The 5.4 earthquake that rocked this side of the US this morning at 5:30 am (Eastern Time) woke me up. I was somewhere between conscious and sub-conscious. My wife had left for work 15 mins +/- earlier, and I was in the process of dozing back off when I was awakened by the movement. The bed was bouncing subtlety and it startled me a bit. I reached for the fan on the nightstand next to my side of the bed, and turned it off thinking it was causing the movement. It was clanking and moving a bit as well. I turned it off and of course the shaking didn't stop. Freaked out I jumped up out of bed and I didn't notice it anymore. Dazed and confused, I sat back down on my bed and could just slightly feel it still and then it stopped.
I checked on my son, who snoozed right through it, and went downstairs to call my wife. I said: "now, don't think I'm crazy but..." and proceed to tell her about my experience (above). And she confirmed that she felt it too and noticed her computers monitor shaking slightly. I laughed and told her how relieved I was that we weren't going to need to get a priest to our house to exorcize the place. I told her: "I've seen poltergeist, I'll go stay at a hotel and push the TV out of the room."
Needless to say it was just a startling start to my day. Luckily, a safe and non-poltergeist start.
In Lieu of this event I went in search of gadgets that the average "Joe or Jill" could use in this situation. So, behold your own personal "Gragraph home earthquake seismograph"
According to the description from where I found this item The Japan Trendshop website: "The Gragraph is a home seismograph that warns you as an earthquake is occurring, measures the intensity, and records the data in its calendar. The verbal warnings are in Japanese, but the digital data can be easily accessed in any language. In normal mode, the Gragraph serves as a tabletop calendar/clock and a reference for past activity."
If you speak Japanese, this might just be for you. Otherwise, you will have to read the display. If you get this device and you hear Japanese spouting from it... take cover. Otherwise, you can just count on good ol' instincts.
I checked on my son, who snoozed right through it, and went downstairs to call my wife. I said: "now, don't think I'm crazy but..." and proceed to tell her about my experience (above). And she confirmed that she felt it too and noticed her computers monitor shaking slightly. I laughed and told her how relieved I was that we weren't going to need to get a priest to our house to exorcize the place. I told her: "I've seen poltergeist, I'll go stay at a hotel and push the TV out of the room."
Needless to say it was just a startling start to my day. Luckily, a safe and non-poltergeist start.
;)
In Lieu of this event I went in search of gadgets that the average "Joe or Jill" could use in this situation. So, behold your own personal "Gragraph home earthquake seismograph" According to the description from where I found this item The Japan Trendshop website: "The Gragraph is a home seismograph that warns you as an earthquake is occurring, measures the intensity, and records the data in its calendar. The verbal warnings are in Japanese, but the digital data can be easily accessed in any language. In normal mode, the Gragraph serves as a tabletop calendar/clock and a reference for past activity."
If you speak Japanese, this might just be for you. Otherwise, you will have to read the display. If you get this device and you hear Japanese spouting from it... take cover. Otherwise, you can just count on good ol' instincts.
