Work .. without every going into work. It's possible.

So I bet you're wondering how you can clock a 10 hour day and get paid for it .. without ever driving into work?  The answer - a tornado.

Monday, March 31^st 1am:  I wake up to the sound of the failing hail.  1:30am: I nearly fall out of my bed when I hear the tornado sirens.  By 2:15am, I was in my truck driving my neighborhood and beyond looking for damage. 

I worked roughly a 10 hour day .. without ever driving to the News 9 newsroom.  On one hand, it's convenient.  However on the other (and the one that counts) the NW Oklahoma City/Edmond tornado hit a little to close to home - the home I live in.

The twister was on the ground for a short distance and caused damage from Pennsylvania Avenue to Santa Fe.  It took a path about ¾ of a mile in front of my house.  So I spent the majority of my morning before sunrise reporting on downed power poles and lines along Danforth - just down the road from my neighborhood.

A number of my co-workers also live in the same area.  One was on the air, another was on his way in, my boss lives in an addition right where the twister began lifting back up, and I hear yet another co-worker spent part of her morning in her bathtub with her bubby and dogs - with a mattress on top (don't worry Amy L, I won't tell to too many).  Fortunately no one was hurt, although many others in the area are now forced to stay in temporary housing until their homes can be repaired. 

The good news here?  Most, if not all, that suffered damage have homeowners' insurance.  And I saved a ton of gas money by not having to drive all the way into work.

Doug