Not so much

a close call, but the first night I arrived in Northridge, to work the devastating earthquakes in the LA area, in '93, I was staying on the 2nd floor of a nice motel. Near the middle of the night I was awakened by the sound of cracking masonry and the swaying of my room. Turned out to be the largest of several aftershocks and lasted about a minute, but seemed much longer. I remember standing up, in the darkness with the floor shaking and rumbling, and holding on to the bed as I tried to get to the window. I managed to get it open far enough to be able to jump out, and looked down at my landing area, that contained some large landscaping rocks. Decided not to jump. The next day, as I looked at the major cracks in the drywall in my room, I went outside and moved the rocks, making a better landing area in case I did have to evacuate. Felt several more aftershocks, while I was in the area, but the only time I was scared, and I got REAL scared, is when I was in the crawl space under a large old house in Santa Monica, that was totally uninhabitable, checking the foundation, when the dust started to fly, and everything started to shake. I remember thinking, I wouldn't even be found, cause no one knew I was there, and that inspired me to get the hell outa there, in a hurry, even though I tore up my pants and hands doing it. Come to think of it, they're about due for some more EQ action, out there.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Stevo, do you ever have a shiver go down your spine, as you take these walks down memory lane? No wonder you have a special bond with cats...they have nine lives and you must, too.
Anonymous said…
I'm loving the close calls theme! Keep them coming!
Fam Guy said…
No, ladyj, no shivers, but it is interesting, (for me), as I mine the recesses of my brain, to chronicle my shady past, before it is all lost to my (according to Carol) onset of Alzheimer's...

Popular posts from this blog

Great 'bargains' at the local Sprouts store

Guest columnist

You think the Repub brand is tarnished now?