F*********ck

So, last week, we had a minor (small?  I don't know what to call them) earthquake.  

And now this week, we had a bigger small/minor earthquake.

This time, I was sitting on my couch texting my folks (my Mom caught the flu so I'm worried about her and was seeing what her doctor had said) when the earthquake hit.  This time I knew it was an earthquake (unlike last time when I thought it was someone upstairs jumping on their bed) and it was relatively long and rumbly and wobbly and what I did was?  Text my parents "earthquake."  And then it was done.

Except in my haste/stress I miss-typed and they got back to me with "what?"

To which I replied like "that was an earthquake!" and they said they hadn't felt anything at all.

I looked online.  It still hadn't been put up but earthquake canada (not the proper name but you get the gyst) had put a warning on their page and suggested "heavy shaking" which I have not seen before so then I started to worry (the shaking really frightened me) that what I'd just been through was a precursor to something worse?

I texted a few more folks and it was pretty hit and miss regarding who had felt something or nothing at all.  Eventually the quake showed up and initially they measured it as a 5.1 and I was like I KNEW THAT WAS BIGGER! but they're now showing it as around a 4.7 or so.

C-Dawg has a relative who works in some form of disaster relief and C-Dawg told me that they were expecting/predicting another one and so to stay away from windows/etc.  I sat there, looking over at the GIANT WINDOW I sit by and texted back "yeah, I can't handle this right now." or something to that effect.

Pun not intended although I know how it will sound - this one really shook me up. (Groan.)

I know that a 4.7 isn't really much but it, if you've never felt an earthquake before, is a very unsettling, unnatural, unsafe feeling.  Like for as long as it lasts you have this sense of "I can't do anything about this and it might get bad."

I found out later that day that things had actually fallen off shelves in my hallway closet.  That's a new one for me.  Now, one of those things was a packet of tissues but still... I've never known things to move/fall in this place during a quake before.

I eventually forgot about the "predicted" second earthquake but later that night someone posted about it and sure enough there was a quite small (2. something) earthquake that evening.  Bizarre to me that scientists can predict that kind of thing, but I guess they did.  Wow and yikes.

I lamented the fact that I didn't DO anything and just sat on my couch as it was happening but a buddy very kindly (and I hope correctly) pointed out that I probably internally knew there was no need to do anything and that if there had been a need, I would have done something.  I'm going to tell myself that instead.  I rode out this earthquake because a part of me knew and could tell that I could.

I might take some time to rearrange my earthquake kit stuff though.  Although maybe just a quick glance through it will reassure me.  (Like I just bought a new camping lantern and my brain was like YOU SHOULD PUT THAT IN YOUR EMERGENCY KIT but then I'd have to take it out and put it back whenever I camped or the power went out?  I don't know.)

I hope to never have to really test what I might do or how my kits might hold up.  I hope the "big one" happens outside of my life time, I'm sure we all hope that.

But yeah.  Another earthquake.  On the heels of one a week ago?  Isn't a yummy feeling.