Today is May 2, 2010.

To catch you up...I am here. In Rogers. Moved in, new address, new license, new plates, new phones, new neighbors... I will continue to catch you up from time to time, but I dont want to spoil what is my train of thought tonight. Its been hard. I have been living out of boxes in a large home that echoes and desperately needs more furniture. I still dont have a tv or radio hooked up. Ok. Enough of the sissy stuff. Here is the real deal. We had an earthquake three days ago, and two tornadoes touched down and killed five people somewhat south of us.

This shook me awake and I realized that I dont have an evacuation or emergency plan. I knew what to do back home in Michigan, but what about here? So this afternoon I researched some scary stuff and found out that I had believed some pretty significant Myths. Like, you should always go to the SW corner of the basement during a tornado. Well? Dont cock your head at me! That is precisely what I was taught as a kid and I knew nothing different, until today. Now I know to go to a protected area on the lowest floor, like under a stairwell, OR to go to an inner room or hallway, away from all windows. Protect your head. Thick tables make good protection from falling objects. Mattresses and thick comforters can cover you and protect you from flying objects. Bottled water and a flashlight aint a bad idea.

What else made today significant? I found many things today that I knew I had, but didnt know where they were. Precious things. My first baby shoes. My brother's (and later mine) figure skates. My red, amber and green candles that I kept on the hearth at home. My grandmothers portrait. I nailed my first thing up on the wall today: A large mirror over the tibetan tables. Buffet lamps went on next and a few decorative items, and POOF! Instant cozy corner. The house is starting to feel less strange, but only by micrometers.

The thing I cant figure out is this: why am I paralyzed at the thought of going back to Detroit for a visit?