How were you all able to chase?

What is your chase situation?

  • I work but can chase when I want

    Votes: 40 56.3%

  • I was lucky and had the day off

    Votes: 9 12.7%

  • My boss let me off work

    Votes: 13 18.3%

  • I do not work, can chase whenever

    Votes: 9 12.7%
  • Total voters
    71
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I scheduled all of my classes M-F to get out before 12. I work part time at my job but don't have to work if I don't want to. And then I get the rest of my income from chasing(barely enough to live by) . I live on bologna sandwiches and ramen noodles. I have pretty much scheduled my life around chasing and wouldn't have it any other way.
 
I simply hadn't been paying attention and went to work like normal on Monday morning that week......riding with my boss, so I had no way back. But as far as chasing something I want to chase, nothing stops me except running out of money or a breakdown. With all this cold blustery crap wiping out the juice, looks like I'm still paying for my early-season slacking. Hopefully 2-23, 3-23, and 3-28 aren't "it" for the year.
 
I was questioning the setup and the 1800 miles, but I had a loose work schedule that week where I was able to work from home, so I just pushed my work back to the weekend. I jumped on the opportunity while I had the chance because I know there will be some setups during the prime May/June months that I'm going to miss that you guys will be on. I have to present a research paper at a conference in Rhode Island on June 7. That's going to book the first week of June, and its going to get busy the last week of May as we prepare for it. So don't feel bad, because I will be in your shoes missing even bigger setup later this year.
 
Interesting thread.

I was lucky and had the week off. Well not really "off" when I am not on the road I am technically still working but I can do my work on my own schedule.

I chased North of Goodland Kansas, leaving from Columbus OH.

It was absolutely Brutal. You can drive all night and catch the next day, no problem. You then however find yourself completely wiped out at a hotel in Burlington CO facing a Loooong drive home. So it takes one night to get there but two nights in hotels before you get home.

Do I regret it ?
No: but I have more respect for the cost of these "day trips to Colorado" .

The intensity of the event drove me to head out.

The reasonable chance of getting to chase east and home on day2 added to the reasons to chase. The second day did not pan out, but it was possible.

I had one week and one week only at home, I am in the middle of 4 weeks on the road, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Seattle. So it was either "chase this one now" or watch the outbreak on radar knowing that it would be the last chance until May.

So I chased.
I ran into no chasers in NE or KS. Reading the "NOW" thread I was pretty sure that a few of us where in the same zone. I was in too much of a hurry to "IM" you all my cell phone. Mike and at least one other chaser was in this territory. I came down from McCook into the Bird City Goodland area as the sun was setting. I busted. No regrets, I am sure I was looking at tornadoes in the dark but waiting for lightning strikes to illuminate and wondering what is coming in the next cell, in the dark , is not imho "safe" .


In general I do try and set some ground rules before I will chase.
Two day chases have a bigger priority. Chasing from Ohio a good two day chase on the plains can allow me to "chase my way home" .

A moderate or a likely moderate is hard to pass up. Some chase vacations I find myself chasing "slights" so if I can, I get out there. Each 100 miles west leads to 200 more miles overall so any more I will think hard about Nebraska, but less hard about Iowa. IL I would go there for any old risk.


See you all in May..

--
Tom
 
My company recently had a sea change.. They are retarded and thought the way to motivate salespeople is to make demands and put their foot down. They told me i would no longer be allowed to take time off and that I have to make so many calls per day etc, etc. Their memories are real short and they were unable to see that i did produce and produce well prior to implementing a tighter ship so to speak.

Anyways I missed a monday and on Friday i was taken into the office and told by a new manager that if I miss anymore time at work I would be fired. I laughed and said "draw your line in the sand". He said "It is drawn".

I quite the next week after recieving my paycheck, ( they like to screw with your paycheck ). I didnt even give notice I just walked away.

I think its funny this new manager no longer has anyone to manage.. We all left. I worked there for 2 years. Strange how things change.. I certainly by no means was abusing taking time off.

Anyways, I quit my job because they told me I would not be allowed to chase this year essentially.

Now I have a new job where I make more money and can take all the time I want off. i work 1/2 in the office and 1/2 at home. Basically I go into the office for admin stuff, faxing copying, etc.. We have our second office we all go to around lunch or thereafter ( beer joint ) lol

Best move I ever made.. Dont tell me I cant chase!.. lol
 
I got lucky and was able to get the day off on the 28th. I can get days off pretty easily because I have some seniority where I work.
 
