Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Memoirs of an Earthquake...or two.

Just thought I'd share a little about this momentous day...

I have felt one earthquake since moving to Southern California six years ago. I was sitting in my parked car chatting with a friend, who was also a Utah transplant and earthquake virgin. The car began to shake. We looked at each other wide eyed and – thinking some hoodlum must be outside jumping on my car’s trunk (because yeah, that just happens all the time) – I gunned it and sped down the street. And that’s all the thought we gave to the ordeal. Upon returning home we couldn’t figure out why all our pictures were askew or on the floor. Finally, Kenny got through to see if we enjoyed the "ride" courtesy of Mother Nature. Oh.

So today I’m sitting at work when the whole building starts bouncing and I hear the files in the next room crashing around. After a moment of confused staring, I dove under my desk and watched the hanging florescent lights sway side to side as I tried not to contemplate the actual weight of ten stories of office building or how badly it would hurt if that weight were to come crashing down on me. I tried not to worry about the fact that my trusty (i.e. never-used) 72 hour kit was far away in my car’s trunk parked on the seventh story of the parking structure. I tried not to start yelling at my colleagues for being so quiet and making me feel like I was overreacting. So I watched the light sway and listened to the building creak and groan and tried to tell myself that Mother Nature was hooking me up with a great story to tell ...for my birthday. I guess you could say my 25th was quite the event.

Update: My "friend" Andrew has a different take on todays events. I quote: "An earthquake on your birthday...God must hate you. Congratulations." If he wasn't full of witty one-liners like that, I might have cancelled some lunch plans. Lucky him.

7 comments:

heather said...

first of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! second, you did not over react. one of my co-workers started crying.

Colt Bowden said...

Happy happy birthday! All I got in Utah was the American Idol try-outs accross the street from my school all day at the Delta Center, not so luck as to have a birthday-quake... lucky!

Unknown said...

I haven't even given any thought to my 72-hour kit. I need to get going on that. Now I have some motivation! Happy Birthday, by the way! You made my day great!

Ruth said...

Jill thanks for the Nintendo link. I am Totally getting it for my boys play room!!

Ruth said...

Oh and Happy late Birthday!!!

Ryel j said...

Oh You didn't over react at all... I was at the post office when one of the tellers clenched his fits starred straight ahead and screamed for the duration of the quake. I was pretty impressed with his lung capacity and pitch. As I'm sure you would be too!

Happy Birthday x 2!!!!

Unknown said...

I am never told when birthdays are. Happy belated.
Jill, I need your help on an Econ paper I'm writing. I know that's your game.