Scarlett, We're Not at Tara Anymore

I love being a Southern woman. I've lived the majority of my life in the south (minus a seven day stint in Bangor, Maine - which is a whole other story for a whole other ..... let's not go into it). I have enough of a Southern accent to count, but not enough to be asked to repeat myself. I use the word "fixin" to indicate when I'm about to do something. I love thunderstorms. When the restaurant server asks if I want sweetorun, I say sweet. (That's sweet tea for you Yankees.) A photo of me wearing a full hoop-skirt get-up complete with lace gloves and a bonnet with ribbons does exist. I refer to you as ya'll, I once owned a pick-up truck and I know all the words to Rocky Top.

But.

It drives me right crazy when every single every news channel refuses to interview anyone but a toothless drunk in a wife-beater and a John Deer trucker hat with the bill pointed skyward who scratches his head or spits his chew juice during the entire interview. It sets my blood boiling, ya'll!!

The South had a wild night tonight. Warm air mixed with a cold front coming in made for an interesting drive home for everyone from northern KY to the TN/MS border. I'm not sure how many tornados were spotted, I lost count at 20. Golf ball sized hail. Wild whipping wind and driving rain. Strobe-like lightning and thunder that rattled the dishes on the shelf. I've been through more storms than I have hairs on my head, but this one made me get in the bathtub and hope for the best. Of course, this all made for a most exciting night for all the news personna to shine. (Sidebar: It's always amusing to me when the newscasters are shouting to you to TAKE COVER and THIS IS SERIOUS and GO TO YOUR BASEMENT while they are standing outside wearing a slicker, holding a microphone.)

But.

Tonight at 10:00 was the storm wrap-up. The footage of damage and stories from survivors. And once again, Channel 4 News did not disappoint and managed to find the craziest hillbilly in all of Middle Tennessee to describe his "storm experience".

"Well I saw my daddy's S-10 git blowed over and them's porch ovare done neart blowed off. I took to runnin, I tell ya, I was scaret. That wind done blowed all crazy."

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you heard it hear first. Yours truly managed to survive the night the wind blowed all crazy.