:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Monday, December 22, 2003 ::

Today, I experienced one of the most terrifying moments of my life. A 6.5 magnitude earthquake centered around San Simeon, about 30 minutes from Morro Bay, hit the Central Coast this morning. I was at my grandparents' house, on the second level, and all of a sudden, it hit. I had no idea what was going on, but I was being jostled around. It was frightening. The ground was shaking so hard, and things were crashing everywhere. The rumbling and crashing sounds were deafening.

I have never experienced an earthquake like this. My father says that in the 20 years that he has been here, there has not been an earthquake this strong. The epicenter was so close to our area, and we really felt it. In the house following the earthquake, light fixtures were swaying, and books, plants, collectibles, etc. had fallen from bookshelves. Some valuables were broken. My cell phone isn't working right now.

National network news channels are covering this breaking story. Finally, people are learning about our area! Pity that it is in such a negative light.

This afternoon, my friend and I went to hang out at the house of another friend, who is away on vacation. We watched some television, fed the pets, and just hung out. Another friend joined us later on, and we headed to San Luis Obispo, where we had dinner at Cabo San Luis, a Mexican restaurant. The chicken burrito I ordered was pretty good. I think I went overboard with the salsa from the salsa bar, though. It was a bit spicy. We then stopped by downtown SLO-town to hang out. We went to Starbucks, and while my friends got drinks, I got a Cranberry Bliss bar, which was pretty good. I enjoyed the sweet cream cheese frosting on top, as well as the chunks of white chocolate.

We read random books at Barnes and Noble, and we ran into a brother of one of our friends. We drove him back to his home in Los Osos and stayed to visit our friend and her baby. It was the first time I saw my friend's baby, and he looks to be a sweet one. We enjoyed quesadillas, and we started making a gingerbread house from a kit. It was so much fun. We read the instructions and made the frosting and built the gingerbread house and decorated it with tons of candy. I strove for perfection with my decorations, and it turned out quite beautifully, if I may say so myself. We shared much conversation and laughter. 'Twas one of the best times I've had in a long while.

We stayed pretty late into the night, and my friend graciously drove me back to Morro Bay. Alas, this whole not having car insurance thing is driving me nuts. If only I had known it would cause such a hassle. I used the computer for some time and then went to bed.

The earthquake was the talk of the day. It was huge, and two people died as a result of it. Paso Robles got the worst damage, with the historic clock tower building destroyed. Images of the Pan Jewelers storefront were flashed around the world. It was even shown on Taiwanese news, which my parents were watching. We've had aftershocks running throughout the day, and they are felt well. I'll never forget the frightening experience of today's earthquake.

Quote of the Day: "Guy should be like Kleenex; soft, strong, and disposable."

:: SL 12:05 PM [+] ::
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