Sunday, May 22, 2011

Never MIND!

I take it all back!!!

I'm heading west this afternoon to chase the storms forming along the outflow boundary today!

I'm going to church.. lunch with Katie, and then BOOM!

They should be within an easily reachable distance by then! :D  If not, then meh... I'll just come home and watch the radar!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Calling it a Season!

So, yes... I give in.  I'm calling it a season.

This year I have traveled more miles than I ever expected I would doing this.

On my own, I racked up over 150 miles...  :)  I know to many chasers that sounds weak, but as someone who can only go on weekends or right after work.  That's pretty good.  Not to mention, there weren't many chasing opportunities that didn't happen during my work day.  In fact, TWICE I didn't have to leave my job, because on 2/28/11 we were nailed by a squall line that produced a tornado in Red Bank, TN and on that dreaded April 27th we were hit by a small EF1 that became a wide EF2 after it crossed the mountain.

Then on April 26th.. I have no idea how many miles we traveled.  Probably just over 800 miles to Haynes, AR.  Probably much more than that really... but that was the day that made me smile so much. Seeing a supercell on the wide open like that was like nothing I've ever experienced.  I didn't even need a tornado.  :)

This year more than ever... I realized my dream of being a storm chaser is coming true.  I can forecast.  I can read radar.  I can read the skies.  It's going to happen... Next year, I'll be on the Plains for a week (at least..hopefully a little more).  :)

The future is bright!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Is My Chase Season Over???

Right now, the answer to that question seems to be yes.

I'm hoping for a miracle in the next few weeks for a chase on a Friday in OK or TX so that I can return home on Saturday without worrying about trying to make it back for work.

I'm not ready to write my season end blog just yet, but this year has been incredible although my chasing much more limited than what I had hoped it to be.

I'm not giving up hope for one more long distance chase! 

Thursday, May 5, 2011

More Sappiness!

I just can't sit down here with my coffee lately without getting all sappy and emotional.

Today's shout out goes to...... R. Stacey, aka Hubby or Hubster. 

What can I say here?  Well.... I have been losing my mind this semester.  FDA Submissions is hands down the most difficult class I have ever taken.  The last few weeks have been nightmares, because I've been having an internal war with my weather nerdiness and my real life responsibilities.

Well, Stacey had done EVERYTHING for me, and you know.. This isn't new.  I don't even know why I even make like it is!  He is so supportive of me.  I don't even have to ask him to do dishes, and he offers to cook for me, while I'm slowly losing my mind trying to nail down the final points of my clinical protocol submission or going through the alphabet soup that is regulatory affairs, NDA, 510(k), APHIS, PMA.. AHHHH

Anyway, I love him so much.  He puts up with so much from me!  I get grumpy, sad... frustrated... on and on, but yet he's still just Stacey.  Smiling, making me laugh, and always willing to give me a giant hug when I need it!

I cannot wait to be on vacation and get some "just us" time together!!!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Let's Get It DONE

Two exams tonight and I am FINISHED!

And then... do you know what happens????

SAN FRANCISCO VACAY!  Me and my hubby and California!  I can't ask for more!

Stay tuned for details! :)

Friends I Couldn't Do Without

I can't say enough about the friends I have made this year, even before the tragic events that occurred one week ago.
I'm going to list them here....

Jo....  What can I say?  She's gone from friend to good friend to great to one of the best in a rapid pace!  In the last week, I don't know what I would have done without her.  She has been an amazing support to me, and just overall, she is an amazing person.  She is very kind......  She was the first person after my family I talked to when I found out Ringgold was destroyed, and I didn't say much, but she sat there with me.  Then the next few days... She was always there... always checking on me, and knowing from her experiences, I knew that she knew how I felt.  Even before this happened, she has been my personal cheerleader for achieving my dream of chasing.  I was in constant contact with her throughout my entire chase last week!  :)  I hope that I can be as good of a friend to her as she has been to me.

Spiker (although I found out his real name.. I will not post it here :) )....  Again... All the goofing around and fun times we've had, and turns out I have a really awesome friend in him as well.  For those who do not know, Spiker and Jo basically held my hand (virtually of course) throughout all of last week, especially last Wednesday.  A super fun and all around awesome guy... I'm always glad to see him in chat!  We're music buddies, Seinfeld quoters, and overall hi-jinks creators together!  Anyway... thanks so much for everything!

Dough...  :)  Another person who I've grown to care about so much!  Thank you for checking in on me, and also being an overall awesome person!  

Jenn from Cullman, AL....  ANOTHER TVN'er... Is this coincidence?  I think NOT!  Again, someone I met who I now have regular conversations with and who can talk almost as much as me!  We'll get our chase together, lady!  Now after going out with someone with experience, it was better we didn't go to Birmingham that day, but we'll get ours together!  Her town was also destroyed by the storm.  I saw that crazy tornado, and panicked immediately.  Luckily, she was not in Cullman at the time.  Being the amazing person she is, she immediately went down to help and put her nursing skills to work. Weather Jenns rule!  :)

Jesse and Jennifer Hines...... AWESOME people... I am so lucky to have "met" them and it won't be long until I meet them in real life!  Our chase-a-tunity together awaits us!!!  I was so excited for Jesse and Jenn to get their first chase on Wednesday, but then I got so distracted!  I'm so happy that they enjoyed themselves out there, and we'll get out there together someday soon! Yet another, weather Jenn!

John....  Amazing friend!  He's also been through the same thing that happened here in Ringgold.  He's been so very supportive through all of this.  We've shared stories about our situations, and he's just an all around good friend.

Sean.....  :)  My photography buddy!!! SO smart!  You are going to go far!  I know it!  We are also "weather bad luck" buddies, but for both of us after this year, I think we should just forget we ever said that!

James...  Keeps me laughing, and also super smart!  I really needed to laugh at random stuff the last few days and you've helped!

I feel like I'm leaving people out, but I want you to know.. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE!  Every last one of them are from TVN!  Now, do you know why I love this site?  We are such a tight knit group.  :)

If there was a way to repay them all, I would!  :)  I just love you guys!!!  You have been amazing in the past week, and even beyond that!  Thank you thank you thank you!