Irrational? Perhaps.

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you probably know I'm terrified of lightning. Call it irrational, call it what you want...it scares me to death. The seemingly randomness of it. A bolt of something striking you outta nowhere. EEeekkk, I don't like to think about it.

So here I am, visiting my sis in the LIGHTNING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD-- Tampa, Florida. Let's say you're afraid of spiders...so you go for an extended stay in the SPIDER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. Get my drift?

One website explains: "...the odds of being stuck by lightning are like the odds of hitting the lottery, but if you live in Florida your odds are unfortunately greatly increased."

Breathe, Katie. Deeeeeeeep breath.

It started on that roller coaster I told you about yesterday. An announcement came over the intercom while we were in line stating that "impending inclement weather could cause us to close down this ride." OK, so we may get some rain. Lightning didn't cross my mind. Until I was strapped, buckled and five-point-harnessed into a metal seat perched at the very tip-top of a metal roller coaster. That's when my sister...a person who has been in my life for over three decades and knows the depths of my fears... chooses to exclaim "did you see that LIGHTNING? Cool!"

Are you kidding me? Again, to use the spider example. You're strapped in and someone shouts out that there is a spider crawling toward you. Panic set in. Hyperventilation neared. It certainly took the thrill of the coaster to a different level.

Then, last night we get a severe thunderstorm. This was no normal lightning storm. These were bolts unlike any I'd ever seen. Straight as a board, cloud to ground, bright bolts...popping everywhere. We were headed to my sister's school to do some work and, when we got there, we had to make a run for it.

You'd a thunk FloJo hopped out of that car. I really shoulda won a metal or somethin. For bravery, at least?

As much as I'm gonna miss my sis, I think I'll breathe a little easier getting back to Georgia where my biggest fear will be the mound of laundry I'll have to tackle when I get home.