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Earthquake

Let’s start by saying we are all fine.

The Wolvog and I were in a port-a-potty when the earthquake happened.  I had my back to him, facing the wall, to give him privacy.  It felt as if someone was jiggling the door handle awfully hard, as if they had a urinary tract infection and had! to! get! in! the! bathroom.

“This bathroom is very wobbly,” the Wolvog commented nervously.

“That is not an excuse for not aiming,” I called over my shoulder to him, always the mother of the year.  “We’re in here,” I told the person outside.

The port-a-potty stopped rocking.

When we got out of the bathroom, the only people nearby were this elderly couple who wouldn’t have had the strength to rock the port-a-potty in that manner, so I chalked it up to a rock-and-dash, and the person had moved on down the road to a different potty.

Then we rejoined our group and learned about the earthquake.  Then we gaily laughed for accusing the world of having a urinary tract infection.  And I told the Wolvog that even an earthquake was not an excuse not to aim well.

34 comments

1 a { 08.23.11 at 5:35 pm }

Glad to hear you are all just fine. Earthquakes are surprising and scary even when you aren’t adversely affected.

The earth has a urinary tract infection – maybe someone should give it some Macrobid.

2 Blanche { 08.23.11 at 5:40 pm }

You always have the best stories! I mean, really, how many people can say they were in a porta-potty for the great eastern earthquake of ’11? Glad you didn’t tip over though.

3 JustHeather { 08.23.11 at 5:59 pm }

Good to hear all’s well. I’ve been in a quite big earth quake when I was younger and it was terrifying! It woke me up from a deep sleep and was shaking the bunk bed I was in. I’m happy we don’t have earth’shakes’ where I live now.

4 Drea { 08.23.11 at 6:00 pm }

I was on my way to my doctor for my first ultrasound. I didn’t (and still don’t feel) pregnant. The entire staff was in the parking lot and I just wanted to make sure the earthquake would not be the cause of a cancelled appointment. Especially since I was on my lunch break, knowing I would return late for my meeting. Long story short, the earthquake cancelled the meeting and my ultrasound revealed I am having twins. So yes, I will remember this day!!!

5 HereWeGoAJen { 08.23.11 at 6:05 pm }

Hehe, that made me laugh. 🙂

6 It Is What It Is { 08.23.11 at 6:05 pm }

First, glad all is well.
Second, congrats Drea, how exciting especially since you don’t ‘feel’ pregnant.
Third, once a mom, always a mom, and aiming is key (& respectful) 🙂

7 Chickenpig { 08.23.11 at 6:21 pm }

I would like to say that the earthquake was the reason for my sons’ lack of aiming ability today, but sadly, they aim poorly on a regular basis.

We felt the quake all the way up here in CT. My husband works on subs, and some of the boats were tossed about…mildly. I’m so glad the portasan didn’t take a tumble. That would have been nasty!

8 Chickenpig { 08.23.11 at 6:22 pm }

PS Congrats Drea!

9 Meghan { 08.23.11 at 6:42 pm }

The world had a UTI…that’s hysterical. Seemed like it was much stronger here. I could feel the floor shaking and actually fell as I was running to get a screaming S.

Really glad the port-a-potty didn’t tip. Now that would have been a story!

10 Quiet Dreams { 08.23.11 at 6:59 pm }

So glad you’re fine. And so glad you used the earthquake as a teaching moment for poor Wolvog.

11 loribeth { 08.23.11 at 7:15 pm }

Glad to hear you could laugh about it! Some of my coworkers (in Toronto) said they felt it but neither dh nor I did. I’m just glad it wasn’t more serious.

12 Kim { 08.23.11 at 7:16 pm }

That’s the best earthquake story I’ve heard so far!

13 NotTheMama { 08.23.11 at 7:36 pm }

Glad you guys are okay! Nothin’ beats a good story.

14 Natalie { 08.23.11 at 7:38 pm }

That’s a great story. Living in California, earthquakes are second nature to us. But I can imagine if you haven’t felt one before (or recently) it could be disorientating. I remember the first one I felt when we moved out here in ’85. My first thought was that someone had picked up our house and started shaking it. Which didn’t make much sense in retrospect. =)

15 Hope { 08.23.11 at 8:00 pm }

LOL–the earth has a UTI!

