Sorry to hear about your family problems, glad to hear your dad did not incur any long-term damage. The person with the long prison sentence was a she? A Master's Degree nowadays will likely improve your job prospects, what field are you studying?
Tornado's are a hoot- that's for sure! Out here in the boonies we don't have the added benefit of knowing what street they're on. The closest we can get is some where between this town and that town, 12 miles away.
I don't mind tornadoes while out in the boonies - as long as I know where
I am (and where the tornado is) on the radar screen, then I'm happy! In this case, the area the newcaster was referencing was the next major intersection down the street from me. I was squinting at the screen as they zoomed-in on the radar, to see
exactly where that tornado was...and then the dang power died!
BTW, if the closest you local news can get is really that bad, the NWS has local radar stations that provide coverage for most of the continental U.S., you just need to figure-out where you are located on your local radar map -
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ridge/
Just select a radar station whose coverage includes you, click the "Go to: Standard Mode" to switch from the fancy Java/Script display to a regular graphic image, then select the desired radar map type. You can then right-click the radar image, select "View Image" in FireFox (or in IE, select "properties", copy the image URL, then paste it into your browser), and then bookmark that URL. This will give you direct, instantaneous access to the current NWS radar scan for your area! (image updates every 6-7 minutes during a storm, just do a CTRL-R)
For example -
http://radar.weather...e/NCR/EAX_0.png
Next time you see a tornado is on your street- don't wait for the power to go out to take cover! It may be a few blocks away, but the truck it flung through the air may be coming right for you!!
Didn't know that until a split-second before the power died.
Unfortunately, I realized there
was no safe place nearby! I thought briefly about the local Post Office, but the building it is in is not really that sturdy, and I figured if it got hit, all those thick metal P.O. Box doors would be flying around killing people!
I may check to see if we have any old cold war fallout shelters in the area for next time a tornado comes this way - this is the second time we've suffered major damage since I've lived here!
Anyway- here's the tracking number.
0311160000152615233
Um, I tried looking that one up on USPS.COM, and I couldn't find it? But then when I looked closer at that #, I think that perhaps you mistyped it? I noticed that in all the Delivery Confirmation forms I have, they all start with that 0311 and are all 20 digits long (5 sets of 4 digits). But the above # is only 19 digits long - did you forget one of the digits in that? Thanks!
UPDATE:
OK, went out to check the mail, box has now arrived!
(Also turned-out my educated guess above was correct, ya forgot a "6" LOL
)
Will go thru after I get some much-needed ZZZ's, been up since yesterday due to what's been happening out here. Did take a quick peak - box does not appear to have suffered any storm damage!
But also noticed that 6 of the small bags (5 of identical, and one with a white box, a hole punched in the top, and says "Rite On Parts Bag"), are completely unlabeled - anyone have any idea what these guys are?