I'll admit it: I'm a slave to the Weather Channel.

20 years now, the Weather Channel has been informing viewers about weather. Good, bad, indifferent...it doesn't matter. If it's weather related, it's going to be on the Weather Channel.

This isn't a bad thing. Really. It's a good thing.

UNLESS...

You're a storm phobic.

Like me.

For 20 years, I have been a faithful viewer of the Weather Channel. It's on at my house whenever I am home. I get up in the morning, first thing I do is turn on channel 46 (our local cable company's "home" for TWC) and see what the weather is doing. I work, so that is the only time my twin sister gets a break from the constant barage from the Weather Channel. I come home from work, the first thing I do is turn the channel to...you guessed it, the Weather Channel. When I go on the Internet, first thing I do is check my e-mail; second thing, I check the Weather Channel site; the third thing I do is check the various local TV stations Doppler radar sites; fourth thing, either come to Author's Den or do research on the 'Net. The Weather Channel is usually on until I go to bed.

Sometimes even after I go to bed, especially if there's even a remote chance there will be thunderstorms in the forecast. I'll sleep in the living room if conditions aren't too bad, if there is severe weather in the area, I'll be sleeping in the downstairs half-bathroom (centrally located, without windows, thank you very much! Not as good as a basement, but it's better than nothing!!!!) If the weather warning tones sound, I'll be ready. What's headed this way? How bad does the radar look??

"Get a weather radio," the meteorologists at the Weather Channel said. I did. Two of them. See! I obey! Both are on alert stand-by...if a severe weather warning is issued, I'll be ready.

'Course, I nearly flirt with having a heart attack when the weather radio tones go off, especially the one I bought at a garage sale. It's a big ol' thing, plugs into the wall, has battery back up (in case the power goes out, ya know).

For $1.00. Best investment I ever made.

That sucker goes off, EVERYONE knows it. Not just me...my twin sister, my neighbors...the warning tone is LOUD. (The neighbors aren't too fond of the darned thing, but I told them they just have to understand. See, I've been in three tornadoes and have been indirectly hit by lightning twice, almost two other times. I'm NOT a storm chaser, if you're wondering!! I think the storms are chasing ME!!) The only thing wrong with it? Once in a while, it sounds an alert for severe weather in...Oklahoma. I live in Johnson County, TEXAS, NOT Oklahoma!! Think they crossed signals in there somewhere.

I carry my portable weather radio with me 24/7. I listen to it several times during the day, and sleep with the thing under my pillow. Especially if there's a remote chance of thunderstorms forecast to approach or develop in the area.

Like last night...scattered strong to severe thunderstorms developed to the west of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex); several of these storms "went severe" with winds of 60+ miles an hour and large hail...Decatur, to the northwest of Fort Worth, had SOFTBALL sized hail. The storms were approaching the Burleson area from Benbrook, and they just...died. Gave us some brilliant "anvil crawler" lightning, brief gusty breezes, and about 15 minutes of moderate rainfall; that was it. (Thank God.)

During the night, more severe storms formed to the north of the Metroplex, but these stayed north. (Thank God...again.)

I left my NOAA weather radio on, had it under my pillow. Slept in the living room. When my twin sister came downstairs this morning, it was on...faithfully reporting the current temperatures and conditions, hazardous weather outlook, and the almanac (what happened yesterday). She turned it off.

The TV was on...tuned to the Weather Channel. (As always.) She turned it off.

She doesn't like storms, either...but she's not as bad as me. She puts up with it, because she knows it ain't gonna be any other way. Besides, she loves me...I think.

Except for when she's awakened in the middle of the night by my weather radios tones going off...especially if they're for Oklahoma.

Then, I think she's ready to commit murder. I haven't figured out whether she wants to murder ME or the weather radios. Both, I think.

CONGRATULATIONS, WEATHER CHANNEL, FOR FAITHFULLY SERVING THE PUBLIC FOR 20 YEARS. HERE'S TO ANOTHER 20!!