But I rode my Yamaha anyway.

I probably should have listened to the weatherman.

I was working late, so I left work late, pushing sundown. As I pull out of the parking garage I noticed the tall, dark clouds to the North. I pressed on as the skies overhead and to the South of the storm clouds were just wispy clouds.

About half way home the sky dipped low enough that I had to take off my sunglasses. I don't wear the "make the world a darker place" kind of sunglasses, but the "make the world a place with higher contrast" kind of sunglasses. They were shaded enough that I had to work 'em into my pockets. Thankfully I thought to wear my full helmet, so closing the visor made a tight seal and my eyes were protected from crap and wind.

I made it all but a few blocks from home with little more than brief dips in temperature and gusts of wind. Those few blocks from home were filled with chunks flying off trees, debris blowing from yards, and the beginning of the impending downpour. It happened that I just got a little drizzly wet. More of the damage was from sticks and leaves. Some of it hit so hard that I thought it was hailing. I was glad I had my visor down, as the sprays were intermittent and sudden.

After safely arriving and parking the bike in the garage, I checked the Weather Channel and saw the Severe Weather warnings for the area. A tornado has been confirmed in a suburb just two North of mine.

On the map, my neighborhood is beneath the left side of the second "n" in "Minneapolis"; just West of the lake that's just Northwest of the 35W sign. I currently work under the "t" in "St. Paul," about 17 or 18 miles straight down the road. I mean that literally; the busy street at the end of my block goes all the way to downtown St. Paul and my office (Minnetonka Boulevard to Lake Street to Marshall Avenue to West Seven
9.