Storm Rules

Today a huge storm is moving in. It's supposed to be minus two degrees with a minus twenty windchill. The winds are supposed to be forty mile per hour. Ice and snow are in the forecast.

This is North Carolina: land of the mild temperatures all year long.

I'll believe it when I see it.

Call me skeptical, but it seems that every time a powerful storm is predicted, it dies before it gets over the mountain pass. And that's tragic. I love a good storm. Fleece blankets, wool socks, a warm drink, and a great book while the winds howl and the snow swirls spell perfection.

We've lived in places that were home to some amazing storms. In Wisconsin, the thunderstorms raged like no tomorrow--the thunder rattling our apartment, leaving us awestruck. And of course every year there were countless snow storms, often creating blizzard-like conditions. Even Missouri could put on a show with threats of approaching tornadoes that left us watching the skies with bated breath.

And so, though I appreciate the easy temperatures of North Carolina, and I adore the mountainous terrain that brings serenity to my soul, I miss a good storm. I hope that today is everything it is promised to be.

Of course, I also hope that the electricity doesn't go out. And I hope that the roads are clear so that my girls can make it safely back to Southern. And I hope that my car starts so that I can make it to class without my nose hairs freezing or my cheeks blazing red.

So these storms? I love them...but it's rather important that they follow my rules.