surreal experiences.....part 1

but I'm guessing the only classroom that is offered in is "life". 
We recently needed to purchase a second car for the family.  
Nothing odd about that.  People buy cars all the time. 
What made this purchase surreal was the idea that the car we purchased last week could potentially be the car our oldest uses when he learns to drive....GULP.  How did THAT happen?

I choose to not think about that...for now....

I grew up on the east coast.  Severe weather was a blizzard in the winter or a hurricane in the summer. (Usualy only Category 1 or tropical storm strength by the time it got to us.)
 Both of these events can be predicted days in advance and leave plenty of time to stock up on toilet paper, bread, milk, coffee and yarn. Once prepared, it can be a nice "mini" vacation. 

I now live in Tornado Alley.  Here my spring is filled with anxiously scanning the skies for geenish colors and rotating clouds.  I have been known to stay awake into the wee hours of the morning watching the weather radar on the computer and listening for the warning sirens.   No relaxing preparation for these storms....  Nope.  Now it is a panicked stampede to the basement and a dive under the cushions with your bike helmets strapped to your heads.
Really hard to do while trying not to spill your coffee on your knitting....

Flooding where I grew up meant that the storm drains had backed up and there was standing water on the road outside the house.  Words like "sump pump" and "back-up battery" weren't even in my vocabulary.

Today I spent the morning listening to a local radio show spend a full HOUR on how to keep your basement dry in flood season.   I now know how to check for clogs in the drainage pipe, how many times an hour your pump should cycle, and how to tell if you need a bigger sump pump.  (HINT: If your furniture starts to float....you might need a bigger sump pump....)    I caught myself wondering .."If the basement does flood, can we just install a diving board on the stairs and have an indoor pool?"   

I grew up a city girl.  Gardening meant trimming the handkerchief sized patch of grass in front of the house.   Maybe putting a potted plant on the porch steps.  Stocking up on food meant a 5 min walk to the store for a loaf of bread.  The local community college offered classes in computer programming

Now I find myself selecting seeds, choosing sunny vs shady spots in the backyard and wondering if this summer is going to do as much damage to my basil as last summer. 
 I own canning supplies....and know how to use them.....
"Stocking up"  means calling the local community college and ordering a side of beef from their Ag. program.....


I am not complaining.  Fresh air, fresh veggies, fresh beef...these are all good things.  (We can skip the fresh ink on new drivers licenses..... ) I'm just still trying to wrap my foggy brain around this very different existence that I now have.

So, if you see me wandering around outside with my bike helmet on mumbling about green skies, indoor swimming pools and needing to hide the car keys from my son, please do the following:
1) gently point me back towards my house
2) ask my children to check that the sump pump is working
3) remove the helmet from my head and the keys from my hands
4) plug in my coffee maker and get a fresh pot brewing

....'cause I must need a second cup to help me get caught up in this class on the surreal.....