About an hour ago we had our first earthquake since moving to California. At first the walls/ceiling started to shake. I was really mad because I thought it was the 3 little disrespectful rug rats upstairs making noise...but then the rattling started to become more intense and our blinds and light fixtures started swinging! It only rattled for about 15 seconds but it was enough to make me wonder what I should be doing. Admittedly I have no knowledge of earthquake procedures!
The news has reported that it was about a 5.6 on the Richter scale. I thought it may be less, but perhaps it was where we are in Palo Alto. Our bookshelves didn't even move, nor did our wind chimes. No car alarms. Perhaps we lucked out here in Palo Alto but I can safely say we'll be calling State Farm to add earthquake coverage on our insurance...now that we have things worth insuring!!
This was my first earthquake ever. I *think* that while I lived in Taipei one occurred while I was sleeping and woke me up. I awoke to my light fixture swinging and car alarms outside, and I'm sure it woke me up but I never felt it happen in a conscious state so it doesn't count! I've yakked for years that I've never felt an earthquake despite living in Taipei for a year and California for 2...but that has ended. Now I can check that off the list and move on. I don't need to feel more!! Pratik has been through one or two, so he's a seasoned vet! I'm not sure where he was when they happened, but tonight he's at work. It gets me to thinking with all of those chemicals and glass tubes in the lab....what happens when there's a big earthquake in a chem lab? I can imagine it's quite expensive and dangerous. We'll all have to remind him to get out of dodge if he's at work during a quake!
The news said there should be aftershocks but nothing so far. *Cross my fingers.*
I did find it interesting that the news felt it important enough to not only interrupt regular programing to report on it, which is fine, but then have callers call in and tell their stories of where they were five minutes ago! My house shook! Wow, you live in California. Duh. It's like when you live in the Midwest and the news blows a snowstorm out of proportion. It comes with the territory, people, get over it.
Anyway, we're OK. It didn't even move anything in our home so we're all good here!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
We've Moved!
After many cardboard boxes, car trips, U-Hauls, and rolls of packing tape later, Pratik and I have finally settled into our new apartment in Palo Alto. And by settled, I do mean that we're still climbing over boxes...but one by one they're being unpacked and we're settling in.
We have a 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment in Palo Alto. We're only 4 miles from Pratik's lab at Stanford, so he will be able to come and go from home as needed now without much hassle. A friend of his is graciously giving him a bike which is being fixed up this week. Our former roommate Kevin bikes from here to work every day, so it is do-able. An 8 mile round-trip bike ride will do him good! It will be better than trying to figure out a 1 hour train trip home every day. Although, he's not the best with directions...perhaps we should get his bike a navigation system! (He's already gotten lost here once on the way home.)
In any case, we live across the street from Greer Park in a nice, residential neighborhood. It's much quieter than our last apartment, despite the fact that it's just off Highway 101, so here's hoping Pratik will sleep better at night. I'm looking forward to setting up a guest bedroom/sewing room soon when we get the boxes cleared out. We even have a nice big patio with a rose bush and a eucalyptus tree.
Moving is of course not without it's share of problems. We're both very sick and tired of dealing with rental office management. Our last 2 moves have been horrible. We're always having to make lists of details that need to be taken care of...you know, like connecting the water line in the bathroom sink or installing bars in our closets. Our apartment last year was like that...only no matter how many lists we made for 2 months hardly anything was ever accomplished. I knew we were only going to be there a year, but this time we're here until Pratik is finished with school, so I'm not backing down on what needs to be done. They put the time and effort to add eye-catching light fixtures and faucets and all those small details, so they can also patch paint where it needs to be done and not leave WIRES just hanging every where in our closets.
This makes me miss home. I'm very spoiled in the sense that I have family members who were very talented at construction and home improvement and they NEVER do a half-ass job. We're nothing if not detail-oriented! They really know how to make a house a home in old Elkton! Plus, houses are houses there, not shoe boxes that cost a quick half million. Good old Huron County may be too small for me permanently, but it's always home.
I told Pratik that I'm so sick of renting and dealing with management that our next move better be into a house! At least I can fix things to my own standards there. (Although I'm not above getting out a drill and just doing things myself around here. For the next three years, this is my home!)
Ah, the day when we'll have our own home. The roof may spring a leak and it may be my responsibility, but at least I can paint my walls shades of red, wine, and burgundy!
We'll post pictures of the new place once everything falls into place!
We have a 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment in Palo Alto. We're only 4 miles from Pratik's lab at Stanford, so he will be able to come and go from home as needed now without much hassle. A friend of his is graciously giving him a bike which is being fixed up this week. Our former roommate Kevin bikes from here to work every day, so it is do-able. An 8 mile round-trip bike ride will do him good! It will be better than trying to figure out a 1 hour train trip home every day. Although, he's not the best with directions...perhaps we should get his bike a navigation system! (He's already gotten lost here once on the way home.)
In any case, we live across the street from Greer Park in a nice, residential neighborhood. It's much quieter than our last apartment, despite the fact that it's just off Highway 101, so here's hoping Pratik will sleep better at night. I'm looking forward to setting up a guest bedroom/sewing room soon when we get the boxes cleared out. We even have a nice big patio with a rose bush and a eucalyptus tree.
Moving is of course not without it's share of problems. We're both very sick and tired of dealing with rental office management. Our last 2 moves have been horrible. We're always having to make lists of details that need to be taken care of...you know, like connecting the water line in the bathroom sink or installing bars in our closets. Our apartment last year was like that...only no matter how many lists we made for 2 months hardly anything was ever accomplished. I knew we were only going to be there a year, but this time we're here until Pratik is finished with school, so I'm not backing down on what needs to be done. They put the time and effort to add eye-catching light fixtures and faucets and all those small details, so they can also patch paint where it needs to be done and not leave WIRES just hanging every where in our closets.
This makes me miss home. I'm very spoiled in the sense that I have family members who were very talented at construction and home improvement and they NEVER do a half-ass job. We're nothing if not detail-oriented! They really know how to make a house a home in old Elkton! Plus, houses are houses there, not shoe boxes that cost a quick half million. Good old Huron County may be too small for me permanently, but it's always home.
I told Pratik that I'm so sick of renting and dealing with management that our next move better be into a house! At least I can fix things to my own standards there. (Although I'm not above getting out a drill and just doing things myself around here. For the next three years, this is my home!)
Ah, the day when we'll have our own home. The roof may spring a leak and it may be my responsibility, but at least I can paint my walls shades of red, wine, and burgundy!
We'll post pictures of the new place once everything falls into place!
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