Friday, April 18, 2008

The earth moved, y’all…

Lawd have mercy, the Midwest had ourselves an earthquake!

This bitch’s recollection of that earthquake shit…
It was around 4:30 in the morning and the house of bitchitude was quiet. A bitch was passed out on the couch (my ass had a long week, damnit) with two sorta beagles snoring beneath my blanket at my feet.

Suddenly, the house began to sway as if it were in a boat floating on a pissed off ocean.

ABB to Betsey the sorta-beagle… “What the fuck? Is this an earthquake? Jesus!”

Betsey the sorta-beagle lifted her head slowly, looked around and then grunted. Theo continued to snore but his eyes opened up.

The shaking stopped…Betsey repositioned and went back to sleep. Theo never really woke up.

Figuring out that my dawgs don’t predict earthquakes – interesting.

Being reminded that my ass lives near the New Madrid fault at 4 o’clock in the fucking morning – freaky.

Feeling so fucking tired that my ass was hoping it really was the end of days – a damn shakified shame.

Mercy.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Having lived in California and Japan, I've experienced a few earthquakes. The best was in 8th grade english class because I could look out the window and watch shallow S-waves travel across the playing field.

By the way, the sorta-beagles knew there was an earthquake coming, and that is was going to be too small to worry about.

Anonymous said...

The most frightening earthquake I've experienced was here in CA 1989. I was sitting at a red light when my radio cut out. A second or two later it felt like some dumbass rear ended me. Then I noticed the pedestrians on the sidewalk appeared to be "surfing". On my way back to work the street lights were all out. There were civilians who stepped up to the plate and were directing rush hour traffic at every intersection I encountered. It was good to see that people can take responsibility when it's really neccessary.

Jackie G. said...

Last time we had one that was noticible, we had the bedroom window open. There was a roaring sound, my honey lifted her head and said blearily, "Earthquake." Then went back to sleep.

According to the latest USGS reports it's a pretty high probability (aka "We're darned sure it's going to happen so get ready, darn it!) that we'll have a honking big one (somewhere in the neighborhood of a 7) here in the East Bay sometime in the next 30 years. I live not too far off the Hayward fault and it hasn't let go for a long time.

I encourage everyone to take disaster preparedness courses; my city offers them for free and it's so worth it.

Invisible Ink Bloke said...

Don't go too hard on the sorta-beagles for not having any precog on ground shakes. My cat wasn't tuned in either. Luckily, the only damage over here was the bit of pee that squeaked out of her when she freaked out.

PortlyDyke said...

Glad you're safe, Shark-fu -- I've been phoning friends and relations in the midwest today to check in.

My cat is worthless as an earthquake warning system, too. During the last one, she just gave me "that" look -- like, "OMG -- you're SUCH a drama queen!"

Anonymous said...

Well, I learned that I'm a bad mom...

My first thoughts that were earthquake-centered (after I realized that it was NOT the cat rattling a door,) were to get my own self out of the house. My children? Didn't think of them 'til I was halfway down the steps, then only because they were up and yelling. Oldest boy had to wake up youngest boy and get him going - I was still headed for the door. (Husband, I believe, was trying to decide what to wear. So he doesn't win any parenting medals, either.)

I ran straight out the kitchen door when the aftershock at 10:15 jingled my glassware.

Yeah. I'm just full of intestinal fortitude.

Anonymous said...

Glad all is well! I thought of you, worried for a sec, then pictured you giving and earthquake what for interfering with some needed sleep! I felt bad for the earthquake. Just a little.
Kamrin

Camera Obscura said...

I was in El-Lay for the '94 Northridge quake. This one wasn't worth getting out of bed for. So I didn't.

Anonymous said...

I woke up before the first shock (why am I up, I don't have to pee....oh****), and woke up my snoozing elderly cat sleeping next to me. I am sure that if I hadn't moved, she'd have slept through it.

NancyP

Friðvin said...

I lived in LA during the Northridge quake. What the fuck is it with earthquakes and 4:30-something AM?

Damn! That gets old fast.

Anonymous said...

so..apparently we are going to have aftershocks and potentially more new quakes for the next few months..yay They also said if we have any thing in missouri close to a 6 or 7...all the bridges will be pretty much gone because living near this HUGE ass fault didn't prompt anyone to build earthquake safe structures..typical.

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