My job requires that you set your life in stone 6 weeks in advance and at that point you're locked in. So, needless to say, they are giving me a hard time about time of to chase. I don't get any kind of paid time off (that includes sick days), and they even balk about time that I need off for things like evening tests.
Last year after school was out, I was able to call on a day-to-day basis the last 3 weeks of May (yes, I'm working today or no, not today), but this year they're saying no (despite the fact that I still worked 5-6 days a week doing it that way). My boss said she WILL put me on the schedule and I WILL work those days regardless. I told her fine, but if it's a chase day, I will call in, but I won't call in sick...I'll call in and say I'm chasing. She said I can't do that and I said watch me. It's not the only time they've given me grief over time off...I've worked practically every weekend and every holiday for 3 years. Even slaves got a day off.
It's time for a new job.

(Sorry for the rant, guys.....working in healthcare SUCKS)
 
Angie Norris said:
My job requires that you set your life in stone 6 weeks in advance and at that point you're locked in. So, needless to say, they are giving me a hard time about time of to chase. I don't get any kind of paid time off (that includes sick days), and they even balk about time that I need off for things like evening tests.
Last year after school was out, I was able to call on a day-to-day basis the last 3 weeks of May (yes, I'm working today or no, not today), but this year they're saying no (despite the fact that I still worked 5-6 days a week doing it that way). My boss said she WILL put me on the schedule and I WILL work those days regardless. I told her fine, but if it's a chase day, I will call in, but I won't call in sick...I'll call in and say I'm chasing. She said I can't do that and I said watch me. It's not the only time they've given me grief over time off...I've worked practically every weekend and every holiday for 3 years. Even slaves got a day off.
It's time for a new job.

(Sorry for the rant, guys.....working in healthcare SUCKS)
Click to expand...

Im sorry about your hard time fo getting off at work. It was so liberating to walk away from my job after working there for 2 years.. It was a sinking ship anyways.. If your in helathcare Angie i think it will be easy for you to find another job. Your high in demand :D
 
I don't work I just have school, and as long as I make up my work I'm free anytime.:D
 
I live in California but chase on the plains on the spur of the moment: when the forecast looks particularly promising in the 1-3-day window, I pick the airport nearest to where the action is, buy a ticket, and fly out later that same day or, at the latest, the next morning. Often, when I'm making my decision, it's a night or a weekend so I'm not in a position to get my boss's approval. However, so far, I've always had a boss who granted me pre-approval as long as there's not some pending important meeting or assignment due.

--Bob
 
I will be working 3 12hr shifts per week this year so I'll have 4 completely free days per week plus the afternoons and evenings on those days and I have the ability to switch days with my coworkers. :D
 
none of the above...

since i aint got no job, and do whatever to get a little bit of money on the side...i really depend on the help of others to get out to chase a storm more times then others...

ive got a pretty nice truck, but the thing with that is, it aint got no battery, and the a-frame is messed up, so im scared to drive it anywhere that way the wheels dont fall off...its gonna cost about a G to get that stuff fixed, and right now, i aint got that kind of money...the money i have comes, and then goes out and doesnt increase very much since i just do little odd jobs and whatnot..

the only reason i was able to chase this thursday is cause i got a hold of my ex and got her to do the chasing with me...i gave her $16.05 for payment (a $15 go-phone card + tax) and i paid a little bit under $20 for the gas to travel the 74 miles we did...hence the main reason why i dont do so many long distance chases...ive got several freinds who seem interested in it, but there either at school, or working, or dont have the time...so it all comes down to if i can get a ride...then i can go...

jobs out here in this state are few and far between, and when you live where i do...it proves a serious challenge to be able to get to work without a vehicle and do all that crazy stuff, so thats why i do what i do...im hoping to get a job or something when i can, but thats just how the cards are dealt right now and i have to deal with it...
 
I didn't go out nor was I thinking of, even if I wasn't at a convention. I usually chase when I don't have class (although I am willing to skip 1 or 2 as long as it won't affect my grades) or work. Usually, I try to give my self a few weeks after finals before I start a summer job. Also, I try to get out a few times over the weekends during early spring. I plan to keep doing this. I also don't start until march because of finances. It costs money to run the WX works so I usually only activate it between march-june or july.

edit: I thought this was about stuff that happened in Jan. that's why I replied... I need to read these posts more
 
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