Thankful- Thunderstorms
My perfect house includes a screened in porch perfectly attached. The view from it is majestic with no trees, no other houses, and no city lights affecting the view of the stars or an incoming thunderstorm. I love a good thunderstorm.
My brother and I used to stay up at night and rate the lighting strikes near the house. I think it was my dad though that got me excited for a good storm. He would take me outside and we would watch the lighting until the last possible safe moment. Then we'd head inside the house but he would still leave the front door open to watch. This would soon be followed by a "discussion" between my mom and dad about the "danger" of what he was doing. I think we were probably safer there though than the window we'd eventually get to.
Anyone ever seen lighting during a snow storm? I can remember exactly where I was and who I was talking to at the time. Standing on the balcony of the Main Delevan Apartments at Canisius College, I had stepped outside to talk to my grandparents about the huge snowstorm that Buffalo was in the process of getting. I remember my grandma getting on the phone as I stepped outside and interrupting her mid story to say, "Is it possible that there could be lighting during this?" I was floored.
If I can't have the house with the screened in porch, then I hope to have my second favorite place, atop a tall building in NYC. When I lived and worked at 26th Street Residence Hall at NYU, myself and a few others were "allowed" to go up on the roof to take in the view or get some peace and quiet. If the storm was coming in the right way, you could see the lighting off in the distance and the thunder would roll through the streets in an amazing way. Granted, I was always too scared to stay up there when the storm got close but if you caught it right, it was an amazing view. I love a good thunderstorm.
Not So Thankful- Blu Ray
I am a techie. I'll admit it. I'll also admit to getting a hunger for the latest gadget out there. But when the HD DVD/ Blu Ray war started, I picked my side way to early. It's like the scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where Indiana is in the chalice room. A cup gets picked and the old crusader says to the bad guy, "He chose... poorly". I should have waited and learned more about how the format war was going to play out. Instead I sunk some money into a HD DVD player and am now stuck with it. Granted it upgrades the DVDs I currently have, but that hunger is back for the surviving format. I've got the self discipline to make it through it (that, and a limited budget:-)) but it does look purrrdy seeing it in the stores.
