And we dance as the sky crashes down (do do do do!)
Coffee A+
First (actually second) we're all okay. Christchurch had another aftershock today, a big one, an 'I'm on a boat' one. I was at South, gripping the arms of the chair, watching the glass bulge in and out, listening to books hit the ground and people going "oooo!" In a moment of neat cosmic timing, I'd just finished my book (unsatisfying! The conclusion was approached but never realised, but I didn't have time to dwell because RAAAH TECTONIC ACTION! All I'm saying is that if you've spent the whole book building toward a rape case you can't FINISH THE BOOK before they go to court just because the characters have decided they are going to hook up (not the one who was raped; it wasn't a romance novel) Where is my resolution!? Stupid book.)
Anyway! The signs hanging from the roof were swinging for a good ten minutes. The ones pointed toward Lyttleton were going at it far more violently than the ones hanging at right angles to it. You could totally tell which direction the shake came from.
We evacuated. I still had my bag over my shoulder (YES!) and had just filled up my water bottle (SCORE) so no big dramas. One woman was in tears as she left, one man was all "I wasn't even mean to be here today!" since he was stuck in Christchurch because of the ash cloud. Natural disasters all up in the place! He was pretty chill about it though. We all were, which was nice. I met up with Sue, fellow Amanda Palmer/Bill Bailey fan, and she gave me a ride home once they decided to close the library. We listened to Radiohead and talked about extreme furniture.
I heard from Dad, and Leah and Lara, and Aunty Helen who had heard from Cath, but not Jen. Typical difficult Jen! For a while - an hour maybe, or two, or more, I hadn't heard from Mum and Dad hadn't replied with any news from her either. But I knew she was probably just being domineering at her work or stuck in traffic. She was both! She had been locking up the building when the second one, the 6, happened.
I'd gone over to the parentals place when the 6 hit, and I got to do my spaz-ninja controlled-fall thing. Dad grabbed me and the bookshelf and Sam stayed at his computer. In fact I hadn't even noticed Sam was there till his "Whoo" when it had finished. Boy can be so mellow.
You should have seen the walnut tree! It was going MENTAL!
The water is off again, but we have power. Water's leaking through the ceiling like last time.
But don't worry guys! I have a stash of peanut M&Ms. My sanity will remain intact.
We've broken out the hand sanitiser again, so everyone smells of vodka after they go to the toilet.
The younger cats are unphased, but Ariadne has fucked off under Lara's bed.
We watched Greenwing. Lara called her mum. Leah resurrected her facebook. I dry swallowed some ibuprofen and regretted not washing the dishes last night. Lara and I rejoiced in our wheatie bags - heat without water! Leah went to bed. I have not yet broken out the sanity mattress, but maybe tonight, after dinner.
I'm just so thankful I wasn't still at the National Library meeting - in Casebrook/Redwood/a million miles away! Just... being close to home made it seem less like a catastrophy. Getting a ride home was amazing. My brain does interesting things when I'm walking by myself, and I didn't really want to re-live February, where I walked home with a bunch of traumatised people from Riccarton. And then to be at home/parents house for the 6 was the best possible place I could have been. Holding onto Dad's arm and only 33 meters from the flat so I could go and check on Lara and Leah.
So instead of posting this when I thought I did, I went over to parents and had stoo. And crumble. And coffee again. Plotted briefly with Sam about dressing him up as an arch villain for the Heroes and Villains party. Sam was lying on the couch with a cat on his knee and his arms crossed like a vampire, is why. Peter thinks he (Peter) should go as the brown recluse spiderman. I want to say something rude about a crevice but I feel it would be inappropriate.
It's freezing outside, so me and Lara are blissing out under the heatpump and watching Boat that Rocked. I thought about recovering my earthquake wine (a gift, for helping Anna from Sumner clear out her house in Feb!) but think that sober is probably best. The world doesn't need to roll any more than it already does.
For work tomorrow, I have to remain in a 'state of readiness' but I'm not to report to any libraries. That means I have to be awake, but can STAY IN BED INDEFINITELY.
So things are not so bad.
