My First Earthquake

My first earthquake....well it was a big one. Well you want to know how big...picture this, you are sleeping in your new wonderful bed that makes you feel like you are sleeping in heaven, when all of a sudden you feel like Brad has grabbed the end of your bed with both hands and starts to shake the bed. At first you think what the heck is he doing, why is brad shaking the bed (your eyes don’t open). Then he is shaking the bed with all his might and all his strength, which those of you who know Brad, this could be pretty crazy. By this point you are holding the edge of the bed eyes opened as wide as possible, thinking, "BRAD WHAT IN THE H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICK ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!?!?!" You then realize since your eyes are open now, that Brad is not the one shaking your bed. Well not being from a place that has ever had an earthquake, or even a possible one, you think....natural disaster...what do I do during this one...oh wait...we didn’t learn this one in school...OH SH*T!!!!!!!!!!!




By the way my husband is still sleeping during all this!!!



So at the point where I am shaking like crazy and it is not Brad pestering me I think, what could this be....Well some lady had talked about earthquakes the week we got here and that suddenly popped into my head. I then realized it was an earthquake, my first earthquake, with the pots and pans rattling, the pictures falling, and now my crazed husband running down the hall. Well after I realized it was an earthquake I thought of the Saved by the Bell episode where there was an earthquake....they tell you to get into the doorway, so I went to the doorway. While I am in the doorway, is when the crazed Husband comes down the hall, get in the doorway, get in the doorway. I said I am here. Brad then says not that it really matters if the building falls because we have 5 floors above us. That was a very happy thought. By this time, the building has stopped shaking.



So when in an earthquake, run out of the building, if you cannot make it out run to a doorway, if there is no doorway lay down beside a large object (bed, table, dresser...) this will hopefully provide protection if things fall, whatever you do, do NOT get under anything!!!! It could crush you!!! I have now learned all the safe things to do. But this was the largest earthquake here in 100 years. Lucky Me!!! I was very glad that the US Army Corps of Engineers built my building because we had no damage and were perfectly safe!!! WHOO-Hoo for engineers!!! So hopefully you learned something and found my natural disaster funny, especially now, since everything is fine.



Also after earthquakes you have to watch out for Tsunamis, the waves caused by earthquakes, so we had a warning and evacuation for those too!!! But everything is FINE!!!!