Storms and Dating: Can the Two Mix?

[Craig Maire II]

I've had plenty of women (not trying to sound like a "player or man wh$re" well maybe in my past life ) tell me that they think it's sexy and awsome it is how passionate I am about chasing and severe weather and have never had a problem of missing a storm because of a date( they usually are very understanding). Now if we made special plans (weeks or months in advance) and it would truly hurt her feelings I would plan A: Go on the date (unless there is a tornado outbreak imminent) or B: Make that the fastest date that she's ever been on! LOL I do remember tracking a storm from the back seat of a girl's car (met her at college) in the early morning hours of August 10th 2006 now that was a NICE storm!!

 

[Mickey Ptak]

This is my answer I give the love of my life during March-June. "Sure we can baby, weather pending...".

Anna and I are 100% different when it comes to personality, like night and day. But that's what keeps us going. After nine years she has come to terms with my chasing habits as I have come to terms with the things she enjoys. If one can't accept the other for who they are and what they like the relationship stands no chance anyway.

Mick

 

[Dave Gallaher]

I agree with Mickey--upfront honesty and being willing to extend the same space to a partner's passion (and being willing to go along, too) makes it work well. For me, the chase-as-date aspect is even more pertinent due to the fact that my beloved was with me on 4/7/06 when I saw my first-ever tornado.

Off the main topic: when we started dating, I told her that I was a season ticket holder for our AA baseball team and I hoped she would go. She said she would and told me she hoped we would do some ballroom dancing. So--we traded out baseball in spring/summer, dancing in winter. It's been a lot of fun I didn't expect, and she's now an officer on the ball team's booster club that helps young players' families with necessities.

She's a much better baseball fan than I am a dancer, however...

 

[Susan Strom]

That's such a cute picture Doug! Way to go...

 

[Dann Cianca]

I nowcasted a friend to a tornado while driving to my first date with a girl last year. That made me sad and there weren't too many more dates with that particular girl (we're friends now though)

This year, however on the first day of Dynamic Meteorology, I looked over to see a new girl in class. We're a pretty small program so I was surprised to see a new face. I introduced myself to her and found out that she loves to chase! We've been dating for two months now and can't wait for the spring! I think this is gonna be a good year.

 

[fplowman]

Heres a few pics of me and my date ( soon to be bride ) chasing

She goes anywhere and everywhere. We get pics of us with the state signs in the background. I also have Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Iowa and of course Kansas but I didnt want to bore folks. lol

Yes I always wear my lucky hat, no I dont always wear the Stormchasers Convention 2006 shirt.

 

[Grant Gutierrez]

Dang, I feel pretty lucky now. My current girlfriend hasn't even chased yet but shes already obsessed and my ex was a storm chaser too. Being a met student definately increases your chances of finding a storm chasing significant other. I have however run into one problem with being with a fellow storm chaser. My ex and I got into a fight during one chase about which cell to chase. That wasn't a very good time in our relationship but now that was is done with and I'm with my current girlfriend who is awesome! Chases will be our dates. Finances are a problem with us both being student tho so most of our chases will be in NE Colorado and the surrounding area.

In response to the original question tho, it depends on how far along I am with the girl. If it is the beginning of the relationship, I would continue on with the date. If we're a decent length in and she understands I'm a chaser, then she gets a kiss and I am gone.

 

[Nick Parker]

She has given me the "it's me or the storms" several times, and rest assured, she hasn't won that battle yet. She knows I love the beauty of the atmosphere, and knows it's something I am very passionate about.

