Well, actually, I didn't. I awoke this morning to the news that many of my fellow Cincinnatians had been shaken...not stirred...from their slumber shortly after 5:30a.m. by an earthquake. The epicenter was "approximately" 200 miles west of Cincy in the small town of West Salem, Illinois. It measured anywhere from 5.2 to 5.4 (depending on which news channel one watches) on the Richter Scale, which is relatively "mild" by earthquake standards.
Earthquakes, though rare, do occasionally occur in this part of the U.S. given the fact that the second largest fault line...The New Madrid Fault...runs through parts of Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas. My apologies for the U.S. geography lesson. Anyway, according to the TV announcers this morning, this fault line is rivaled only by the grand daddy of them all...the San Andreas Fault in California, and we all know what that puppy is capable of.
Actually, this would have been my fourth earthquake, had I been awake to experience it. The way the local news covered the story, one would have thought the earth had opened up and swallowed a goodly portion of the tri-state area, but that was not the case. I new, of course, everyone at the office would be talking about it, so I was prepared.
When I walked in the door, Mike...he of the one black shoe, one brown shoe post a while back...was chatting with Martha about it. They had both felt it. Martha said it woke her up, and she lives only a mile or so from me, yet nary a jiggle did I feel.
So, when Mike asked me if I had felt the earthquake, I didn't miss a beat. I just sighed glumly and said, "The only opportunity I'll have to feel the "earth move," and I sleep through it. Just my luck." It's a rare occasion indeed when Mike is rendered speechless...I think he even blushed...and I'm usually the one who can do it. What can I say, it is good to begin the workday with a hearty laugh.
I found this clip on YouTube of a weatherman in Evanston, Illinois giving his report "during" the earthquake. (I'd be willing to wager that "earthquake" was not in the forecast.) He seems to me to be unusually calm throughout the whole thing, don't you think?
I found myself wondering a couple of times today if the folks at local Channel 12 had to postpone their "Dance Party Friday" in lieu of the quake. Bet they'll have a whole new dance routine next week.
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11 comments:
People around here - south central Michigan area - felt it too. Fortunately for me it has now been proven that my parents were right. I can sleep through an earthquake.
This would have been my third earthquake experience if I had felt it as well. My stepson said it woke him up.
Loved your comment to your co-worker about feeling the earth move! LOL
When Mike stopped laughing, Music Wench, he said, "What a team, I serve 'em up, and you knock 'em out of the park." (For you non-sports folks, that's baseball jargon.)
Oh, and not only can I sleep through an earthquake, but I also slept through the tornado that hit Cincinnati in April 1999...again it was around 5:00a.m.
He was REMARKABLY calm, despite the fact it looked like there was a whole lot of shaking goin' on there for a while! Hope everyone is OK anyway.
Diane, the last I heard, no one was hurt. I couldn't get over how calm the guy stayed. Talk about being dedicated to the job.
Kris felt it, though she's further away than you. I bet you'd have felt it if it was Vincent shaking the bed...
Val, from your lips to God's ears...on that last part. That's my daily/nightly fantasy...only as Bobby.
When we had our miniscule earthquake a while back,I only felt it because I was awake anyway,and even then I thought it was just me having a bit of a funny spell....my kids didn't feel a thing :-)
Eliza, I thought I remembered reading on some of the UK Vixen's blogs about an earthquake in your neck of the woods not too long ago.
The local news stations were encouraging people to call in with their "experiences" during the quake. One lady called in and said her alarm went off before the earthquake and she was just laying there, trying to wake up and make herself get out of bed when the bed started to shake. She said she just figured that was a "sign" from God telling her to get out of bed and get on with her day. It wasn't until after she had showered and got dressed that she turned on the TV and found out about the earthquake.
I suppose...in a round about way...it was still God telling her...and a whole bunch of other people...to get out of bed.
sorry, i'm a little late with my comment. i left on friday for washington and my roommate asked me: "did you feel the earthquake?" on my way out and i was like "huh? earthquake?". apparently she even woke up because of it (i'm in athens, oh) and said it was a pretty big one. well, what a shame, i think i just slept through it and missed the mighty earth shake... *sigh*
but still - i *did* wake up pretty early on friday without reason. maybe now i have one. ;)
and the video is hilarious! :)
"oh, i guess it's an earthquake. on with the forecast..." *lol*
Before I die, I need to make the earth move for Mr D'Onofrio...please!
Tamara, it truly is a small world. I am an Ohio University grad...a wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy long time ago, but an OU grad nonetheless.
And, Diane, sweetie...if I had the "power" to hook you up with Mr. D., I would surely do it for you. Of course, we would ALL expect to hear all the "juicy" details later. LOL
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