everyday rhinestones: Should we go downstairs?

Last night there was a tornado warning here in the Madison area. Luke was gone playing golf (he only got 3 holes in before the lightning started) so I was therefore home alone with Max. The second the Tornado sirens started going off I panicked.

I grew up in Duluth, Minnesota where a tornado is far and few between. The combination of the large lake and the hill make it very difficult for a tornado to form in Duluth. I liked it that way. There were a few times that the sirens went off but there was never an actual tornado... ever.

Last year the day of my baby shower everyone was just starting to arrive when the tornado sirens went off. Of course most people instead of running for cover did what I have come to find normal in Wisconsin and went out to see what was going on. Sure enough, there was a skinny little funnel cloud off in the distance. It reminded me of what water looks like when going down a drain. I called Luke that day to make sure he was ok as from where I was the funnel cloud looked like it was directly over our apartment complex. When he answered my first words were, "What are you doing?" He replied with, "Watching a tornado from the 3rd floor balcony with my dad." I freaked but he seemed to shrug it off. Typical Wisconsin... every time I hear of a tornado warning I look outside and multiple people in our apartment complex are out looking around. I want to yell at them to take cover!!

So last night as the siren went off I called Luke and begged him to come home and be with me as I didn't want to be alone. He reminded me that all that would do would be 1.) he would have to drive home in a storm and 2.) all we would do is argue about me wanting to go downstairs and him replying "I'm watching TV and not going downstairs."

See we live in an apartment building on the 3rd floor. I love living on the third floor as I feel much safer up here... except when there is a tornado. That is because in my mind I envision us as the first ones to get swept away like Auntie Em! Every time there is a tornado warning we have the same argument play out in our home. I panic as I'm not used to a tornado and Luke gets pissed that his TV show is being interrupted by the weather update. I beg him to go into the basement with me and he opens up the patio door to take a look. Never fails... this is what happens!

Last night was different because I ended up texting my sister-in-law who lives in the same apartment building to see if she was going downstairs. She fears storms just as much as I do (maybe it's due to the fact that her family watched a barn across the field from them get taken away by a tornado a long time ago). Once down in the common area I noticed a lot of other tenants. Mostly people from the 3rd floor (they must have had the same idea as me). After a few minutes of tension things cleared up and it looked like it was going to miss us and head south.

I took Max and traipsed back upstairs to our apartment where I proceeded to take pictures with my new camera of the beautiful sky afterward.

At least we were all OK in the end.