Swinging plants, etc.

June 29, 2004

The other night there was a 4.5 earthquake in Iowa. I was awake and experienced it, but had no idea what it was. (It only lasted a few seconds.) The funny part is how I tried to rationalize the fact that the whole house was rocking and rolling. At first I thought it must be my meds. (Ha ha! Ha! I?m such a schmoe.) Then, I thought maybe a couple of trains collided on the tracks a short distance from here, because they sometimes cause a rumbling vibration ? but nope, no crashing sound along with the shaking. Then I thought maybe I imagined the entire thing? but when I looked across the room, one of the hanging plants was still swinging.

A momentary freakout ensued: Holy CRAP! Earthquake! Earthquaaaaaaaaake!

Then, just like flipping a switch, a complete and utter denial and the epitome of tranquility set in. The mere pondering of such possibilities was too much to think about. My life is weird enough without the ground doing the hokey-pokey dance on a whim.

Earthquakes don?t happen in Iowa ? duh, I thought as I toddled off to bed.

Now I know they do (once in a great while) and I am totally intrigued by it. I?m also intrigued by my ability to deny reality as swiftly and completely as I did. Both occurrences were so surreal I want to understand them as much as possible.

That being said, I honestly cannot fathom how people live on the west coast where quakes and big tremors happen on almost a daily basis. I mean, I want to comprehend the phenomenon, but I sure don?t want to live in constant fear of it.

Maybe that?s where the psychological denial comes in handy. I think you?d have to live in that mode if you were there, otherwise you?d be scared every time one of your plants started swinging in the breeze.

In other news, The Weasly eBay Seller had the nerve to write back:

?My apologies for your unhappiness??

That was the entirety of her email. What the hell does that mean anyway?

I wrote back:

?My condolences on your piss-poor eyesight and apparent inability to tell the truth.?

It?s so odd? I feel simultaneously good and bad about telling her off. Heh. It?s easier to be a bitch on a macro, world-wide level; it feels a little shaky to do it on a micro, personal level. I guess it will take some getting used to.

I’m sure I’ll manage somehow.

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Comments

4 Responses to “Swinging plants, etc.”

Cinta on June 29th, 2004 11:54 pm

My apologies on your swinging plant.

Ha! Just kiddin.

Glad everything in your earthquakin’ part of the world is okay. Thank God all I have to worry about are hurricanes and flooding in these parts.

Lastly, to the person who said your site looks like the Lollipop Forest in Candyland: Thank you so much! It is so odd how the childish feeling comes back when I think about that… and now I do everytime I come here! Wheeee! I love it!
shannon on June 30th, 2004 9:48 am

I live in CT. We don’t get earthquakes. In some sick, demented desire, I always sort of wished for one. We had one last summer. I think it registered at like .0000000001 . Everyone freaked out. My state is so lame.

My best friend lives in CA. Earthquakes are like second nature to her. I was on the phone with her once during an earthquake. It was near the same magnitude of the one you had. She was so nonchalant and cool about the whole thing.

I still don’t get why during earthquakes, people huddle under tables and desks. I guess it makes a lot of sense to have shit crash on top of you.

That pussyloser from E-Bay sucks. Some peoples’ lack of integrity amazes me.
Zubrovka on June 30th, 2004 10:48 am

You get used to it, just always hope it isn’t the BIG ONE they keep talking about. I live on the New Madrid fault.

Guess if it ever happens I can name our farms, Lake Zubrovka, and offer fishing tours…
Carrie on July 3rd, 2004 6:53 pm

Your denial of reality could be worse. The first time I experienced an earthquake I figured out pretty quickly what it was, but my roommate was completely and totally convinced it was a ghost. She didn’t believe it was an earthquake until we turned on the news. She was pretty much a complete psycho anyway.