The Earthquake That Stirred My Coffee

We people of the Mid-Atlantic East Coast must look like a bunch of sissies to the rest of the country. At least when it comes to weather.

One of the beauties of Maryland is that we get to experience "seasons." It's also the traditional defense given by locals when people ask "Why don't you move to somewhere warmer?" But with those seasons also comes a marginalized version of extreme, with definitive quotations around the word "extreme."

It's the almost flippant use of the word "extreme" that probably gets us into trouble with other parts of the country when it comes to our toughness. 

We get four inches if snow and every public school in the state is closed. Meanwhile, Minnesota is laughing at our because there, it's nothing more than a "dusting."

When a hurricane or tropical storm approaches the coast, the Mid-Atlantic states go crazy, and while surely caused some serious damage, seasoned hurricane states look at our panic and must laugh at what they'd call an afternoon thunderstorm. I've lived in Orlando and I've seen storms as violent as Irene come twice in a week. 

Lastly, the earthquake. 

As a news outlet, I felt , but in doing so, I learned how easily disheveled we all become, myself included. 

It was definitely scary, don't get me wrong, but I personally know Californians who laughed out loud when they saw the hysteria that a 5.9 quake caused out here. 

One local who previously lived in California called into NPR and said they enjoyed the hurricane because it stirred his coffee for him. For the most part, everyone seemed fine after the earthquake, which made poking fun at our reaction in jest more enjoyable. 

Regardless of how we handle "extreme" weather, I'm proud to be raised in Maryland. No matter what they say, I still get a antsy when I hear dramatic weather is headed our way.

However, my reaction is more like a child who hears an ice cream truck, I just get excited! Don't belive me? Ask my wife, I made her go out and

In other news, it took BGE almost to all of Severn's residents, councilman to a tax charge filed against him, and we sat down with a local mother who's reliving the .