Yet another "aftershock"
Initially reported as a 7.4, it was downgraded to 7.1
3 dead, 132 injured
At 2330 last night, the shaking started again. Doug was already in bed. I was looking at "houses for rent" on Craigslist--daydreaming about moving to the warmth of Southern California. It’s been a few days since the last big aftershock and life {was} settling down--starting to feel almost normal again--"new" normal.
At first the shaking didn’t faze me. Then it kept going and the lights and computer flickered and went out. The shaking got harder. I ran towards the stairs trying to stay oriented in the pitch black with the floor moving. When I got to the bottom I yelled up “Dougie! Get my babies!!!” The house was still shaking.
Doug was already in motion “I’ve got Gabe!”. He had a flashlight and was kneeling next to Gabe's toddler bed when I passed. I ran to Gray’s room, bumping into things along the way, and snatched him out of his crib for the second time in less than a month. There is nothing that can fall on him. I just wanted him in my arms.
By the time I got back to the top of the stairs, the shaking was subsiding but my hands couldn’t stay still. I held Gray for a few more minutes then we tucked both little boys back into bed. The big boys amazingly never even woke up.
Next we found some more flashlights, got out the candles, and made some phone calls to the states on the corded phone--trying to get news about possible tsunamis. Doug said "at least our 72-hour kits are ready! Oh, except they don't have any clothes in them...!" I grabbed a spare duffle bag from the hall closet and found outfits to stuff in for all four boys. You would have thought we would have been TOTALLY ready. Is anyone ever TOTALLY ready?
I thought of the day-old e-mail from my dad; "I just got your package in the mail...I'll forward it on tomorrow." Two battery-powered lanterns that Amazon wouldn't ship to an APO address are somewhere en-route to my house. A week too late.
Sometime after midnight, Doug got called back into work for a "recall". I pondered whether or not to stay dressed. Finally, I took my jeans off and got in bed and started reading with a battery operated book light. The loud speakers off-base were blaring messages--tsunami warnings-- and continued until after I fell asleep around 1:30. I don't remember Doug coming back in.
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Cold cereal for breakfast this morning. On the plus side, the weather is warmer. The kids played outside today between rain showers. On the minus side, that means no snow to pack into the refrigerator and freezer to keep the food cool. I sure missed having the H family here...it's hard to be home alone in a crisis. What was that I said about not panicking and leaving? I'm ready to go now!
Cold cereal for breakfast this morning. On the plus side, the weather is warmer. The kids played outside today between rain showers. On the minus side, that means no snow to pack into the refrigerator and freezer to keep the food cool. I sure missed having the H family here...it's hard to be home alone in a crisis. What was that I said about not panicking and leaving? I'm ready to go now!
The power came back on late this afternoon. Don't know exactly when. I took a nap when Gabe and Gray went to bed and when I woke up a bathroom light was on.
Hallelujah!!!
Thankfully, this outage was MUCH shorter than the last one. The destruction and damage "minimal". Life carries on.
Our 72-hour-kits still sit in the front hall closet--with the recent addition of some kid clothing. We're that much better prepared for next time.
Let's hope "next time" doesn't come too soon!
7 comments:
I am so sorry! I hope next time doesn't come either!!
You are not getting a break! Good grief. Hopefully this will be the last of it.
Okay, that's it. Come.Home.Now!!!!!
By the way, I still don't knwo what you have decided to do with your life back in the states. Cali, I know, but I need details!
I think you should come home now too! As soon as I heard about the earthquake and tsunami warnings I got onto your blog to find out what was really going on and you hadn't posted and I got all worried. When do you guys come home??!!!!
OK, now that you will have your 72 hour kits "complete", you may be considering leaving. However, moving from earthquake prone Japan to earthquake prone California seems a little... how should one say, not really solving the problem. Why not then just tough it out to July, as the alternative is just six of one and six of the other. You can keep your 72 hour kit by the the front door there as easily as in CA, and still be with your husband. Just a thought. You can always pray and follow the Spirit, which everyone knows you will do.
I've been reading every day since your Aunt Susan told me about your blog (she's married to my Dad). I cried today when I read "Get my babies" how you just wanted to make sure they were in your arms. OH my. This is tough stuff. You have made this crisis much more personal for me, which I need. Please keep writing. We will continue praying for you all.
My heart goes out to you, Doug and those adorable boys and for all the families we don't know ..we pray it will end and some how life CAN get back to a normal!!!
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