The North-Wind.
So, last week we had the wildest windstorm I think I’ve ever seen outside of an actual tornado. Trees coming down on cars, chimneys ripping off, power lines down everywhere, hundred-thousands without power, cars being pushed off the road by the force of the wind, trees bashing their way through rooftops, limbs everywhere, garbage cans blowing down the streets, fences down. It was wild.
Our power flickered all day, but never went out permanently. We had a pretty sizeable tree limb break off, but it is still attached to the tree in one spot, so Boy Cousin - who does our yard work now - is going to have to yank it down. Then my sister says there is something in our yard. Well what? She carries it to the front door so I can see and it is a huge chunk of our chimney. Just laying in our yard. So we have to get that taken care of. I was supposed to go to physical therapy that day, but I told Sis I was kind of scared of going outside. After she ran some errands and came back, she said maybe I should cancel therapy or else she was going to make me go in my wheelchair - as opposed to my walker - because it was so bad out. So I went to cancel and I couldn’t get through - turns out they had lost power, but were still seeing patients. I tried two other clinics of theirs in town and couldn’t get through there either. Finally I called the clinic that is 45 minutes away - where my friend C works. C answered the phone and was all, “Why are you calling me on this line?” and I was like, “No, this is for your work!”. We chatted a minute and she said she could put it into the computer so if they pulled up my file it would show I had canceled. (Turned out several people didn’t show that day and because they couldn’t get through on the phones to cancel, the therapists were just like, “Okay, another no-show, guess they decided not to brave it, lol.” C asked what she should put for reason canceled and I said, “Patient is 120lbs, uses a walker, has balance issues and she ain’t gonna do it.” C goes, “Okay, let’s see…Toooooooo Wiiiiindy.”
It reminded me of the time I went to a different PT place years ago and they had buildings on either side with the walkway surrounded by them, so it formed a wind-tunnel. It was heavy windy out and my dad had taken me - he was still driving, but in his wheelchair, and back when I was dragging my leg but not using a walker yet. So I go to walk in, while Dad is still unloading himself, and I get to the walkway between the buildings and the wind literally pushed me back. I couldn’t stop myself, I couldn’t do anything, I was pushed all the way back to the parking lot, where I managed to grab onto a lamppost. There was a guy in a yellow Lamborghini sitting right there at the drop-spot and I yelled to him, “Help! Help me, please!” and the asshole looked right at me and then drove away. So then my dad is in the parking lot and hears me yelling for help and looks over to see me clinging to the lamppost and he gets all upset and stuff, trying to get his wheelchair out faster to come help me. Luckily the way the windows faced, inside the clinic can see out to the parking lot, and someone saw me and a receptionist came out to help. I will never forget that guy in the sports-car driving away when I yelled for help though.
It was already getting pretty hard for my dad to get me in and out of his truck, so it was probably time for him to stop driving me places anyways, but that day was the last time he ever did. We didn’t say it out loud, but I think we were both too anxious about anything happening again where he couldn’t help me. It’s been ten years, but somehow my dad - who can’t remember a damn thing - remembers this incident. After the wind-storm we just had, he brought it up. It still has him shaken up to think about.
I think my #1 fear is fainting/passing out. But my #2 fear is definitely wind. And this isn’t even my worst wind story! Any of you ever have a run-in with nature like this?
Our power flickered all day, but never went out permanently. We had a pretty sizeable tree limb break off, but it is still attached to the tree in one spot, so Boy Cousin - who does our yard work now - is going to have to yank it down. Then my sister says there is something in our yard. Well what? She carries it to the front door so I can see and it is a huge chunk of our chimney. Just laying in our yard. So we have to get that taken care of. I was supposed to go to physical therapy that day, but I told Sis I was kind of scared of going outside. After she ran some errands and came back, she said maybe I should cancel therapy or else she was going to make me go in my wheelchair - as opposed to my walker - because it was so bad out. So I went to cancel and I couldn’t get through - turns out they had lost power, but were still seeing patients. I tried two other clinics of theirs in town and couldn’t get through there either. Finally I called the clinic that is 45 minutes away - where my friend C works. C answered the phone and was all, “Why are you calling me on this line?” and I was like, “No, this is for your work!”. We chatted a minute and she said she could put it into the computer so if they pulled up my file it would show I had canceled. (Turned out several people didn’t show that day and because they couldn’t get through on the phones to cancel, the therapists were just like, “Okay, another no-show, guess they decided not to brave it, lol.” C asked what she should put for reason canceled and I said, “Patient is 120lbs, uses a walker, has balance issues and she ain’t gonna do it.” C goes, “Okay, let’s see…Toooooooo Wiiiiindy.”
It reminded me of the time I went to a different PT place years ago and they had buildings on either side with the walkway surrounded by them, so it formed a wind-tunnel. It was heavy windy out and my dad had taken me - he was still driving, but in his wheelchair, and back when I was dragging my leg but not using a walker yet. So I go to walk in, while Dad is still unloading himself, and I get to the walkway between the buildings and the wind literally pushed me back. I couldn’t stop myself, I couldn’t do anything, I was pushed all the way back to the parking lot, where I managed to grab onto a lamppost. There was a guy in a yellow Lamborghini sitting right there at the drop-spot and I yelled to him, “Help! Help me, please!” and the asshole looked right at me and then drove away. So then my dad is in the parking lot and hears me yelling for help and looks over to see me clinging to the lamppost and he gets all upset and stuff, trying to get his wheelchair out faster to come help me. Luckily the way the windows faced, inside the clinic can see out to the parking lot, and someone saw me and a receptionist came out to help. I will never forget that guy in the sports-car driving away when I yelled for help though.
It was already getting pretty hard for my dad to get me in and out of his truck, so it was probably time for him to stop driving me places anyways, but that day was the last time he ever did. We didn’t say it out loud, but I think we were both too anxious about anything happening again where he couldn’t help me. It’s been ten years, but somehow my dad - who can’t remember a damn thing - remembers this incident. After the wind-storm we just had, he brought it up. It still has him shaken up to think about.
I think my #1 fear is fainting/passing out. But my #2 fear is definitely wind. And this isn’t even my worst wind story! Any of you ever have a run-in with nature like this?