This morning I had just finished getting dressed and had gone into the bedroom to grab some knee-highs. I figured all I had left to do was pack my lunch, so I'd go ahead and kiss Scott goodbye while I was in there. Right when I kissed him, the walls creaked, and then Scott's dresser (and everything on top of it including the TV) started to shake. Now that's what I call a kiss!
The shaking actually lasted longer than when a big truck goes by, and Scott asked me why we were having an earthquake. And all I could think was, "why are you asking me?" So of course, he didn't go back to sleep. I went back into the livingroom to find both cats all puffed up (which takes more energy than my lazy cats generally care to muster) and staring intently at the bookshelf. They were frozen. They were so frozen that I called to Scott and he came out and SAW them frozen. Milo actually looked like he was holding on to the ottoman. Upon closer inspection, I saw that two of my Captain Jack action figures had fallen off of the bookshelf, along with a candle.
So while I was packing my lunch, Scott started channel surfing, looking for a story about our imaginary earthquake. I knew he wasn't going to find anything. After all, this is FLORIDA! My concern was that the building definitely shook. And I really worried that there was a big sinkhole and I was going to come home from work to a condemned building. So I called Beth as soon as I started driving. She lives two buildings away from me, and figured maybe she knew what had happened.
Do you know how crazy it feels to call someone and say "did you guys just feel an earthquake?" Imagine my surprise when her response was "oh my God Brian -- Jamie is on the phone -- she felt it too!" After she and I talked for a while, I called Scott to tell him that Brian also felt our imaginary earthquake. Now that there was someone else NOT in our building who felt it, we figured we could rule out sinkhole. Phew! But what the heck was it?
At work, neither my trainee nor the sous chef had felt my imaginary earthquake. I think they both thought I was a little batty. And then I got a phone call from Scott. That's right -- there was an earthquake! In the Gulf of Mexico! A big one -- 6.0! And I pretty much confirmed I was batty because I immediately called and left a crazy message on Beth's voicemail at work, and made sure that everyone I saw knew that I was perceptive enough to notice the quake. How exciting!
Of course, here I am making it out to be this big event. I can't even say that I felt the shaking. I just knew that the stuff around me was shaking. The space shuttle landing makes more of an impact... but it doesn't last for 10-20 seconds.
I told Scott to call Channel 9 and ask if they were getting reports from anyone about an earthquake. I guess I wasn't the only one who had that idea. "In Central Florida, tremors were felt all over this morning. Channel 9 Eyewitness News received reports from Orlando, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Clermont, Kissimmee, Celebration, Cocoa, Meritt Island, Vero Beach, Palm Bay, Daytona Beach, Leesburg, Deltona, Lakeland, and Winter Garden."
Anyone else feel it? Wanna buy an "I Survived the Earthquake of '06" t-shirt or bumper sticker? Anyone else think that now that we've got more than just hurricanes and tornadoes that we should prepare for a blizzard too?
And remember the state motto...
Florida: visit while you still can!
3 comments:
I felt it and trust me I was just thrilled when I found out that someone else felt it too! Jon did not feel it (he was at work about 2 miles away) and he acted like I had lost my mind when I asked him about it. The dog and cat didn't feel it, they slept through it. So much for their animal instincts.
I have to say that it never entered my mind that it was an earthquake. The first thing I thought was that a big gust of wind must have hit, but it wasn't windy. Next thought was the shuttle and the sonic boom but of course Atlantis just took off, no way it would be back so soon; plus the shaking lasted too long. It lasted long enough for me to head outside and look around for a source. Seriously I never once thought it might be an earthquake.
I'm just excited that I felt what was probably a once in lifetime event for a Floridian and that no one was hurt. Weee!!!! but let's not do it again anytime soon.
I was in church. Half of us felt it, and half of us didn't. Why is that?
That was a blog entry suitable for framing!
I think the tee-shirt should say, "I survived the 6.0 of 06."
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