A Spectrum

This is no ordinary tornado. This is a fire tornado. They are created when extreme heat from the fire causes such a strong updraft that the wind replacing the air at the surface creates a tornado. How awesome.

(This photo was taken by a L.A. newspaper photographer covering the wildfires).

After lunch yesterday, I witnessed a volcano. Well, a demonstration of the power of a volcano using liquid nitrogen. Hee, hee, explosions. Anyway, a geology class was getting the demostration, so I watched from the sidelines. It sounded like a gunshot and then shot this pink colored water about 30 feet in the air. I can only imagine that is was pink because they were trying to make it look like lava. I don't know. Crazy geoolgists.

Well, here are a couple pictures of our messy/slowly but surely getting organized apartment.

Front door to living room/kitchen to hall with bathroom to bedroom. Very basic.

Complete with unfinished puzzle on our table, freshly made rice krispie treats on the counter, and Tom lazing about on the couch.

Home sweet home for 5.5 months, give or take.

Friday was a great day. A Mexican Chipotle restaurant just opened and gave away free burritos and soft drinks all day. My co-worker Rick and I walked over there and only waited about a half hour which I think is pretty good considering it's a college town. The burrito was huge and yummy. Also, a new Marathon gas station opened up and started having a price war with the BP across the street. So I filled up for $2.27 a gallon before driving back to Iowa to see Tom.

Free lunch - $0, Cheap gas - $2.27/gallon, Getting to see my husband - priceless.