We had a minor earthquake here on Sunday. Well – minor in my book. It was a 7.2 in Baja, California and we certainly had some shaking going on. But I don’t think that thousands of Southern California residents who had to recover from swinging chandeliers and tilted artwork really warrants calling it major, in light of recent events. Nevertheless, we felt it, and I am glad it’s over.
So many sweet friends emailed or texted to make sure I was okay. And I do realize most people were worried about my mental state more than my physical safety – and many were worried about Kembe. The good news is that all three of the bigger kids slept through it – aided by the sugar-induced diabetic coma they had slipped into after grazing off of their Easter baskets all morning.
Something weird happened to me right before this earthquake. About 15 minutes before it happened, I got vertigo so bad that I could barely stand up. My in-laws left and we put the kids down for a nap, and suddenly I could barely stand up straight. I told Mark I had to go lay down – which is very weird for me since a)I never nap, and b) I rarely sit down during naptime without cleaning first. I just felt so unbalanced and dizzy, and also anxious. I was drifting off when I felt the shaking and woke up, and suddenly Mark came into our room and I bolted outside. I was still half-asleep, and I saw Karis sitting in her high chair laughing, with the lamp swinging above her head as I ran for the back door.
Later, I yelled at Mark for coming to get me instead of grabbing Karis and running outside. Mark gently reminded me that he knew the worst risk of this earthquake was me having a freak-out moment, rather than the house falling on the kids. He’s probably right.
I have no clue what was up with my pre-quake sensory experience. Have I developed some sort of earthquake sixth-sense after experiencing several days of shifting earth in Haiti? I tried googling it but I only came up with some articles about toads who predict earthquakes. Flattering.
Anyways, I’m okay.