Keep up the good work Dick. Nobody should have to give up thier passions for others. "Compromise" is such a neat word. The way me and my fiancee have it worked out is that any day with so much as a slight risk is involved, our plans may have to be changed at the last minute. Now, once it's all through, I make sure to "make it up" to her by going shopping or something else she wants to do. So far, its worked quite well for three years. You just have to find someone who is willing to compromise with you and then your set. Or just find a weather weenie just like you! (Which I know is quite rare...especially around these parts)

 

[Greg Campbell]

Heres a few pics of me and my date ( soon to be bride ) chasing

She goes anywhere and everywhere. We get pics of us with the state signs in the background. I also have Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Iowa and of course Kansas but I didnt want to bore folks. lol

Yes I always wear my lucky hat, no I dont always wear the Stormchasers Convention 2006 shirt.

Congrats, Fred!
(Are you sure it's not the sexy hat she's attracted to? )

I dated a chaser for a while. When storms were predicted, she's start to drop very broad hints that I should take my own car and go somewhere else! In other words, there wasn't enough convection to share. As a somewhat more causal chaser, I never understood this competitive, selfish streak, and would never feel that threatened. My Monsoon Madness comes and goes throughout the season, but never reaches the level that I'd turn down company during a chase. Still, I can see that one chaser per pair is more than enough, if only to minimize the potential conflicts in interest between the two.

I've taken a few dates on lightning tours and they generally like it. One photographer got hooked and is still shooting storms, although we've since parted company. I'm not willing to sacrifice too much sleep, and am generally back in town by 11 or so. (Barring moonlight to shoot by, the summer twilight is over and done by 9:30ish, and lightning on a black sky over a black landscape holds no appeal.) Home by 11 is a big help - most people have lives and work outside of chasing and just aren't willing to drag through the next day on 3 hours' sleep and two pots of coffee. Being single with no kids, I'll do that a few times per season, but only under extraordinary conditions. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never had a date try to talk me out of chasing or issue any sort of ultimatum.

Only once did a a gal do the Screaming Cheerleader act, when a stray bolt hit about 50 yards up the road. She was a bit wide-eyed, but didn't completely lose it. Nevertheless, I got a polite, but firm, "no thanks!" next time I called.

-Greg

 

[Karen Politte]

I think every guy on here needs to get away from the mentality that women are either caged birds or overbearing whiners that "might spoil a good chase", only there to be "appeased"......

If the relationship is made of up well-balanced individuals, then the chasing habits of the male or female should be understood and, ideally, each partner would have similar interests anyways and therefore it should be a mutual joy.

At the end of the day - if you are really looking for a relationship where you act like an adult and you are looking for someone with whom you will fall in love with and spend the rest of your life with, then yes I'm sorry to say chasing should come in a sad second. If, on the other hand, you are "dating around" (detest the obtuse expression), and only out for fun - I wouldn't think you would even manage to get in tow with someone who was that serious about relationships and, therefore, she'd be unlikely to give a toss if you dumped her for a PoS, gusted-out shelf cloud on her birthday.

My grumpy 0.02,

KL

 

[Jon Person]

I don't think I'd take someone chasing as a date if I didn't know them, especially if she's not use to what storm chasing is. Isn't a date supposed to be about relaxed face-to-face time to learn more about someone who interests you? Driving, navigating and filming could be exciting but I think it would distract from learning more about the person.

I've chased with girlfriends before, one who was already into it, and it was great. We've chased in whole groups of couples and there wasn't any whining or freaking out, so I agree with Karen to be careful about creating a stereotype. The other had back problems so hours of driving was no fun and we never did it again. The main thing is to be ready for the difficult days and the stress. Just like being in business with a spouse, you have to have boundaries up so a mistake on a chase doesn't linger on as a relationship problem. If you can accept a bust and that you or your partner can make big mistakes, and still be wonderful people, then chasing will be a great adventure to share.

I won't use chasing for first dates ever. I'd rather do something where I can be sure I can listen to what she's saying and spend more time on the conversation.

 

[Stephen Levine]

Due to a very oppressive childhood and early adolescence, it wasn't till age 19 that I felt brave enough to share with people my love of storms.

