I feel rather sorry for those who live in the COLD climes of the nor’t. We’re expecting a high today of 70. Sadly, Phil might be right, since they are predicting a drop in temperatures after the weekend, when our highs will only be in the 50s. Back to normal I guess.

I make it to Chicago….and BOOM!  Nothing really bad…yet, but it’s enough to make me wonder if I was wise in my decision making, considering Jamie said I should wait till tomorrow.  Hmmm..  I can handle this, right?  I mean, after all I did live in the tundra for 10 years, so I have a bit of experience, right?  RIGHT???  sigh…

By the time I made it to the first rest area south of Chicago, and all the rip off tolls, it was getting fairly serious.

Now, in my little pea brain, I figured I could get south of the mess, and all would be well.  Makes sense to me!  Uh huh.  Welp, the farther south I got, the more the wind was blowing, and the more the wind was blowing, the less I could see.  It’s kind of weird to have the sun shining above ya (even for just a minute or two) and have a serious white out area in front of you! And FYI people, turn your flippin’ lights on!!! Sheesh! Most folks were moving along at about 55 to 60 when the conditions would allow it, and slowed down to about 50 when it got a bit nasty. Then, there were those people who thought moving along at 35 with no lights was a good idea. *shakes head* Idjits!!

After seeing one too many cars in the ditch, and one that got totally smashed up (lady was fine, but the look on her face spoke volumes), I decided it might be a good idea to get as far as I could, and stop for the night. Well, I made it to Arcola, and carefully pried my fingers from the steering wheel, so I could check into a motel.

It’s 16 flippin’ degrees out there! Well, at least it was when I got out of the truck. And do I have a heavy coat? No, of course not! That would make too much sense! Well, I do, but it’s packed up in the back of the truck, so wasn’t gonna do me a lot of good.  It really is possible to turn into a Popsicle, cuz that’s what I was by the time I walked the 10 feet from the truck to the motel entrance! Naturally, no one was at the desk, but there was a note. Be back in 5. Then the phone started ringing…and kept ringing until the lady came back after picking up her young’un from school….10 minutes later. Like my nerves weren’t already frazzled? sigh…

Now, I’m blissfully stretched out on a rented bed, occasionally peaking out the window, thinking…Yep…it was a REAL good idea to stop for the night. 

Major thanks to Chris!  I honestly had a good time, even if you and Jamie most likely shared your cold with me.  I’m sure the Mr will appreciate it.  Heh.

Jefferson County resident Jonathan Stewart said he laughed in shock after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) claimed the house his family lost in the deadly April 27 twister was ‘not unsafe to live in’.

Displaced families in tornado-ravaged Alabama are outraged after being denied federal aide to rebuild their flattened homes – due to ‘insufficient damage’.

The devastating reality is the house is now a concrete slab surrounded by rubble.

Tell ya what Mr FEMA Man…..YOU go live in that house you claim has ‘insufficient damage’! How utterly ridiculous! I realize there are some people who will claim damage, and not have any, or even have a house at all to claim on, but when you go, and look at the place, with your own two gubmint eyes, don’t you think a little common sense should be in order??

Let me ask….just how much extra does it cost for the people who received such a letter, even after the damage has been seen, personally, but FEMA workers, to appeal such an absurd decision. Who the hell hires these people? Oh yeah….your federal gubmint! I’d say we’ve been wasting a boatload of money on incompetents! We spend BILLIONS on giving aid to countries that hate us, yet we can’t help our own when they really need it? Does anyone else have a problem with this???

My favorite is Samaritan’s Purse.  But of course, there is also the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and others.  You choose which feels right to you.  Or maybe your church is interested in taking up a special collection, or items that are of the greatest need, like water, nonperishable food, clothes, and maybe even some toy type things for the kids.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

May God bless and watch over all of those affected.  They ARE our family and friends.

St Louis Dispatch

William Jefferson paddles slowly down his street in a small boat, past his house and around his church, both flooded from the bulging Mississippi River that has rolled into the Delta.

“Half my life is still in there,” he said, pointing to the small white house swamped by several feet of water. “I hate to see it when I go back in.”

The river was taking aim at one of the most poverty-stricken parts of the country after cresting Tuesday at Memphis, Tenn., just inches short of the record set in 1937. Some low-lying Memphis neighborhoods were inundated, but the city’s high levees protected much of the rest of Memphis.

They make it sound like the river is intentionally going after the poorer neighborhoods. The river doesn’t care if you are rich or poor. Sadly, we don’t seem to learn from other historic natural disasters. Floods, hurricanes, mudslides and earthquakes happen on a regular basis. Some way worse than others. Yet people will forget their house slid down the side of a mountain, or was washed away in a flood, and rebuild in the same place. It’s heartbreaking to see so many losing so much. However, things can be replaced, people can not.

