I almost died today.

I don't actually fear for my life much. Nor does it usually "flash before my eyes."

Today, it did.

My friend Alison and I had decided to run out to the animal shelter to check out this Dane that they have (I'll tell that story when there's a conclusion to it). On our way back, we decided to swing by a Speedway gas station so I could cash in on my Speedy Rewards. As we pulled up to the intersection across from the gas station, the wind started to pick up and I saw small branches and leaves blowing and thought "Huh... well shit... I hope this isn't what I think it is." I'm an Iowa girl. I know what this shit looks like. We cross the intersection and the rain starts coming down harder and the wind starts to pick up and Alison and I look at each other and say "Shit... but no sirens?" So we're sitting in the car and my brain goes through the following dialogue:
Shit... okay... just high winds... the weather man said just high winds...
Sarah, you know better-- this isn't just "high winds"...
Wait, what's that noise? Oh... listen to Bunny's top blow...
Wait... it sounds like the metal on a pole barn that's starting to go... wait... what? Holy shit the awning...
You had to park between the propane tanks and the gas pumps didn't you? Shit...
If the awning falls...?
Crap... look at the roof on the place next door... Shit... now I can't see anything...
We cannot stay in this car...

I looked at Alison and said "It's a tornado. And it may touch down. We have to go in. We cannot stay in this car."
We get out and all I can think is "must avoid flying debris" but couldn't see well enough to know if anything was flying. As we ran towards the door a woman working there appears in the door and says "We aren't selling anything! You can't come in! We lost power!" I said "WE CANNOT STAY IN THE CAR!!! CAN WE COME IN?!!??!" as I push past her, not really caring what she says, certain that the wicked witch is going to fly by any second (or maybe a cow...). Debris flew past, although not as much as I expected to see. A transformer blew. The creaking of the awning continued...

...and it was all over in about a minute or so...

The wind nearly stopped. The rain died down. The awning stopped creaking. Alison and I looked at each other and decided to go get cigarettes and perhaps some ice cream at the grocery store instead. We both just wanted to go home. We got into the car, shaking like leaves. Alison says "Sarah, we just almost died."
"Yes, yes we did."
"What the hell was that?"
"That was a tornado overhead that didn't touch down...or at least didn't touch down for long and not in the Speedway parking lot."
"Fuck, seriously?"
We looked at the roof of the place next door. It was all torn up and nearly off. Yeah, we did almost just die. If that roof had flown off... and we'd stayed in the car... damn.

But we're alive. Possibly the scariest moment of my life, but we're alive. Both pretty shaken up...but alive.

Damn. What the hell? Today's just been weird...