Nothing In Particular

It has been much too long, old friend. I have much to share. Not really. I mean it has been a long time, and I have lots of pictures but nothing earth-shattering or anything. Just passing time here in Hades. "Now come now, Hillarie," you say "it can't possibly be that bad". I'm just not so sure you'd be right. One day, maybe I'll meet someone that has passed through or, heaven forbid, lived in Altus, Ok and we will commiserate together. Those of you still luxuriating in Enid, Ok, count your blessings.
Well, shoot, before I alienate the few close friends I have here, I better admit that we have been filling our days. We've been doing wholesome activities like swimming, searching out abandoned missile silos, studying the Bible, trespassing, dodging tornadoes, and trying out EVERY SINGLE eating establishment within an hour of the base. I can't remember the last time that I cried.... that must be a good sign, right.
Do you want to hear my tornado story? I'll try to make it short- no guarantees. So it was a hot day. I went to the gym with the intention of working myself into a sweaty mess and running next door to the pool where I would meet my sweet family. All was going according to plan- I was super sweaty after an hour and a half at the gym, I slithered into my swimsuit and ran outside, just in time to see my family exiting the pool gate. CLOSING FOR LIGHTNING IN THE AREA. Whatevs. So we go home..... it is getting a bit breezy. Eric walks over to the neighbors to chat (Yengos, you can stop reading, you know the rest) and I follow (still in swimsuit- WITH coverup. I'm no exhibitionist). While we are chatting, the storm takes it up a notch. Wind is blowing, rain is falling. The tornado sirens start up. We run inside, only to be called back out by the boys. They're pointing, wide-eyed at the sky. So we look up and DIRECTLY above us is an enormous, swirling vortex of cloud. Creepiest feeling ever. It was seriously a churning, roiling tornado baby. I start for home, panicky girls in tow, and Eric says (and I QUOTE) "Wait! We'll have a better view of it from the Yengo's house!" So I duck into the Yengo's house (it was HIS idea). ANYWAYS..... blah blah... we couldn't see the tree five feet from the window.... blah blah.....power out... blah blah.
After things quiet a bit, we realize that our door, across the way, has slammed shut and we are without a key. The super high-tech air force base has us using those sweet card keys. So we go to get a spare. Powers out, can't program a new one. No master key. WHAT? So we loiter at the wonderful Yengo's house until about 10pm and then straggle (still in swimsuit, thank you!) to the office where they put us in another room, also powerless, until the morning. Eric goes to find a maid who has- DUH, front desk people- a master key. It was so great to be in our own little room even sans power. I got to change clothes and there was actually a bit of warm water left for a shower. We were feeling fine, but then the power just kept not coming on!
Three days and three nights without power does not look good on anyone. I don't have pictures of that mess. Here's a couple pictures of a motel in town that boasts "Newly Remodeled Rooms". Our little hotel came through unscathed. Sorry if those pictures were misleading- just part of reeling ya'll in.