Nov 06, 2011 08:26
So, yesterday I commented on someone else's LJ that I felt gyped because I had slept right through my first earthquake (the one that happened early Saturday morning). The fact that I slept through it isn't all that surprising in that as a kid I slept through the the neighbors house catching on fire and and all of the subsequent firetrucks, sirens and yelling (Really! Couldn't figure out why every other member of the family looked so haggard the next morning).
Anyway, Last night, I was sitting there reading the latest Terry Pratchett novel with the TV on waiting for the news to come on with the sound muted. I was waiting for the news because I had gone to the Occupy Tulsa Rally yesterday and I wanted to see if the local news actually covered the event. The sound was muted because the news was an hour late because of some goddamned effing football game! [can someone explain to me why a game that is supposed to be an hour long and actually takes FOUR GODDAMNED HOURS to play is considered exciting?...but I digress]. Anyway, the game is finally over, the news comes on, and the first story is the earthquake that happened earlier in the day...when suddenly the house starts shaking. I mean really bloody SHAKING! It felt like one of those really close, loud thunderclaps that shake the whole house but with no big noise and it just keeps going on for about a minute. Barb had just gone to bed but she was jolted out by the shaking and we stood in an archway just in case. We were somewhat ah...shaken...by the experience, as were the folks on the local news, I might add. Current estimates are that it was a 5.6 which is record for Oklahoma.
I've heard people from the west coast wonder how we can live in an area with all of the tornadoes we have 'round these parts. Well, all I have to say is that at least with a tornado you usually get some warning (unless, ah, you manage to sleep through it). But it's great to know that along with tornadoes, torrential flooding, blizzards and ice storms, we now have to worry about earthquakes as well. I -THINK- we're safe from tsunamis at least, but if there's one that could get us in Oklahoma, I don't think there's much else we'd NEED to worry about.
So I can now say that I have experienced an earthquake and quite frankly the cost can have 'em.
Earthquakes! Been there, Done that. Now where's my damn t-shirt?