Plus, no one died.
A+
First (actually second) we're all okay. Christchurch had another aftershock today, a big one, an 'I'm on a boat' one. I was at South, gripping the arms of the chair, watching the glass bulge in and out, listening to books hit the ground and people going "oooo!" In a moment of neat cosmic timing, I'd just finished my book (unsatisfying! The conclusion was approached but never realised, but I didn't have time to dwell because RAAAH TECTONIC ACTION! All I'm saying is that if you've spent the whole book building toward a rape case you can't FINISH THE BOOK before they go to court just because the characters have decided they are going to hook up (not the one who was raped; it wasn't a romance novel) Where is my resolution!? Stupid book.)
Anyway! The signs hanging from the roof were swinging for a good ten minutes. The ones pointed toward Lyttleton were going at it far more violently than the ones hanging at right angles to it. You could totally tell which direction the shake came from.
We evacuated. I still had my bag over my shoulder (YES!) and had just filled up my water bottle (SCORE) so no big dramas. One woman was in tears as she left, one man was all "I wasn't even mean to be here today!" since he was stuck in Christchurch because of the ash cloud. Natural disasters all up in the place! He was pretty chill about it though. We all were, which was nice. I met up with Sue, fellow Amanda Palmer/Bill Bailey fan, and she gave me a ride home once they decided to close the library. We listened to Radiohead and talked about extreme furniture.
I heard from Dad, and Leah and Lara, and Aunty Helen who had heard from Cath, but not Jen. Typical difficult Jen! For a while - an hour maybe, or two, or more, I hadn't heard from Mum and Dad hadn't replied with any news from her either. But I knew she was probably just being domineering at her work or stuck in traffic. She was both! She had been locking up the building when the second one, the 6, happened.
I'd gone over to the parentals place when the 6 hit, and I got to do my spaz-ninja controlled-fall thing. Dad grabbed me and the bookshelf and Sam stayed at his computer. In fact I hadn't even noticed Sam was there till his "Whoo" when it had finished. Boy can be so mellow.
You should have seen the walnut tree! It was going MENTAL!
The water is off again, but we have power. Water's leaking through the ceiling like last time.
But don't worry guys! I have a stash of peanut M&Ms. My sanity will remain intact.
We've broken out the hand sanitiser again, so everyone smells of vodka after they go to the toilet.
The younger cats are unphased, but Ariadne has fucked off under Lara's bed.
We watched Greenwing. Lara called her mum. Leah resurrected her facebook. I dry swallowed some ibuprofen and regretted not washing the dishes last night. Lara and I rejoiced in our wheatie bags - heat without water! Leah went to bed. I have not yet broken out the sanity mattress, but maybe tonight, after dinner.
I'm just so thankful I wasn't still at the National Library meeting - in Casebrook/Redwood/a million miles away! Just... being close to home made it seem less like a catastrophy. Getting a ride home was amazing. My brain does interesting things when I'm walking by myself, and I didn't really want to re-live February, where I walked home with a bunch of traumatised people from Riccarton. And then to be at home/parents house for the 6 was the best possible place I could have been. Holding onto Dad's arm and only 33 meters from the flat so I could go and check on Lara and Leah.
So instead of posting this when I thought I did, I went over to parents and had stoo. And crumble. And coffee again. Plotted briefly with Sam about dressing him up as an arch villain for the Heroes and Villains party. Sam was lying on the couch with a cat on his knee and his arms crossed like a vampire, is why. Peter thinks he (Peter) should go as the brown recluse spiderman. I want to say something rude about a crevice but I feel it would be inappropriate.
It's freezing outside, so me and Lara are blissing out under the heatpump and watching Boat that Rocked. I thought about recovering my earthquake wine (a gift, for helping Anna from Sumner clear out her house in Feb!) but think that sober is probably best. The world doesn't need to roll any more than it already does.
For work tomorrow, I have to remain in a 'state of readiness' but I'm not to report to any libraries. That means I have to be awake, but can STAY IN BED INDEFINITELY.
So things are not so bad.
Plus, no one died.
A+