Jefferson’s neighborhood in Vicksburg, a historic Mississippi city and the site of a pivotal Civil War battle, has been one of the hardest hit. Jefferson refuses to leave, so he spends his days in the sweltering sun watching the water rise and sleeping in a camper at an intersection that’s likely to flood soon, too.

“If you don’t stay with your stuff, you won’t have it,” he said. “This is what I do every day. Just watch the water.”

That one sentence says a great deal about our society, doesn’t it. Our neighbors can’t be trusted not to steal our possessions?  Perhaps if we post the Ten Commandments in our classrooms again, people will start getting the message….  Thou Shalt Not Steal!

But the worst is yet to come, with the crest expected over the next few days. The damage in Memphis was estimated at more than $320 million as the serious flooding began, and an official tally won’t be available until the waters recede.

We can’t control nature. Sorry, it’s just not possible. Nature will win in the end. We can, however, make preparations for the worst that may, or may not happen. I’ve no doubt that the dollar amount will rise in the not too distant future. Can we also hope that there will be a minimum of fraud?

We can pray for the families affected by this natural disaster. We can pray that there is a minimum loss of life. We can be ready to help out our neighbors, as best we are able.

Photo from WREG.

Storm deaths reached 33 in Tennessee on Thursday with persistent violent weather stretching almost 200 miles from southeast Tennessee to its northeast corner.

The deaths confirmed Thursday included nine in Hamilton and Bradley counties, six in Greene County, four in Bledsoe County, two in Johnson County, and one in Sequatchie, Franklin and Washington counties.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam offered their condolences to all of the families across the state affected by the terrible storms, especially those who lost loved ones.

I am grateful the death toll wasn’t higher. Our prayers are with all those, in all states, who have suffered losses.

A powerful tsunami spawned by the largest earthquake in Japan’s recorded history slammed the eastern coast Friday, sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people as widespread fires burned out of control. Tsunami warnings blanketed the entire Pacific, as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West Coast.

I was quite annoyed being woken up much earlier than I wanted by a cat licking the top of my head.  Now, my annoyance seems rather petty.

The latest death toll is at 63, according to the television news, and expected to rise.  I can only express sorrow for the loss of life, and pray for the survivors.  May those in Hawaii and the west coast stay safe.

(video of some of the devastation)

via Yahoo News

Well, that is what is left of the snow!  A small blob!  Heh.  After hitting 70 this afternoon, I was REAL surprised to see it just laying there in the parking lot.    Buh bye!!!!

Story.

Not sure why the pics are so dark, cuz it isn’t exactly dark out there, but oh well.  As best I can tell from the height of the snow on the deck railing out back, there’s about 5 or 6 inches worth of nasty white stuff, although ya can’t tell by these pics.  Without actually going out there with a ruler, it’s hard to tell.  And I ain’t doin’ it!  I do not like snow.  Oh yeah….it’s purdy, and all that, but it’s also cold!  And wet!  Cold….wet + Ol’ Broad = misery!

Looks like a good day to bury my nose in my Kindle, and escape to the theater of the mind!  Almost finished with The Twelfth Iman, and many more to choose from.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE MIDSOUTH… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY.

* SLEET/ICE ACCUMULATIONS: LESS THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH.

* TIMING: WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE MIDSOUTH BY 9 AM AND CHANGE OVER TO ALL RAIN BY 6 PM.

* IMPACTS: ROADS WILL BECOME SLICK QUICKLY WITH SECONDARY ROADS AND BRIDGES POSSIBLY BECOMING ICE COVERED.

A COUPLE BANDS OF PRECIPITATION… ONE FROM PARIS TO TUPELO… AND ANOTHER ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WILL CONTINUE PUSHING NORTHEAST THIS MORNING. SEVERAL REPORTS OF MIXED PRECIPITATION HAVE BEEN RELAYED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AREAS OF HEAVIER SHOWERS. ONE REPORT FROM OSCEOLA INDICATED SOME MINOR ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW WAS BEGINNING ON ROADWAYS. ANOTHER REPORT IN MCNAIRY COUNTY ALSO INDICATED RAIN TRANSITIONING TO SLEET AND SNOW.

I know. I’m suppose to get all excited cuz it’s football season, or some such silly thing. But y’know, football doesn’t affect my life. If there was no football, I’d still survive. Now, the indication of the coming cold, on the other hand, has all kinds of effect on me!