Earthquake - To Blog or Not To Blog?

I've debated on whether or not to write about the earthquake here in Virginia and Zoe's experience.  My first inclination was "No, everything is fine - is there really anything to write about?"  But then I thought, it was a "first" so it probably deserves its own entry.

Tuesday was an amazingly gorgeous day for August.  Sunny, low 80s, light breeze.  If I closed my eyes, I could pretend I was in my beloved San Diego.  (Maybe that was foreshadowing - that California thinking!)     I had just received a new box of Fall items from Chan Luu and had started to unpack and hang them up.  When things started to shake, at first I thought they might be doing some work in my landlord's garage (which is below me) or a large construction vehicle was coming down the street.  I quickly realized neither was the case!

I have no idea how I kept my wits about me but as soon as I realized it was an earthquake, I walked over and stood in Zoe's doorway (to the outside).  I watched as the earth shook the water out of the doggie bowls that I have outside for my neighborhood friends.  Soon, fire alarms were going off in buildings around me (not sure if the shaking caused them to go off or if people pulled them to get people out).  All I know is that my heart was pounding and it took a long time for it to stop!

I stepped outside to talk with people from my landlord's office for a bit and then came back in to see if I had any issues at Zoe.  My visual inspection revealed no cracks and the only thing that had fallen was a picture frame from my desk in Zoe's office.  Other stores did not fare as well.  The Christmas Attic across the street had some items fall onto the floor and break.

I had some customers come in not long after it was over who wanted something to remember the earthquake by so they bought some jewelry!  Others who came in later in the day commented that some stores had closed but I was not aware of any in my general vicinity.  The streets were definitely quieter afterward, even from a car/bike traffic standpoint.

All is well that ends well but I hope to not go through anything like that again!