(Tuesday:
October 17, 1989 - 5:04pm)
I was in
the shower, starting to get ready to meet Robert.
(We were going to go out and celebrate his birthday
- Oct. 15).
The lights
started to flicker and finally went out. The earth and
my building started to shake.
I have been
through earthquakes before and at first I did not react
because I felt it was not necessary. When the whole
bathroom started jerking violently I reacted by jumping
out of the shower and racing to the hallway in search
of Epsilon.
She had ran
into the kitchen, and I quickly slipped on some sweats
in case we needed to get out of there.
There was
a loud rumble with the quake. Things moved quickly and
the jerking was uncontrollable. It was as if the walls
were going to fall apart and the roof and floors were
going to collapse. My heart was beating ferociously!
I was still wet and when it subsided I went to find
Epsilon.
She was behind
the refrigerator, frightened with eyes very big and
her tail doing an imitation of a corncob. I got her
out and held her, my heart beating, and almost out of
breath. I can totally relate to the "fight or flight"
label of the sympathetic nervous system!
The earthquake
hit an incredible 7.0 on the Richter scale. It was horrible,
frightening experience.
Chris
came over afterwards and we got drunk at a little Greek
restaurant on Polk street. The lights were down and
the street full of people in darkness.
It was strange
seeing the city from my rooftop, with no lights. The
Marina fire was burning and helicopters and the Goodyear
Blimp were going back and forth in the sky.
At the restaurant,
Chris and I opened ourselves up and talked to each other.
That in itself was a wonderful experience. I am happy
to be alive.
Everyone
I know here was all right, (excuse the pun).. but shaken.
The only person I know who got the worst of it was my
friend Deborah (from anatomy class) who lost her apartment.
(Thank god her kitty was all right!)
Epsilon is
all right. Kelly
and Tieja
are too. She came over to see if I was O.K., but I did
not let her in because Chris was naked in my bed.
As of lately,
I started school again today, Robert is more predominant
in my thoughts and I sit here with a warm
kitty on my lap.