As earlier written, I am blessed now with a wife who enjoys chasing with me, and we are planning a storm hunt anniversary/ 2nd honeymoon for this June.
The woman I dated before her also liked to sometimes watch/chase with me and she immediately got enamored with the more technical aspects of radar interpretation and making forecasts. She knew nothing of this stuff before we met.

However it was not always this way, and I found myself frequently in both dating realms and life itself torn between the storm and something else and then experiencing the anguish of not being fully present with either.

The funniest story along those lines was when I was living in Boston in the early 1980's. Usually there is one to not more than two really good thunderstorms in the Boston area per year - storms that could qualify for extra lightning filled or "severe"' or both.
I had planned a movie date - our very first date -with a woman. Big storms had been predicted for that night, and during dinner I obtained her willingness to forego a movie and instead watch a storm if it came, thus making it our movie. After a gray and non-descript day, rather frenetic heat lightning arose in the West not long after sunset. So after dinner, as per our agreement, we walked along and took in the sights along Harvard Square.
The lightningstorm held together, and approached bit-by bit, my excitement ascending with the brightening distant bolts.

Finally the storm hit, a spectacular one - really and truly my most favorite weather. Thick sheets of huge splattering raindrops flew sideways in high winds that flapped cloth canopies and awnings all about. Gigantic bolts of lightning struck again and again, reflecting in the mirrors of windows and metal buildings, and tremendous cannon blasts of thunder echoed across the urban landscape. I was like a gleeful child, cheering on the elements, as we stood huddled behind a flapping awning in front of a chamber music group.

The more joy I felt, the more distant she got. It was really something to feel this tension. Rains fell so hard that rushing water in the street soon came up over curbs and onto sidewalks. By now she was complaining that she would get her shoes all wet in the rain.

The storm carried on for quite awhile, and this gleeful spectator found himself with a sulking unhappy date, who was also by now telling me that all this was completely boring to her.

When rains began to taper, she went home to leave me alone in all this elemental drama. It felt totally weird to be "abandoned" like this, but at the same time it felt liberating. I took my shoes off and walked in the warm water, and watched as the storm died out over the cold ocean East of Boston.

Needless to say, that was also our last date.

 

[Shane Adams]

I'm not stereotyping women. I'm saying that for me personally, it would take the female version of myself for a relationship to ever work and survive my chasing passion (the 'competition' thing), and that female simply does not exist.

 

[cdcollura]

Storm chasing and relationships

Good day all,

Below is an excerpt from a write-up about this subject I did back in 2001 after my "point of closest" approach of getting married failed to "converge" properly...

Storm chasing and relationships ... Explosive emotional outbreaks possible. "Get out! It's Over!", "When you are storm chasing the last thing you think of is me!", "What's more important, storms or me?", "Goodbye! Now you can hang your supercell pictures where our wedding pictures were!", "I won't be there when you come back!", "Go, and if you kill yourself, it's your problem!" ... How many of these chilling and gut-wrenching phrases sound familiar? Well, many storm chasers have run across someone, whether a significant other or not, who has labeled them as "crazy", "stupid", or "inconsiderate".

These things really hurt, trust me, I have had my share of them. First I will try to explain what I know based on my experiences. The one thing to consider is the differences between a man and a woman when it comes to storm chasing. Storm chasing is like HUNTING. It is boring, but when you catch something, the excitement justifies the boredom. It also has an inherent risk to it. Like hunting, storm chasing is taken up more by the male community than females. Some women are into storm chasing, just like some are into hunting, but it is a minority. You can read a great topic on "Women and Storm Chasing" at the STORMTRACK web site.

The typical regime is that the husband, or boyfriend, will go out storm chasing while the woman usually does not come along. This can cause some "nothing in common" issues as well as the woman being worried sick over his safety. Sometimes, the woman may not be able to cope with this stress and rather be alone. Another example of this was a person who was a volcanologist and traveled around the world studying volcanoes, another activity with an inherent risk. He wound up in the hospital after falling off a ledge with moderate injuries. After his recovery, his wife locked away his passport when another eruption was occurring in the Philippines.

