dropped the ball (the Omaha weather people), I think maybe I did too. I wasn't awake to watch the weather channel like I always do so the kids know I'm watching. It has always been a HUGE fear of mine after knowing that the tornado in Oklahoma City was so devastating because so many people were sleeping when it happened.

Today, we'll be off buying a weather radio and an extra battery for my laptop.