Last night I held on to the bed during an earthquake – and not a metaphorical one.
It was a very rough night. The Poo fell asleep face-down on the hardwood floor at just about 6 p.m., and woke me at midnight complaining that it wasn’t morning yet.
She won’t have anything to do with her father when she is unwell, and so it was up to me to get her back down, unless I wanted to listen to her shriek when she saw her dad show up to tuck her back in.
I sat in her room for about an hour, engaged in exhausted negotiations over going back to sleep. I swear, that kid is going to be a union contract negotiator when she grows up.
Finally we fell asleep together, uneasily, around 3 a.m. in the guest room.
Sometime in the four o’ clock hour, I heard hail. And then The Poo started to jump around in bed, shaking me into wakefulness.
Only it wasn’t hail. And it wasn’t a restless Poo.
It was brief, but it was definitely an earthquake. Of course, I immediately decided it was an approaching tornado and leapt from the bed to stand near the window and look for the funnel.
I know, right? I’m a genius. By the window!
Anyway, the noise was the shutters banging against the siding and I couldn’t get my balance because, oh, the floor was moving!
It was over in less than five minutes, but wow.
My sister sent me an email from Cape Cod this morning asking if we felt the now-famous Midwestern quake, so I called the house there.
My mom answered and told me, “You need to get out of there!”
I replied that the only reason there was an earthquake in Chambana is because I brought my terrible mojo with me when I moved here.
What I didn’t tell her was that Mr. C was encouraged to apply for a position at the University of Southern California next year, by some big shot from the school’s music education department. I, of course, put the nix on that right away – too far from the East.
And now I have an even better reason – I’ve experienced a small earthquake, and no way do I ever want to experience a large one.
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that would freak me out.
Wow, that’s crazy. I have no idea if it could be felt up here. I was so tired.
*snort*
We felt it, too, and my early-morning phone call to my mom was about how I ought NEVER move to the West Coast. I have a knack for finding natural disasters… {sigh} So between your mojo & mine, I think we brought this earthquake on!
The only good thing was that you were already with The Poo when it happened. Your day can only get better from here, right?
You have earthquakes there? That’s crazy. I’m glad you’re all okay.
I thought our house was possessed! Nothing was on the news at first.(http://miscthing.blogspot.com/2008/04/whats-shaking.html) Since we have a one-story, mainly the furniture was moving. Also a genius, I opened the door and went outside. I was relieved it wasn’t a plane crash or something.
I figured it was a maurauding truck. Sorry to bring up a sore subject, but (to add my $.02) the lack of municipal garbage collection in Urbana means loud, noisy trucks waking me up almost every morning. I hate it.
Just felt another tremble. Lots of minis apparently happening: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Maps/US10/32.42.-90.-80_eqs.php
COOL! We have frequent small earthquakes here, and I love them. I am clearly a sicko or something. I have two friends who “predict” them. “Hmmm. Earthquake weather…” they say.
glad to see you are alright…
It was scary to wake up but not to be unexpected. It really only lasted for about 45 seconds, but felt longer I guess!
I slept thru it apparently, but we’ve been having aftershocks this morning. Fun stuff!
I keep waiting for the aftershocks but so far nothing I can feel…
How scary! I wouldn’t know that first thing to do, as thank god we don’t have them in our area.
Glad you are OK. I hear that the quake was felt as far south as Alabama. I was sleeping so I don’t know if I felt it or not. I love that you went to the window and checked for a tornado. hehe! I am glad I am not the only one who does things like that.
That is so scary! Living in Washington state, I can empahize. Glad everyone is okay and calm — Stinkin’ natural disasters can be brutal.
I’m with you – small earthquakes are quite enough to experience!
I’m going to sound like an old townie, but this isn’t the first time we’ve had these little ‘ole quakes. The last one was in ‘88 or ‘89. They don’t happen very often but are memorable when they do.
I was the only one in my house that woke up – the kids and hubby slept through it. And, apparently, I’m crazy because I thought it was the devil (www.miscandco.blogspot.com).
Life’s never boring around here…
An earthquake in the midwest, I don’t want to believe it. I’d rather think it’s the Pope, and his prayers working wonders. Amen
Oh come on! It’s fun here in California! It’s like surprise roller coasters!
Most of the time they’re pretty harmless… we go for years without feeling them too.
I’ve never experienced an earthquake, nor do I really want to.
I’ll live vicariously through you and your words.
Glad you and your family were unharmed though.
Um, yeah. That was ridiculous. I was sooo happy to leave them behind when we left San Francisco. Thankfully, we slept through the one last night. I guess we were really, really tired.
OK, I know I’m like a total freak or something …
… but I’ve always wanted to feel one.
p.s. I LOVE that your kid passed out on the floor! And I love that you thought to take a photo.
And I missed all the excitement. BOO HOO!
Yikes!! We had one of those in Hawaii (back on 10/06…details on my blog) and it scared the beegees out of me!! I had never been in one before…but MAN! Being shaken awake with stuff falling off the wall….ohhhh so fun! *rolls her eyes* LOL
Glad you and Poo are safe!
p.s doesnt it make you paranoid
LOL….I wanted to build a freakin shelter after it happened and stock it up! LOL *blushes*
Earthquakes are so unnerving. Glad you all were fine. I was in a quake once in Taiwan standing in a cheap hallway watching the brown panelling buckle and buckle over again like gaudy waves. It’s very unnerving…
chambana..champaign urbana….funny.
the aftershocks made it up to northern Indiana. i didn’t feel them but alot of people around here did. everyone in the midwest is taught what to do when a tornado comes but not what to do when there is an earthquake.
I remember visiting my cousin in SF, and was in a department store in the city, when I realised the entire floor was moving. Turned out it is normal – all the buildings are now built on either wooden stilts, or springs. I felt quite ill by the time I left the store.
I’m with you on running to the window to see funnel clouds. In 96, the tornado that came through and tore up Urbana and Ogden, I remember being at a friend’s house and we sat at the window and watched the lightening and the clouds dropping lower and it was awesome!
I never grew out of it either. A few years ago, the sirens went off and we were sent to the tornado shelter and work and half the company bypassed the shelter and headed straight for the parking lot.