End of the Year Update!!!

First of all, yesterday was a record breaking severe weather event for the southeast US.  34 reports of tornadoes, including one wedge that rolled through downtown Mobile!  For anyone who is still somehow clinging to that myth that tornadoes don't hit big cities, I think the last few years have been evidence that it can and WILL happen!!!  Luckily for us in the Chattanooga area, the air remained very stable and the warm front kept to our south.  This morning it is quite windy and cold.. We might even get a couple of flurries!

SPC storm reports for yesterday (12/25/12):

So anyway!  2012 wasn't all that spectacular.  YES I am still in school and probably will be for at least another year.. blah.  The thesis fell to the wayside in the fall semester because I was on the road so much!  It has been a really busy year.

We lost my uncle who was an amazing man.  Uncle Johnny was kind and caring.. he had a HUGE heart.  The connection between my mother and him was far greater than typical brother/sister love, because they lost their mother (my grandmother) when they were both very young.  My mom became his mother.  I will never forget the day he died. I drove my mom up to their house in Farragut, TN.  Uncle Johnny had been sick for sometime and just a few days before they had brought in Hospice.  He didn't want to go in a hospital room.  He wanted to be home.. Home with my aunt and surrounded by family and friends.  And that's just how it happened.  We drove up, and knew the time was getting close.  Everyone was in the room with him when it happened, and even though it was so incredibly sad to lose such an amazing man, I couldn't imagine a better way to go.  We love and miss you, Uncle Johnny, but we are so glad you aren't suffering anymore.

On the brighter side, I did a LOT of unexpected traveling this year.  We went to NYC for a mini-vacation after I spent a few days there working.  And we also took a few extra days in Seattle!  We even visited Vancouver, BC!  Pretty amazing.

I guess the BIGGEST news of all was the accomplishment of a life long dream. April 12-15th, my dream came true!  I finally got to chase storms in the Great Plains of the USA!  I absolutely fell in love with Kansas.  It is a gorgeous state!  So much more than just a giant flat field, which is what I thought it would be.  In those few days, we drove well over 3000 miles.  This pushed my storm chasing miles this year to around 4000!!!! 

I also FINALLY saw my very first tornado!!! :D  Unfortunately it was quite far away.. We may have seen a few more but it is hard to count things you just get a quick glimpse of during lightning flashes here and there.  Another reason why (in my opinion) chasing in the dark is useless..

So this year was relatively lackluster, but you know....  I'm always excited about things to come!  Tomorrow I will make my yearly list of goals (NOT resolutions).. :D

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and a great year!  What will 2013 bring?