Dear Journal~

This is your friend, Mark Ratinauer (aka "Rat-Nose") writing.  Hope this finds y'all well.

As for me, I ain't worth a can of refried beans.  Ever since the storms of the other night (Wednesday night, early Thursday morn), I haven't slept all that much.  God, am I tired!!

We sustained some damage to our place; we're now staying with an uncle and aunt until repairs to our house can be completed.  We had some roof damage, and a tree crashed through the livingroom wall; made one hell of a noise! 

Scared us stupid; I about turned my pants brown!!

When I saw what'd happened, I felt sick inside my stomach.  I couldn't believe it.  The hail was baseball sized (what a noise THAT made!!), the rain was coming down sideways, and the wind was howlin'; y'all know it had to be doin' near (or just over) hurricane strength!  The tornado sirens were going off; you could hear 'em as plain as day!

What I don't get is this: the weather guys tell y'all to get to the nearest basement or to a center room when a tornado is approaching.  Well, that's all in good, but what if you don't even have a freekin' basement?? What do you do then??

It's enough to make me want to move to Alaska, where they don't even have tornadoes!!

Because of the family being displaced, we may not even go to church today.  Fact is, my Uncle Ramey and Auntie Ellen aren't church goin' people.  They don't believe in Jesus Christ; they say he's just an enigma.  Well, I have news for them; but tryin' to talk religion to them is like slammin' your head against a brick wall!  It's hopeless, absolutely hopeless!!

I don't know what I am going to do today: I guess watch the paint peelin' off the walls, watch the same ol' tired crappola on television, listen to the little brats whine because they miss their home, their toys!

Maybe I'll go to the skate park down the road from here; saw one when we were on our way to the relative's house. 

Yeah.  Sounds like a good plan of action: supposed to be beautiful weather until later next week; might as well take advantage of it!

I could skateboard all the live-long day!  I can shred concrete with the best of 'em.  (Tony Hawk, watch out! The Rat-Nose is out to dethrone ya!!)

Well, I gotta get back to sleep; it's too freekin' early to be up!! I'm startin' to get stupified in the head again.  Ya know how it is when y'all don't get the sleep ya need!  I don't know when I'll be able to write again, but hopefully when I do, we'll be back in our place. 

Until then, this is Mark (aka Rat-Nose) Ratinauer signin' off!  Take care and God bless!

~"Rat-Nose". :(