Did You Feel That!?

I awoke this morning to my bed shaking and my door rattling. At first I thought the wind was rattling my door (as will happen when the window is actually open). But when I remembered the window was shut and it occurred to me my bed was shaking, I took notice and grew frightened... especially as this went on for longer than 10 seconds. Yeah- nothing like an EARTHQUAKE TO WAKE YOU OUT OF BED!

I know people in California will think we're wusses, but let's think about this. We never feel earthquakes here in St. Louis. I realize that it's a daily occurance in Cali, but we're used to brushing off tornado warnings. The sound of tornado warning sirens going off in July is as common as the sounds of puppet-like clapping at a Cards game. Plus, we learn early here about the New Madrid Fault line that runs along St. Louis, so if anything, we're taught that the earthquakes in St. Louis are insane, kill people and we're supposedly getting another one at some point. You can imagine the frustration this caused in high school...

Students: "when?"

Geology teacher: "I can't say, but there's a big chance a major one will occur.I can't say for sure."

students: (more frightened) "But when?!"

Geology teacher: "I dunno. But the last one killed a lot of people. It's pretty scary when you think about it.

Students: Look of fear, mouths gaping. "But...but..."

Geology teacher: "So about those rocks..."

I began to wonder if anyone else felt it and checked my clock to get an exact time to help fill details in my story the next morning (it was 4:38 am) when I heard my mother, father and sister talking as they met up in the kitchen. I walked out, knowing we had all felt this earthquake, and we all exchanged our own accounts of what happened.

The (well, second) biggest thing for me is that I went to bed around 9-something pm. I know this might be normal for some people,but being an insomniac, sleeping this early is a rare occurance for me. I usually only sleep that early after flying into another country and my sleep pattern is off. I guess it's just one of those nights.

We checked the news about 15 minutes ago and they're reporting it to have centered in southeast Illinois, at 5.2 on the richtor scale. Once they mentioned it was felt in places like Chicago, my sister and I joked that we might get more media coverage now that Chi-town was victimized by nature. Otherwise, everyone would of shushed us up. Sort of like how my mom was shushing us and begging us to go to bed as we began to joke and imitate hicks calling in news stations to report their remote controls had fallen off their potbellies as they were watching their TV.

"It done fell right off my belly and onto the ground!"

Or other people, who over react (like my dad did)...

overreactive St. Louisan:"My cat was on the bed...but then it wasn't there anymore!

Police officer: "Ma'am, do you think it just jumped off?"

overreactive St. Louisan: "I haven't seen kitty in an hour!"

Police officer: (pointing to cat in kitchen) "Ma'am, is that your cat?"

overreactive St. Louisan: "Kitty! Oh Kitty!" (runs and hugs her cat)

Anyways, hope all is well and nobody's pictures fell on their heads. I just had an epiphany. When watching the news, I always ask why people who are affected by natural disasters choose to live in those types of areas. But then it occurred to me: in St. Louis, we experience tornadoes, flooding, and right now, earthquakes. We're like a Biblical story waiting to happen. Good to know.

So I bought tickets and plan on going to the Cards-Giants game on Sunday, but that's if, as I told my sister, we can make it.