Whole Lotta Shakin’
Today is the fifth anniversary of the Nisqually Earthquake that rocked the Seattle area and caused moderate structural damage to buildings and one very expensive stretch of highway.
When it hit, I was leaning in an office doorway talking to a client in the SoDo area (south of where the old Kingdome used to be - near Starbuck’s headquarters). I remember thinking, “Huh. Earthquake.”, and I kept on talking. When it continued for 10 seconds, I started to get a bit alarmed. When things started falling off shelves, I hustled myself under a desk in the office. The client’s general manager, whose office it was, huddled underneath another. I’m glad there were two desks - if I’d had a choice of whom to die in the arms of, it wouldn’t have been Jerry.
The shaking continued for what seemed like forever, although it was really only 45 seconds. I’m the only person I know who was actually injured. I was kneeling on something with an edge, and the shaking caused a cut or abrasion on my knee that I felt for a week or so. And it turns out that the area I was in, on a layer of “glacial till”, was one of the most vulnerable, and I was in one of those tilt-up concrete buildings that will tilt right down again if conditions are right.
Mrs. Perils, I think, had the better experience. She was at a salon having her hair repaired. As it turned out, there was also a fireman being serviced there, and he marched the whole group of them, in various states of foil, curl and dampness, out into the middle of the street. I’m not convinced this was the wisest thing to do, but I love the image.
Not sure what I’ll do to commemorate the event. Setting my cell phone to vibrate at 10:54 am seems most appropriate, given the general lack of ordinance in the house.
