Severe Weather

I started a new exercise program this month. Basically it just involves using my wii more regularly and walking a lot more. I detest walking without a purpose so I have started parking my car 6 to 8 blocks away from my job site and walking to and from work each day. While this plan is very practical and works well; it gave me quite a bit of anxiety when I was first considering it. The main thing was I was just leaving my truck somewhere that I wasn't. What if something happened to it? What if is was stolen? I finally came to the realization that anything that happened to it there could happen at work too and I still would not be able to prevent it. So I began my experiment.

I quickly learned that I would have to change my lifestyle. I used to bring quite a few things to work each day: my lunch, a book or two to read at lunch, my coffee, my purse, my camera (in case I saw something photo worthy), and sometimes my computer. I have pared this down to just my coffee, my camera (sometimes), and my purse. I also discovered that I needed to pay closer attention to the weather each day.

This morning I checked the weather and saw that rain and thunder storms were predicted for tomorrow morning ahead of a front that is supposed to come through. I checked the radar online and decided that it was safe to walk to work and so I did, leaving my umbrella safely locked in my truck. By mid afternoon the prediction was for the storms to begin by this evening. They are supposed to be severe with the possibility of hail. The clouds built all afternoon and I began to regret my decision this morning. By the time I dropped off my last client lightening and thunder were rumbling in the distance. I still had to drive back into the CBD and drop off the company car before I could get to my truck and head home. I counted the time between the lightening flashes and the peals of thunder as I walked along. At 8 blocks it was 4 miles away, at 4 it was 2 miles away, and by the time I had reached my truck it was raining in earnest.

The drive home is never fast and tonight it was very slow indeed. By the time I reached my neighborhood the water was already as deep as it was 2 weeks ago during the big rain. I was really worried I wasn't going to be able to reach home. I lost power steering again and the belts were squealing like a dieing pig but I made it. I refer to storm the that happened a few weeks ago as the big storm and my coworkers are amused because in truth it wasn't really all that big a storm, the water was just deep. I have driven through deeper water in the past as well but in this case, the sight of all those large suvs drowned in the road that scared me; well that and the canal in the middle of the road that was over flowing it's banks. Once when I was a paper carrier, I drove my geo metro through a small stream that ran over the top of a dam. I knew that if I didn't deliver the papers, I would have to come out again in the morning after the stream had returned to it's banks. I couldn't see much more than the fact that the water had already covered the low water crossing and that it was still rising. I couldn't tell how deep it was or exactly where the road was when I went in. Going was alright but when I made the return crossing the force of the water picked up my car and began to shove it toward the edge of the dam. I could feel the wheels spinning in the gravel along the bottom as the car slowly moved toward the lip of the dam. Water began pouring in under the driver side door as the water piled up against that side of the car. Finally, just as I was giving up hope, God answered my prayers and the tires caught on something giving me enough momentum to reach the bank. I got back on the road and sat there shaking for quite a while. I realize now that God saved me from so many things back then; I think he mostly saved me from myself. Tomorrow if it is still raining and the water is deep, I am just going to be late to work. I am not going to have another adventure to tell!

RW