"Rock 'n' Roll Tuesday - California Style"
Friday, May 30, 2008
If you have ever been on a r-o-l--le-r c-o-a-s-t-e-r , you know that feeling you get just before the ride takes its first major plunge into what looks like oblivion. It's that feeling you get just before all of your insides land up somewhere under your skull, with your stomach riding somewhere in the vicinity of your mouth. You just "know" what's coming.
Today, just shortly before noon, I was sitting at my computer when I heard that well known "jolt-popple-crack." It makes you think that the house is settling, the walls are creaking...the floor just shifted; and, for me, as well as thousands of others, it is followed by a sinking stomach sensation. The "Oh No!" moment which grabs your imagination and puts you into the realm of total fear. "Is this the BIG ONE?"
Fifteen seconds may not seem like much when you are stirring the soup...but when you are riding Mother Earth's shrugging shoulders, it seems like an eternity. Immediately, my mind shifted to 1994, to what is now known as the Northridge Quake. That one woke me out of a deep sleep, one in which four burly men were shaking each corner of my bed! As I recall, that one was an eternity of 45 seconds!
There I sat at my computer, multidimensional thoughts running through my head. (It's amazing how fast a mind can process thousands of pictures simultaneously)! I felt the roll of the quake and I heard it shudder past. If there was more to come, I did not want to be in the office next to the window. I ran to the most reinforced area of the house; the small corridor to our bedroom. I was sitting there when Steve came into the house checking if I was doing alright - -he knows how quickly I freak out on these Mother Earth rides! He had been weeding the front garden and was on his knees when this quake rolled through. He said that our dog Tippy sat straight upright at the moment it was passing and, later, she did not want to leave the solid comfort provided by the exterior of our neighbor's house.
Within half an hour, I was glued to the television, eager to get the latest news about the quake. I found out that it had originated in Chino Hills, which is SE of us. It had an original magnitude of 5.8, to be lowered to 5.4 later in the day. There were various amounts of damage throughout the LA area; from liquor stores floating in wine to grocery stores with toppled shelf items. You would think that a major catastrophe had struck, but then you've got to know the LA way of thinking, anything out of the ordinary is newsworthy, meaning they will show you the same damage over and over again. And we haven't had any major shaking (well, at least to my knowledge) for at least 14 years, since Northridge. This was enough to preempt the Soaps!!!
Just a few days ago, Steve had reinforced our bookcases with straps anchored to our walls. If these cases should fall, it could hurt animal and human. I have given it further thought that I need to reinforce my emergency food supplies (right now I have one five-gallon bucket with sturdy lid in which sits emergency rations of rice, beans, pasta, etc.). Fortunately, I have a fairly good supply of water. Steve has pointed out that our cars should have some emergency rations. Survival web sites, here I come!
This Friday there will be an eclipse. From the web page of Earth Changes, I have read that two weeks prior to and two weeks after an eclipse, the occurrence of earthquakes increases. Since we are on the Pacific Rim, also known as the Ring of Fire, our quake may not be the only one to manifest. Some months ago, shortly around the time of another eclipse, Peru suffered major damage from strong quakes. In fact, did you know that we have been having quakes in the Pacific Northwest?
As we approach evening, we are calm. In the back of my mind is the knowledge that there may be more movement from Mom Earth. Did I ever tell you that I have been saying that I want to leave California since '94? Maybe a few more shakers and I will be your neighbor…soon!
Quaking hugs, Rima (Submitted 7/29/08)
