Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Day The Earth Trembled!


Yesterday the earth trembled, and shook, and trembled some more. I wish I could say that it is because I reached my goal weight. No, that wasn't it for sure! I'm at the beach house this week, and I am holding my own, no loss, but no gain. Remember the tortoise and the hare? Well I am surely the tortoise in this weight loss game! Slow and steady, but really, this slow?????

Summer PeopleAnyway, I am savoring the lazy, hazy last days of summer. The beach is glorious, the sand warm and the breeze just right. I'm into the final pages of a great beach read ( Summer People, by Elin Hilderbrand) and just about to find out the sex of Beth's  illegitimate grandchild, fathered by her teenage son, who has had a summer romance with Beth's, former high school lover's, daughter, while she is coping with the loss of her husband, who died in a plane crash, while returning from a visit to a prison, where he is defending a woman, who murdered her sister, whose son is now spending the summer on her Nantucket family home, while forming a relationship with her teenage daughter....following me so far??? Hope I didn't spoil it for anyone!

 It was just a nice summer read, and I was enjoying it....when.........my......... beach......... chair.......... started.......... shaking......I looked up.I looked over my shoulder, thinking someone I knew had come up from behind to teasingly shake my chair.I looked over at my husband who had just been awakened from his nap.Then I looked at other people on the beach. Everyone knew something was up. What we didn't know was that an earthquake of a 5.9 magnitude had occurred in VA. I opened up twitter on my phone and the tweets were pouring in. People felt if all over the east coast and even up into Canada.
Some of the damage!
Now I know you west coasters are giggling a little this morning. I saw the tongue in cheek posts showing damage, where a yogurt cup and spoon are turned on it's side, and a wall picture is askew. I read the posts that said this is just  a regular Tuesday on the west coast. And the photos of the chair on its side with  someone saying " we will rebuild" even made me smile. But we are amatuers at this sort of thing, and it gave us a scare for a minute....or really a few seconds.

 Here was a tweet that I saw:

Dear sassy California people: Now might be a good to remind you that you freak out WHEN IT RAINS.

 And another funny post: Of course, the tables might just turn if a freak snowstorm ever hits San Francisco.
I know this is all my fault. I have had earthquake insurance on my homeowners policy for years. My agent said there is a fault that runs through PA. It didn't cost much, only a few hundred dollars. But when the policy just came up for renewal, I said to myself, this is silly. I told my agent to take it off. So blame this one on me!

Thought for the day: I feel the earth move, under my feet!

7 comments:

  1. I bet the earthquake was a bit scary! How funny that you took the earthquake insurance out of your policy and then this happens! Hope nothing did get hurt..

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  2. Hi Pattie,
    I was just talking about the earthquake in my blog. I didn't feel it due to driving in my car. It sure was the talk of the town! My son(#3) starts his freshman year Saturday and will be living on campus. I don't want him to go either!

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  3. Hey girl!
    Hope you are having a great time at the shore, regardless of the earthshaking experience. I love your posts & look forward to reading them. I often think to myself, if we all got together what a great time we would have!
    Enjoy the rest of your vaca!!

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  4. Hi Pattie, Just enjoyed reading your post it made my day. I hope you enjoyed your beach trip even with the rumblings of a earthquake. We had a small one in Oregon and I did not even know what it was. I guess we are not use to them like the pros huh. I look forward to reading more of your post.

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  5. Again Im going to tell you how envious I am of your beach place! I have read several of Elin Hildebrand's books. They are all a lot alike, but all good so far. I love the Little Engine that Could story. VERY very true, but I KNOW you can.

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  6. About the earthquake. I was sitting on a chair at the kitchen table doing some paper work. I felt movement under the chair and thought it was my schnauzer (who is wearing a big cone shaped collar do to a cut he had on his neck) When I didn't see him I felt the stronger shake. I went out on the porch to see the plant leaves shaking. Then I saw everyone in the neighborhood outside. In the house 2 clown figures in my sons room were knocked over as well as some plaques on my husbands dresser. Some areas in the city had some walls fall,
    Having 2 things happen in the same week is stressful. Are you prepared to be without electric? Our electric co. called with a message to go on line for instructions. They already have Companies from other states lined up to help restore the power.
    I'm enjoying your post,,, You should be a writer along with Rosy and Sherri.
    Stay safe this weekend
    Linda (Baltimore

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  7. I am just wondering how you are doing? I would assume that you are not at the beach? Now they are saying that a tornado is hitting Virginia Beach?
    First an earth quake and now a Hurricane? I hope you are doing great and not in harms way.
    The weight roller coaster is frustrating, just don't let it win. You can do this and when you get to the end of your journey, you can keep it up!!! Because we are learning a lifestyle I am hoping that we can get off the roller coaster and enjoy flat lands:)
    I really don't miss sugar things, but I am a very bad girl with french fries and white bread! Small investments now, will pay huge rewards in the future!
    Keep on keeping on!!!

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