There was a whole lotta shakin' goin on!

No, Mr. Top Gun is not home yet. Therefore, the shakin' I am referring to is not the shakin' of our bed! *Yep, I just went there!* I apologize to my readers with delicate sensibilities, as well as to my MIL... But, given the benefit of the doubt, I have not had Mr. around forever, and thus I freely admit that my mind is most certainly in the gutter ;) 


It started out like any other normal Saturday evening in Okinawa. I had just returned from a dinner with my fellow spouses, and was sitting down at the table checking my e-mail. I seemed to hear what sounded like a really loud helicopter or plane flying extremely LOW over my house, but brushed it off, since this happens daily. Well, the next thing I know, I look up and notice the ceiling fan in the dining room shaking rather violently. The shaking then turned into a swaying, and then it happened... For the next 10-15 seconds, I felt like I was in one of those fun houses you find at fairs and carnivals, and NOT in a good way either! My house kinda felt like it was all 'gooey' and 'swishy' and I felt like the third and fourth floors were swaying a little bit.


After less than a minute, everything stopped and guess what I did? Go check my house for broken objects? Nope. I proceeded to be a total ditz and didn't even realize an earthquake had just occurred!! So, naturally I went into the kitchen and made cherry turnovers for dessert. After I placed them in the oven, I checked online and that is when I saw the post from the USGS... a 5.3 earthquake hit 90 miles from Okinawa!!! WTF?? Cue me freaking out, checking the house, checking outside, walking the dog outside to check with me, calling friends here and my nana and grandpa and parents. Nothing even shifted in the house- amazing. All I can say is that Japan has extremely high codes they adhere to when it comes to housing, so now I am thankful that my four story concrete and steel bar reinforced house is rock solid! I proceeded to sleep with one eye open that night, terrified of an after shock or a tsunami...


  We never got an after shock or a tsunami warning- although when I called my dad, the first thing he said to me was: "You know you gotta watch out for those tsunamis after earthquakes over there." Thanks dad! Anyways, I survived my first earthquake and now I can add that to the four typhoons I endured since Mr. Top Gun has been away. Good times indeed!