Central Texas had some pretty nasty weather go through today, severe thunderstorms, bad flooding, and ominous rotations that made the tornado sirens go off twice.
I was heading home from work when I found out about it, so I drove to my apartment as fast as I could (was NO ONE ELSE in Waco worried about this???), threw valuables inside a closet under a blanket, grabbed Bailey, got the heck out of dodge and headed to Rena's.
As soon as I walked in the door, the sirens went off. I turned on the TV and saw the actual rotation was about 20-30 minutes away, but I still panicked a bit. (I don't do well with tornadoes...not.at.all.) I waited it out for a bit, but the second time the sirens went off that was it. The rotations were a bit closer and I wasn't taking chances.
Rena has a nice little interior hallway where you can shut yourself in completely and she said to take the dogs there if it got bad (she was gone at an agility trial). Doesn't seem hard, huh? Right.
Picture this. 7 dogs. (5 of them only know you as the person who comes by every now and again to feed them and steal their mom away.)
The make up is as follows: 1 spastic Bailey, 1 foster that doesn't know her name, 2 dogs hiding under the couch, 1 senior on kidney meds who doesn't really want to move, 1 who will come sometimes, but is generally weary of people, and 1 more really ditzy male.
You stand in the hallway calling out, "Puppies! Come on! Come here! Now! No, don't go out the doggie door! Come here, NOW! Tess, Kibby, WillEm, Goldie, Flower, Bailey, Judy...NOW!! Come here!!!"
Some of them come right away but go straight to the bedroom with the picture window whose door you forgot to shut. Won't come off the bed. You shut them in there because...well, just because. They claw at the door, you open it. Good, dogs in hallway. Those in the hallway are now acting like pinballs bouncing off the walls because its a small hallway. You're sure one of them gave themselves a concussion on a door. Stupid dog. Some stay under the couch hiding because that's just what they do. Great. Some stand at the doorway with the gate like morons because that's cool. Some pee on the carpet.
You go running to the kitchen to grab treats thinking bribery will work. WRONG. Now you have 5 doxies trying to eat your fingers and 2 still under the couch. After almost losing a finger or two you give up, shut the door, yelling, "FINE, stay under the couch, if the tornado sucks you away, I won't feel sorry for you!!!" at the 2 that are now clawing at the door but who run away when you crack it open. Ugh.
You then sit down in the hallway from exhaustion...IN THE PEE. Oy.
As soon as you are all safe, the sirens go off. Threat passes within 5 minutes. Rain stops completely. Of course. Because if there had been a tornado, I would have been sucked away while trying to feed treats to the couch dwellers. Awesome.
Next time, they stay in the living room and I go in the hallway by myself. Well, maybe with the senior with the kidney issues, she's cute.
I'm exhausted.
Did I mention there's another line of storms coming? :faint: