Happiness is a Thunderstorm

There was really good thunder storm last night. You know the type … it starts with a stillness in the air as the storm builds and you hear the slow rumble in the distance. Bolts of lightning momentarily blind you and burn an image on you retina. This is followed by thunder that you can feel as it rolls through the clouds . Awesome! I have a bit of a thing for thunderstorms and I love being outside and watching the drama. Only one problem – to really appreciate the spectacle of a thunderstorm you need to be out in the open. Not such a smart place to be in a storm but it's worth it.

The first problem with being outside in a thunderstorm is you are going to get wet. Harden up! It's just water. Ok, so maybe sometimes the water can be a little chunky and icy if you get a bit of hail. This is a good time to get your car out in the open and do that insurance job you have always wanted to do to get the paint work fixed. A word of warning if you are standing in the rain:- don't look up. Getting smacked in the eye with one of these big fat rain drops you get at the start of thunderstorms is a more than a little disconcerting (you can take my word on this).

There is a tiny tiny little risk that by standing outside during a thunderstorm you might get hit by lightning. I got to thinking about this: -What if you could also get struck by lightning when you were indoors? Maybe then it wouldn't be so crazy to be outdoors in a storm. So I did some research on the internet and if it is on the internet then it must be true.

	You can be struck by lightning while in the shower. Lightning can strike a building and the surge can flow through the water pipes while you are under the shower head. Try explaining that to your plumber (if you can still talk). This is also the case when taking a bath or washing the dishes. This alone is reason never to wash dishes again.
	Lightning can get you if you are talking on a landline telephone during a storm. Lightning hits the wire and goes straight to your ear. If you need to ring a friend to tell them there is an awesome thunderstorm maybe you should ring on a mobile phone or yell really loud.

I also found some dud myths out there in cyberspace. My favourite is: An acorn at the window will keep lightning out. WTF??? It would need to be a pretty big acorn. Someone was having a lend with this.

I have some sage words of advice for you if you decide to experience a thunderstorm out in the open as nature intended it. I have learned from a bitter experience you need to make sure you take your house keys. Yes, caught up in the joy and excitement of watching a storm I didn't notice the wind had picked up. There was an immediate sinking feeling when I heard the sound of the door slamming behind me. It was a rainy night and any locksmith who wasn't afraid to get struck by lightning while answering the telephone was going to charge the national debit of USA for a house call.

I will save the story of how to break into my house for another blog.