The Perfect Storm

It got very dark right after dinner, the smell of a severe thunderstorm covered up the smell of the frozen pizza we just had. From the local news we heard the warning beeps on the TV in the backround as we cleared the paper plates from the table. No sooner did the lights and TV go off as we lost our power and we heard the Hailstones hitting the roof. We watched from the windows as our plastic lawn furniture blew into the field. It looked like that movie with the girl from Kansas? You might even say that our rancher was like the boat in the movie the perfect storm. Either way, it was entertaining enough that we forgot all about not having cable for the moment, as we had a live nature show right outside.

The pieces of hail were getting bigger, but they were still melting very fast as they hit the hot steamy ground. The lightning and thunder was going off every 30 seconds, and also added some excitement as the sky lit up. As the leader of our family, I should've gathered the troops and led them into the basement. But I got caught up in the moment and wanted to get my little girls a piece of hail. It was now falling out of the sky like marbles. With fathers day right around the corner, and me being the cool dad I am. I bravely walk right into the front yard and pick up the two biggest pieces I first saw. As I walked back towards the house with all three of my remaining family members watching as I get pelted with the freezing rain, ( it felt like my brother was shooting me with the daisy BB gun.) That is when it happened, 2-3 feet behind me a shot of lighting came down simultaneously with the loudest thunder I ever heard. I jumped onto the porch and ran for the door. My wife let out a loud scream as she saw the lightning hit the sidewalk, my kids started crying, and it was the closest I came to crapping myself since that first time I discovered Taco Bell!!

I've heard that you have a better chance to get struck by lightning than you have of hitting the lottery. Since I often play and never win, I now believe that statement to be true.
I may not be lucky enough to hit the lottery, but I feel lucky to be writing this story. I joke around all the time and say that I'm like a cat and that I have nine lives. My wife said I better start being more careful because she thinks that I only have 1 left.

Later,