SoCal ShakeDown!

So we just had an earthquake!

Ok, that's a lie.

We just had a simulated earthquake of a significant magnitude. It was a drill that was for the entire state, or at least this half of the state - I guess the powers that be got a wake-up call a few months ago that no one would know what the heck to do if "the big one" hit (you can see my vlog on it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9fTFEVMK8M).

So we had it here, as a campus-wide thing, and at 10:02am they fired off a cannon to give the signal to "duck and cover". So I did, under my desk, which was surprisingly roomy and comfortable, yay for the corner desk, and which was good because we had to be there for 2 minutes! 2 minutes is a loooong time when you're hunched under a desk. I should keep a crossword puzzle or something under there just in case...

Anyway, so my boss and I started (pseudo) yelling a conversation back and forth from our attached offices. He's apparently been in all the big semi-recent ones, which is interesting, especially when big hanging lights are swinging over your head. And by interesting, I mean kinda scary.

Then it was over, and after determining that I'd be ok with the falling stuff (although I hate to imagine what my office would look like afterward - it's a pigsty as it is...) and that he should get under another part of his desk than he did, because of a ginormous heavy bookshelf that is mounted to the wall above it, I took up my role as the 'runner'.

As our building's runner, it'd be my job to go to the central location and get any info, directions, etc., as well as taking them info on injured/trapped/etc people where I am . So I went over to our division office and signed a little form to say I was there, and chatted for a minute ("Did you guys hide under the desks? We did over in Steele."...."I'll decline to answer that"...)

It's a gorgeous day today! And I noticed on my walk back that most people ignored the drill, but what are you gonna do. As I was celebrating the loveliness of the day while lamenting the temperature, which is supposed to get up to NINETY later (boo), I noticed an airplane flying pretty low - I could hear the motor loudly, but this isn't odd because LAX is so close. Anyway, I wonder what it would be like to be in an airplane looking down during an earthquake, seeing the ground writhe beneath you, buildings falling, while you're safe and level up in the air. Must be weird!

On that note, stock up on your bottled water and enjoy the lovely day. Oh, and drink some hot chocolate for me, those of you who are in the cold! I'll be sweating my face off.