Glad you are okay. 🙂

16 Justine { 08.23.11 at 8:02 pm }

Awesome. You were probably in one of the safest places possible, ironically enough! Poor Wolvog.

And I *wish* my son had that excuse!

17 Jeri { 08.23.11 at 8:18 pm }

I’ve been in California a year and never felt the earth move a bit (minus that horrible explosion in San Bruno last year). But the east coast gets a big enough shake to feel it from Boston to Raleigh, NC? Wowsers!

18 Mrs. Gamgee { 08.23.11 at 9:40 pm }

Glad you’re all okay… and that you got an excellent story out of the experience!

19 Gigi { 08.23.11 at 9:52 pm }

LOL at Hope! Glad everyone’s all right.

20 Kathy { 08.24.11 at 12:12 am }

Glad you all are alright and of all the places you could have been during the earthquake today! One of my fears is being in a porta-potty and it getting knocked over. Glad I’m not a character in The Witches of Eastwick! Yeah, that aiming thing is tricky, especially as a mom who had no brothers. Anyway, too funny that you thought someone really had to go that bad! 🙂

21 Sarah { 08.24.11 at 12:28 am }

I think this is the best recount I’ve heard yet!

22 Lori Lavender Luz { 08.24.11 at 1:01 am }

Mother. Of. Year.

23 Megan { 08.24.11 at 1:15 am }

Lol if an earthquake is not an excuse to aim badly then what is?

Good thing the earthquake wasn’t too big and it didn’t get knocked over. That is one of my biggest fears!

24 Tara (TIMO) { 08.24.11 at 8:17 am }

We’re about 90m south-east of Richmond and felt it. It took me a few seconds to realize it wasn’t jets overhead (a common occurrence around here). My boys were watching Sprout on TV after a 40m nap. They didn’t even flinch or notice. They were riveted to the TV. But man were they mad when I switched over to watch the news.

Love your story. Must remember to teach my boys that aiming is a must no matter what the situation.

PS- We were heading to DC to visit friends this weekend but now have to cancel due to Irene. We haven’t seen them in 5 years and haven’t met either of their kids. Thanks Mother Nature. Grr!

25 April { 08.24.11 at 8:50 am }

Glad to hear you guys are okay.

26 Kristin { 08.24.11 at 1:38 pm }

Absolutely LOVE that you told Wolvog that an earthquake was not a reason to aim well. That has to go down in the store of funny family stories to be told for eternity.

27 magpie { 08.24.11 at 3:37 pm }

i can think of places that i’d rather have been than a port-o-potty…

28 luna { 08.25.11 at 1:26 pm }

oh wow, being in a port-o-potty or on a bridge are my two big fears about earthquakes.

29 Rachel { 08.26.11 at 2:05 pm }

This story is awesome.

30 Sarah { 08.27.11 at 12:08 am }

LOL…okay since it didn’t tip over that is pretty funny!!! It would not have been so funny had it tipped over!!!

For some reason I missed out on this earthquake, I didn’t feel it at all!

31 Bea { 08.27.11 at 10:20 am }

That is pretty funny.

Bea

32 coffeegrljp { 08.30.11 at 12:02 am }

Years ago we had a tiny quake when I lived in upstate NY and where was I? On the toilet in the middle of the night, so while most people didn’t experience the quake (a tiny tremor at best) because they were sleeping, I was on the potty. *sigh* Hardly glamorous.

33 Battynurse { 09.01.11 at 3:17 am }

Oh wow. I seriously can’t think of a worst place to be during an earthquake. Except maybe in line for Splash Mountain (ie in the mountain) at Disneyland. I’m glad it all ended well and there was no spillage involved (the whole thing brings back memories of a certain jack-ass stunt).

34 decemberbaby { 09.05.11 at 7:42 pm }

Damn straight, an earthquake is no excuse for not aiming! If it was, we’d just be on the slippery slope towards “I couldn’t aim, my antihistamine had me feeling shaky”… and with that, I’m off to clean the bathroom and remind Mr. December that 90% is not an accuracy rate I can get behind 🙂

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