Entry One: A Year in Indiana

As I think about this, I get totally overwhelmed with the idea of conveying all my thoughts from the past year. I really should have done a better job of keeping up with my blogging along the way. Oh well, better late then never!

I thought my first entry would be about the weather. That is b/c the weather here is TOTALLY unpredictable! You think it's bad when a hurricane is coming and all you see is Steve Jerve for three days straight.... Try seeing the weather people on the TV at least 3 or 4 times a month as the regular programming. It is b/c, like I said before, the weather is completely unpredictable and the Indianapolis affiliates cover the mid to southern part of the state, so if there is bad weather anywhere in Indiana, we get to hear about it.
Another strange thing about the weather here, while it is unpredictable, if a cell is coming from St. Louis or somewhere in Illinois, chances are likely it will affect us. That never happens in Florida! Storms crop up either in the Gulf or inland and there you have it! The only time you get weather from else where is when a cold front comes in... Here we get it all... Cold fronts from Canada, warm fronts from Kentucky, severe weather from the Illinois and Missouri... It's nuts! I guess it could be symbolism for the unoriginality of Indiana, but that would take WAY TOO long to explain and I'm not feeling that patient tonight.

I will describe what we saw tonight. After a hazy, muggy day, with thunder storms on and off until 2:30pm, the skies cleared up and it was sunny again. That is until around 6:30pm when the wind began to blow and the sky looked like Independence Day in a matter of seconds! What did we do? Why, turn on the TV of course, to see our local meteorologists talking about the reports of hail and where the weather was heading! Fortunately, what we were experiencing was not even mentioned on the TV and with in 10 mins, the sky was blue again. Oh what a strange place this is!

Some things I've learned since living here that are (somewhat) weather related:

• one should own a weather radio.
  
• basements aren't just for playrooms; they double as a "fall out shelter" and bedroom for the whole family when the weather is scary and you are told to "seek shelter."
  
• I understand the whole "Spring" line of clothing that consists of bright colors, but warm materials.
  
• In going with the above, I understand the need for a Spring coat.
  
• Groundhog's day really is a holiday.
  
• The sun can be more intense in places other than Florida.
  
• Thunder ain't loud in Florida... It's loud up here!
  
• Even though Florida is the lighting capital of the US, it seems more houses are struck up here. (three in my neighborhood this year alone!) (It's probably due to the fact that most everything is or was corn field at one time, i.e. flat.)
  

That's about it for weather, other than they like to talk about it A LOT up here. It's either too cold or too humid or too severe. Frankly, I'm only bothered by the "too cold and too severe" and if I start complaining about the "too humid," then I really need to head back to FL, asap!

Tomorrow night... "Things I miss about Florida."