Still. I wasn't too sure over what was going on, so I stepped out of the lab and checked with my advisor, who was already walking towards me.

"What's going on, Dr Evans?"
"I just got off the phone with the Campus police, they spotted a funnel cloud between here and Chapel Hill, we're shutting the lab down."

Funnel cloud? I had to ask. So.. uh.. it turns out it's what forms tornadoes, and one that hadn't yet touched the ground but almost was roaming about nearby. _Tornado_. Ridiculous. So I went back into the lab and helped him shut down the computers who were just starting back up again after the power outtage when.. ZOOM. Everything goes dark again. This time it flickered back and off again several times within just a few seconds and then - stayed off. Great.

After spending 10 minutes in the dark turning computers I thought might still be on off, and gathering my things back up, I left the lab and waited to hear what was going on. I went out into the corridor just to catch Dr Evans telling a bunch of students that the Campus police wanted everyone to go down into the basement corridor to be safe. Heh. That's when I noticed that the alarm ringing came from the elevator. It had stopped inbetween floors, and was stuck. I went over and yelled a while that we were calling for help and to stay calm, and I could hear them answering (though s/he didn't sound too comforted. I could certainly sympathise.)

I followed the advice, but when I reached first floor, I saw a bunch of people there who were calmly trying to figure out what the power outtage was all about, so I told them about the funnel cloud, and to go down into tbe basement. I then realised there was plenty of more on the floor, so I spent 5 minutes walking everywhere, alerting people. I felt like Lassie.

Once down there, it was me and 30+ people 'trapped' in a long corridor. Luckily there was a garage door that was cracked open at the bottom, so it wasn't completely pitch dark. I took a spot way back by a wall so it wouldn't be so cramped, and soon was surrounded by a bunch of little kids who had just come for their first daycare class. I grinned when I heard one of the teacher's say to one little boy "I know this is your first class, but this doesn't happen every day. Honest."

I helped her explain a little why we were safe where we were, and then spent 20 minutes pretending I wasn't feeling anxiety, and sang Talula, the tornado mix repeatedly. Worked wonders.

Well. Eventually the Campus police told us it was okay to go up to the first floor, and as soon as we went there, people started to trott off home. My advisor offered me a ride home, and so we ventured out into the wind too. Heh. It was so windy my hair barely moved.

On the way home, he taught me how to spot the funnelish clouds (he's from Texas and has experience, it seems.), and I whined how "I'm not a friggin' Dorothy, I'm not supposed to be around things like tornadoes! I'm going _home_! :P" It's nice to whine, sometimes.

And that was the weather report.

As of yesterday, I am finally getting paid for my lab aide work. Because I'm putting in 15 hours between yesterday and tomorrow, I'm hoping to have a nice check of around $80 waiting the monday I return from spring break. Oh yeah. Starting saturday, for me, I won't be coming in (well even if I did the school would be closed, so..), so ta-ta with updates for next week. I'm sure it hurts. 8P

And to the people posting on my dead (you heard me, DEAD, okay?) mailing list... argh. If I didn't dig you, I'd growl. Hehe :)

Oh. And I got that free CD in the mail yesterday from some record company person up in New York. Julia Darling. I liked it, actually. Heh. I just wish I could change her cover art, a bit. But then, I'm just a whiny web person.

Heh. It's funny. I just had an almost 2 hour long conversation with a good friend online, and it amazes me the things people can feel comfortable telling me, and the things I feel comfortable telling them. I think he was right, too. I just might have a black man inside of me. I just don't think it's a catholic black man roaming about, hehe, so there'll be no kneeling done. And there you have it.