Sorry, I know it's lame, but I couldn't resist...
We had an 'earthquake' here a few hours ago, which I'm sure you can find on the news, and it will sound much more exciting because they will sensationalize it. It's funny because the first reports called it a "minor earth tremor". Of course, it did register 4.5 on the Richter scale.
Here's the thing. I've only lived through one other earthquake, but this didn't seem as scary as it has been described. [The BBC quoted a man saying "It was big, I felt it. It was scary." (Yossi Shamir, evacuated from an office in Jerusalem, told Reuters.). Uh, yeah, whatever. Very scientific, that.]
First of all, my building, as are all of the Baha'i buildings around me, is earthquake-resistant. As we happen to live on a fault line (and you were worried about the bombs!?!), this is really a necessary precaution.
I certainly felt it, and recognized it immediately. It's amazing - my last earthquake was when I was in 4th grade, but it's a feeling I haven't forgotten. The floor trembled a bit, and my computer screen rattled (that was the most nerve-racking thing, really). It lasted for about 20 seconds, I think. The only thing that made me nervous was that it was increasing in its momentum ... so I wondered how strong it would get before I really decided it was necessary to vacate the top floor of a 5 story building. I'm sure that's all very comforting to you to know that I vacillate over such decisions, but then things weren't falling off the shelves, and people who were not at their desks tended not to notice that anything was happening.
So, that's the update on my exciting life! :-) Love and hugs to you all!
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1049040/posts
This is all I could find and they were talking about hypothetical and future earthquakes. Looks like it really was not a huge deal. I think it was actually about the same size as the one in Mentor back in '85 (or so). Big news for us, but no news for everyone else. I'm glad you're okay and nothing bad happend. I found this article a bit scary.
I remember that earthquake. Jamal Hall and I were sitting on the couch watching Sesame street when it started. Ma called us into he kitchen area cause she thought a semi was crashing into our house!
Hey, Mara!
Glad to hear you're okay.
Anyway, I remember that earthquake, too! The walls at our house were painted a different color then, blue I think. Maybe that was just in Mommy and Daddy's bedroom. Anyway, the paintings in our house were askew and there was a slight crack in the paint near the ceiling. Just the paint, not the wall.
I was going to Memorial, and the building was evacuated and we had to stand outside in a light rain. It was miserable for some, because we weren't allowed back in since the earthquake had caused a crack to run from the top of the building all the way down the floor and a few bricks had fallen off. In a few hours, architects would proclaim the building sound, but we didn't know that yet.
Everyone kept telling people that portions of Mentor had fallen off into the lake and that Mentor-on-the-Lake was now underwater and all sorts of horror stories. Susan Koryta cried a lot.
A few days later Karen Havrilla came over and played violin. She sounded awful, but she was only nine or ten. Was that really her name? Friend of yours, blonde, don't remember anything else about her except this story.
-Nathan
Yes, Nathan, Karin Havrilla (Karin with an "i"). The first Karin (or Karen for that matter) I had ever known. Till that point, I always thought of it as a "grandma" name. Then there was Brian Patacca -- rememer, Mara . . . Karin Hava-rilla nice day??? :)
Anyway -- glad to hear you weren't shaken up too badly. Bombs? There are bombs in your area? Gee...hadn't thought about that. Earthquakes were really my biggest fear ;). Mara, I'm going down to see John this weekend; I'm leaving in the morning. He's stationed at Ft. Benning, Columbus, GA until December first - ugh!. He actually is living in Alabama in a different time zone than where he works (at ;) ) . . . bizarre, huh? Anyway, we haven't seen each other since Christmas....(!) Remember how I was acting "That Night"? Well, I'm just about as bad right now (though not for wondering how it will be....) ;) So glad to hear you're doing well. Rae, if you're reading this, I don't remember if I responded to your email (and I received the thank you card -- I TOLD you S.W.A. was terrible!) All of you feel free to call (except you, Mara, "free" would be the last word to describe a call from you . . . but "welcome" would be the first!) or email me, of course! I've got to fly .... be safe, and lots of love!!!
~Crys
Crystal,
You did e-mail me, and You definitley fairly warned me about Sweet Home Alabama. The really awful thing is that I know people who liked it and felt that she ended up with the right guy in the end. ich.