Eventually, his wife let him go, after all, he worked with the Geological Survey and this was part of his job. When he returned, uninjured and in high spirits, divorce lawyers and grudges greeted him. His wife admitted that she loved him, but could not deal with the possibility of him not coming home when he went on the expeditions. Personally, a chase partner of mine had his fiancee take his chasing money, for a trip to the US Midwest, and spend it on herself.

Her intention was to keep him from going, but it failed because other members of our chase group loaned him the cash needed for the trip. There is one thing I need to say, and that is COMMUNICATION. I can stress than anymore. When you meet someone, tell them what you do. Tell them why you chase storms. Most of all, bring up encouraging statistics about your hobby - such as that storm chasers rarely get hurt when many people are killed by the storm they are chasing.

This is because storm chasing requires knowledge and training to study natures violence in a SAFE as possible manner. This is a very important topic to discuss with your friends and loved ones. Another hint, if you meet someone and they tell you "That's crazy, I would never do that!", or "I think that will be a problem if we get serious.", then DONT get "serious" with that person! Preferably, someone with a similar interest with nature or extreme sports, for example, a skydiver or whitewater kayaker, would be much more empathetic and understanding of your hobby.

Another important thing is that if a problem does arise, talk about it. The most important thing is to talk it out and fix the mis-understanding. The WORST thing is to keep your mouth shut and not say anything when you should ... One chase partner of mine had his girlfriend leave him in such a rage that he videotaped her to show her how hysterical she was! She blew up so dramatically simply because she "held it in" so many times, like a CAP in a high CAPE environment, she eventually "exploded".

If the talking and up-front informative does not work, there is counseling. Storm chasing is not a "crazy" thing. It is something you and your loved ones should be proud of. Never be ashamed to see a marital counselor or the like, after all, you are only getting help, and it is wrong if you don't get help! In my case, it is important to be open and positive about your hobbies. Always talk about the good points.

Being a skydiver as well, I always talk about how high I jump from and how beautiful the sky is up there. I never bring up issues about accidents I witnessed or risks involved. Remember, these things scare people and cause people to worry. Tell everyone, especially when you just meet them, what you enjoy to do, let it be your family, boss, fiends, and loved ones. If they don't understand, it is their "opinion" and that deserves a degree of respect too.

The full-vrsion plus many others can be found here: http://www.sky-chaser.com/schcom.htm

 

[Bill Hark]

I am very lucky to have married someone who understands chasing and can share some interest in storms eventhough she doesn't want to chase in the Plains. While we were dating, I slowly introduced the storm chase aspect of my life with her and she thought it is cool. It helped that she enjoys watching lightning (from a safe location.) Over the years, she has learned a lot about storms including basic storm structure, forecasting and descriptive terms and even took the Skywarn course when I recertified. She will watch tornado video with me (for a while) and point out different parts of the storm. Before we got married, she realized that the storms and I are a package deal and she would have to accept both. We both believe that it is very healthy for a relationship that both partners have aspects of their lives outside of the relationship. I have my storm chasing and photography and she has her singing and music. We each have an appreciation of the other's passions. I will never try to sing but I support her in her efforts including if she has to be away for awhile.

I have offered to take her chasing but she understands the chasing life to know it's not for her. She does know that I am always away for a period of time in May and occasionally on other days. I may also cancel out on an event due to the possibility of chasing though I usually warn her a few days in advance. I weigh the possibility of good storms with the importance of the event.

I am very lucky to find someone. Having a partner who likes to chase is nice but not necessary as long as they can at least appreciate the passion. I would suggest that support goes both ways. Set an example by supporting one's partner's endeavors.

Bill Hark

I forgot to add that there is some benefit from not marrying a chaser. I have my own way of forecasting and chasing and would hate to be arguing with my wife over road options and target areas.