Friday, April 18, 2008

A VERY Rude Awakening!

This morning, shortly after 4:30 AM, I hear the closet door rattling, and Steve coming down the hall before leaving work. I sit up in bed and realize it's shaking also. Steve comes in the bedroom doorway, stops, looks at the closet door, and then flips on the overhead light (ouch!). He sees both cats laying on the foot of the bed, and me sitting up in bed, all three of us blinking in the sudden bright light.

He said, "I thought one of the cats was stuck in the closet and was pawing the door."

I said, "They are both right here."

He just looked at the closet, and then the cats and me.

I said, "It's called an earthquake."

He said, "........"

I said, "The bed is shaking, too."

He said, "It must be an earthquake!"

*sigh*

Thank you, Steve. I didn't realize that.

Yes, there was an earthquake in Illinois today! The epicenter was about 6 miles east of West Salem, which is located about 120 miles southeast of Decatur, and about 120 miles due east of St. Louis. The magnitude was 5.4, and they even felt skyscrapers sway in Chicago from the shock. It rattled our windows and the closet door and our beds (and a couple of cats also!), but no damage in our area. There was an aftershock around 10:30 this morning, but nothign major.

So Mother Nature provided me with a natural alarm clock this morning! Unfortunately, I have the day off and did NOT need one, especially that early!

Oh well . . .

3 comments:

Eileen said...

I know the shake rattle and roll wake up. It is a bit disconcerting.

Unknown said...

Hey, I felt and heard it too! Mostly, I heard it, cause when the bedroom door saounded like someone was trying to get in, I thought it was my youngest daughter; then thouth I dreamt it; then saw the news! How exciting!

Anonymous said...

I love the way places are described in Illinois! I have a friend from there, and he does the same: 120 miles south of this-place-you-may-have-heard-of, 195 miles Northwest of this other-possibly-familiar-place.
Very charming, and very descriptive! I couldn't tell you how many miles I am from almost anything, and certaintly not the direction!