As long as you don't live in a grocery store, you're safe

So there we were last night, eating dinner and watching tv, when the tv trays started to shake! Yup, we had an earthquake. Mostly just a lot of shaking for several seconds. However, I had lit a lot of candles before we sat down to eat so I kept a close eye on them to be sure they didn't topple over. No point in burning the house down. Then there were the requisite calls to all family members to be sure everyone felt it and everyone was safe.


When you've lived in California for awhile, earthquakes become commonplace. You hold things down, wait for it to stop, and survey for damage. Except the the big one in 1989, the most difficult thing to deal with is the calls from all your long distance relatives asking if you're okay. This morning I sent out an e-mail to relieve their minds and pre-empt the phone calls.


Of course, once we have an earthquake, the story fills the news for many days. Pictures of grocery stores (there's always something that fell off a shelf for a photo op), and the one store in town that had a window break. This morning the best they seemed to be able to do was find a Starbucks inside a Barnes and Noble where about 5 thermoses (thermosi??) fell over. Ye gads, when thermos thingys fall, it's time to get out of Dodge!! And there is always the discussion with the seismologist trying to get them to say that something really horrible will happen soon. Mostly they just show those squiggly lines on paper and talk about possible aftershocks in a monotone voice.


In comparison to what happens in other parts of the country, I'll take earthquakes any day. Tornadoes and hurricanes would scare the hell out of me. I've lived through a couple of blizzards in Denver - didn't like that at all. And don't even talk to me about heat waves. Nope, earthquakes are the easiest. First of all, you never know when they're coming so no need to "batten down the hatches" and spend hours or days in fear. And then there's that little invisible badge we all wear that says, "I survive earthquakes."


When we first moved out here, Jenni came home one day and said, "Man these California people are weird. When there's an earthquake, the kid just hold on to there pencils while the room shakes, then go back to what they were doing. But when they hear thunder or see lightening, everyone runs to the window to see all the excitement!" (Actually, she didn't say it with the exclamation point - that's mine. She says I use too many of them, by the way)


Maybe this time Ed and I will truly put together that earthquake kit we talk about EVERY time we have a shaker. Or maybe not.