louise on the left (coast)

No, really. I really, really, really hate them. Earthquakes, car crashes, and anaphylaxis. All things I despise and loathe and pretty much spend my life trying to avoid, which is fine. Except that in my situaion, this place also happens to be where we live right now. You see, when you are a "we" and not just a "me," things like where you live no longer are just just your choice. And my husband does not agree that moving away from California because of earthquakes is rational. Perhaps, it isn't. But, there we are. So, if you want to feel sorry for someone, you can pity my husband this week for having to hear me tell him again, for the 45,908th time, what I really think about earthquakes.

If you are, please contact me. All I ask is that you live away from the Pacific Coast and it's shifty plate movements. In return for your interest I'll send you an amazing resume of someone (aka, my husband) very talented whose wife is dying to relocate to the east coast. To be honest, for the past 14 years I've endured the longest act of holding my breath ever achieved. Why? Well, because we are a family of four and having one of us employed with benefits is necessity and (as far as I'm concerned.) mostly the only thing that's keeping us (Okay, me.) out here in Southern California. But, for the record, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but I absolutely hate earthquakes. Seriously, hate them. I hate them. Last night, after a long day of having great Fairy-Garden-Birthday-Party fun, we collapsed down to eat dinner and relax only to hear "tick, tick, tick (the sound always starts in the same place. As a rattle way high up in the same corn

And we didn't burn up, our neighbors did. And last night the show did go on.  And today it will, too. My daughter is more stressed by her homework than the air quality, so that is a pretty good barometer of how life just goes on in California. I should add that this doesn't mean I don't feel horrible about our neighbors houses going up in smoke, we all do. I find it horrific. And it's mind numbing. We go outside, cough, and try to ignore that we're inhaling someone's apartment complex on the way to work. We turn on the TV and watch the virtual fireplace in our livingroom, and have to work hard to keep in mind this is not fake, but, is, in fact, a very real part of our own county burning. It happens so often, here in California. Disaster seems like it's part of the culture here. "Oh, a fire is burning in so-and-so's neighborhood." "Oh, the ground is moving. So what? I've seen worse. See you tomorrow. same time, same place.&q

Today wasn't funny at all. We had a 5.4 earthquake today that made my teeth chatter it was so scary. (It was a 5.8, but it got down-graded. Somehow my nerves didn't get that memo.) In case you don't know this about me, yet, I hate earthquakes. Hate and loathe them. If a 5.4 makes my heart race any faster than it did this morning, I'll faint. I did ride out the Northridge quake when living in Los Angeles, but this was B.C. (Before Children.) I'm a mom now. Magnify my personal terror by three and you get: a woman who doesn't want to experience another earthquake as long as she lives. If it gets any worse than this, every friend of ours living east of the Pacific ocean can pretty much just expect us to drop by on our way out of Dodge. Was there an earthquake in California? (Yep.) Was it bad ? Start looking for my minivan. My husband knows this. He pretends he doesn't, but he knows. He can't even feign surprise if I bolt out of here -- I do NOT