Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Mother Knows Best

I read on CNN that a tropical depression has strengthened into Tropical Storm Chantal. My initial response was a sigh of relief. No, not because of the impending storm - I've seen the damage that can follow and wouldn't wish that on anyone. My sigh was for personal reasons. Each year the Hurricane Council links a name to 21 letters of the alphabet. To differentiate, anytime a depression becomes a storm, the next name on the list is assigned. Again this year, the letter C is not represented by my name.

Whew!

So I visited my online best friend, Google, to find out if the seas have ever experienced the wrath of Charlotte. I wasn't too surprised to find my name has never been assigned. I mean, come on, I am the peaceful one at my house. If anything, some committee should name sunsets after me. or class 1 rivers. or country roads... Oh, and speaking of names, how does one end up on the Hurricane Council? I have friends who fret for months over the name of their future child. This council has to come up with 21 names every year. Not a job for the indecisive. And one more thing, how come they don't use names like Charika, Cedric, Cornelius, or Candy? Those are good C names for good people. I bet those C-peeps feel left out.

Ah, I digress. I ran a quick search using my sibling's names. The results were split 50/50. Some of us more mature siblings do not share names with any type of natural disaster. The other half do - which makes sense. When situations at home become cloudy and an argument is in the forecast, winds can reach a speed of 65 words per minute and the barometer can blow a gasket with all the pressure buildup. Not to mention the rise in humidity due to flying spittle.

In 2001, the year Shelly turned 13, the seas expressed their concern with crashing waves and strong winds. In 2012 P2 will have his turn at bay. Perhaps that year I'll get married and the storm will rage about 2.5 seconds after I hand my dad the bill. The most fitting, though, was Tropical Storm Dean in 1983.

Let's see...I was born in '79...TheDeanInc is two years younger than me...that puts him born in 1981...Tropical Storm Dean was in '83 which is two years later...TheDeanInc would have been in his terrible twos...yep, Mother is always right. Mother Nature in this case.

11 comments:

TUG said...

Hurricane Charlotte has destroyed my heart many times

Anonymous said...

C'mon you have a beautiful city in North Carolina named after you. And it's nickname is the Queen City. How bad can that be?

Jenn said...

hehehe..a brother hurricane.

I always feel bad for my friend Katrina. But I was also a hurricane in the 60s, but never over land.

That's something I never knew...

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Charlotta-love said...

Thom: what can I say...Not everyone can handle me.

Joe: I used to tell people the capitol was named after me. Um, then I was reminded that the city is WAY older than me. I think I'll start telling people I was named FOR the city. and please address all future comments to Your Highness.

Emma: I have a friend named Katrina also. She is the sweetest, most docile person around. Just doesn't seem right.

the MILKY way (Chrissy) said...

Dean's hair looks like it was hit by a hurricane. What's up with the 'do?

I can't imagine a Hurricane Christine, but I CAN imagine a Hurrican Kelly. And Hurricane Emily. In fact, we're still dealing with the aftermath of Hurrican Emily. The debris that's been left in our livingroom is deep!

Mrs. S. said...

I don't think there's ever been one named after me either.. A river in Ireland, but no hurricanes.

gokiburijin said...

I found this turns out preparation is done til 2012. And still no charlotte.

gokiburijin said...

oops here http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml

Em said...

LOL...how could a storm ever be compared to you?!?! It just wouldn't happen.

Anonymous said...

What is Chrissy trying to say about my hair? The babes love it. Of course they also love that I now don't have any hair either.

Shankar said...

Marvellous post. Great imagery.