Tweedle Tweedle Tweedle

[BrokenolMarine]

Yup, the alarms started again last night. "The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a Tornado Warning..."
It was raining hard, we were already in a severe weather warning, with high winds, heavy rain, etc. Golf Ball size hail was possible...
"Do NOT wait," The voice proclaimed, "Proceed immediately to your shelter or protected area. Tornados are hard to see at night."
You think?

We grabbed Toto (Princess Fiona) and headed into the hole in the ground. (Okay, surrounded by 8" of concrete) and took the weather radio with us.
We sat in the low light, illuminated by the battery powered lantern and listed to the broadcast until the tornado warning was lifted. About an hour.
We were pretty calm... either it would hit or it wouldn't. We were safe.

As I said in previous posts, we took a lot of heat when we spent the money for the shelter. Funny thing is, we have been down in it a number of times since we installed it. Tina planted flowers around it after dressing up the dirt and seeding it... but it's still a concrete hole in the ground to hide from death.

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[markiver54]

That shelter is awesome. Sounds like it has paid for itself many times given the piece of mind alone. You'll never have to go see the Wizard to get back home.
Nice work Tina did there as well!

[daytime dave]

Tina planted flowers around it after dressing up the dirt and seeding it... but it's still a concrete hole in the ground to hide from death.


shelter flowers c.jpg

It sure looks nice for a hole in the ground.

[Shakey Jake]

Be glad you have it! Money can't buy peace of mind.
Jake

[BrokenolMarine]

Be glad you have it! Money can't buy peace of mind.
Jake

Actually....

... That's exactly what money DID buy. When that alarm goes off and they say the tornados have been sighted...
WE have a place to go....

I'm eventually going to install a small flat screen on the wall, with a blue ray player, and put TWISTER in the player.

[markiver54]

Be glad you have it! Money can't buy peace of mind.
Jake

Actually....

... That's exactly what money DID buy. When that alarm goes off and they say the tornados have been sighted...
WE have a place to go....

I'm eventually going to install a small flat screen on the wall, with a blue ray player, and put TWISTER in the player.

Don't forget " The Wizard of Oz "

[clovishound]

Sharknado?

[BrokenolMarine]

Sharknado?

My standards are low, but not THAT low...

[Shakey Jake]

Be glad you have it! Money can't buy peace of mind.
Jake

Actually....

... That's exactly what money DID buy. When that alarm goes off and they say the tornados have been sighted...
WE have a place to go....

I'm eventually going to install a small flat screen on the wall, with a blue ray player, and put TWISTER in the player.

That didn't come off correctly. Actually, money can buy peace of mind. Ha! Got to laugh at myself once in a while!
Jake

[Sir Henry]

You should put the game twister inside it.

[BrokenolMarine]

You should put the game twister inside it.

Sir Henry is a funny man. There isn't THAT much room, and if "I've Fallen I Can't Get Up" but he want's me to play twister...
Okay, maybe just the box TOP.

[clovishound]

Low budget would be a garage sale boom box and a tape playing Dizzy.

[Mike_S]

That is peace of mind!

[The Happy Kaboomer]

it could double as a tomb/mauseleum(sp).

[BrokenolMarine]

it could double as a tomb/mauseleum(sp).

Okay, that's just wrong.
That's what it feels like every time I go down there.
Maybe I'll paint happy Disney characters on the walls to cheer it up a bit.

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It worked in the rec room in a children's hospital in Italy in the mid 80s. Working with the Ship's Chaplain, we took a group of volunteers and painted a half dozen murals on the 20' high walls to cheer up the recreation room walls in the Children's Wing of a local hospital while we were docked in port in Italy. The Nun's fed us lunch each day and the kids loved the art. I didn't do the Bar thing, unless I was working shore patrol. I always looked for something interesting to do. The chaplain's assistant asked if I was willing, and I missed my kids and said, "Sure." It was great.

Maybe I would go with Different Characters.... or paint beach scenes on one side and mountain scenes on the other so it didn't feel so claustrophobic.

[markiver54]

That's great stuff! I didn't realize you were an artist, beyond all your other talents.

[BrokenolMarine]

In this case, WE cheated a bit due to time constraints. We just had a few days in port. We used an overhead projector mounted on a very tall ladder and projected the art on the walls. The chaplains assistant sketched in the art, and the teams painted in the colors. The Chaplain's Assistant WAS an artist and came in behind the six of us and performed some magic where needed, mostly on the faces of the human characters. Yes, That is me in the very first picture, in my MUCH younger days. Early 20s?

It was my understanding that the ARTIST had an entire plan laid out for the room and left the overheads and his plan for later ships in port to complete the work. I'm hoping that they did. He sent messages to the other Chaplains with copies of the information. We tried to find a "Good Will project in each port."

[BrokenolMarine]

I actually used to do a little cartooning for the kids when they were young. NOT original. I would draw Calvin and Hobbes characters, Peanuts, Muppets. They got a real kick out of it. Calvin and Hobbes was one of my favorite strips. I made the strips I drew relate to the family and the kids loved them. My daughters saved a bunch of them for years.