Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Resisting the urge to duck & cover as Wellington Shakes

  After my embarrassing incident in the airport where I crouched on the ground with my hands out to keep balance (it was just a plane landing that shook the floor), I've tried to convince myself that the little tremors that I constantly feel are nothing more than a semi on the road or the wind or anything other than another earthquake.
  Last night shortly after 10pm, after Morgan had gone to bed Adrian looked at me, eyes wide. What was that? I had heard a loud noise but to be honest, I had 2 good glasses of wine and was working on my third when the newest earthquake hit us and I didn't feel a thing. I checked on Morgan (Ewan is away at camp) and packed a bag and put it by the front door. My dear sweet neighbor Sara called to check on us. I could hear her little ones crying in the background. (Near real-time shaking intensity from New Zealand's network of seismographs) I put this up at 7:34am New Zealand time. Crap, my son, Ewan is in the middle of the map right now where all of those little dots are.
  Sara's husband is Department of Defense and they live a block away so I am very comfortable knowing he will look after us.  As far as I know, there was no damage and nobody was hurt this time but it really was just too close for comfort, only 20 k from Wellington (4.5 on Richter), which means 13 k from us since we are a bit out of town.  My nerves are raw and no psychiatrist is going to help. What are they going to say? That my fears are irrational? It won't happen again? I'm not big into pharmaceuticals but seem to be reaching my limit on red wine and chocolate.

5 comments:

  1. No rest for you. Give it time, my dear - I'm sure you're going to be skittish for a good long while, with or without the wine and chocolate. Here's hoping the earth stops shaking over there so you get a break.

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  2. I would be totally panicky as well. Good thoughts coming your way and hoping the ground decides to stop moving around soon.

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  3. Not being able to recover before you get hit again is horribly taxing mentally, especially when there is nothing you can do to avoid it. I am so sorry you have to deal with this and that it just keeps coming at you. I hope this is the last of it.

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  4. You keep breaking my heart! Please stay safe! Why are you in New Zealand, again? This was supposed to be a "good" post.

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