Earthquake!!!!

Well we survived our first earthquake. The first one we felt since we have been here anyway. It happened around 4:30pm Sunday our time. We’re just sitting watching TV after another hectic Sunday of Starbucks, the market, working out, and cooking (Angela made a couple different salsas and refried beans). We’re kicking back, loosely watching the E! True Hollywood Story: that 70’s Show (no idea why this was even made), when it hit. Initially felt like everything was just shaking a bit but then it felt like the ground beneath me was rolling (surface waves). I was only a couple sips into my rum and rum with some coke so I didn’t think that could be it. Then I thought it might be a semi idling outside causing the house to shake.

Then it hit me…EARTHQUAKE!!!!...and I quickly went into action. I yelled, “OH MY GOD, WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE” then ran outside and screamed, “THE END IS HERE, ARMAGEDDON HAS ARRIVED.” While this was the first earthquake that I’ve felt, Angela has been through several so she didn’t quite react the same way. The shaking stopped after around 30 seconds so I returned home. I then spent the next hour waiting for the earthquake to show up on the tracking site supplied by the US government (another fine service beyond tracking personal phone calls and financial transactions).

Turns out it was a 5.4 magnitude located at 41.465°S, 173.166°E (about 25 minute drive south of Nelson) with a depth of 75.1 miles (more details: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/usriae.php).

I was disappointed that there was no report on nightly news (i guess they are only deemed news when they are located in the ocean - they might spark a tsunami) – some BS about the Middle East got top billing and something about rocks rolling into a house in Christchurch. Oh well, maybe it will make news tomorrow.