Weird Weather Week

In one week I was able to check two natural disasters of my life experiences list.  On Tuesday, August 23, I was sitting on the couch reading, Monica was asleep upstairs, when I noticed a rumbling sound and the windows started to shake.  We get some big trucks that come by and produce the same effect so I didn't think anything of it, but then I realized that I was shaking.  I looked up and the ceiling fan was swaying.  Commencement of internal dialogue.  Earthquake?  No, they can't get those here . . .  But this is too much movement to be a truck, right?  Should I go get Monica? 
By the time I had those thoughts, the shaking had stopped.  I called my neighbor.
"Hey neighbor, you're going to think I'm nuts, but do you get earthquakes here?"
"No."
"Oh well then, I must be crazy then."
"Why, did you feel one?" 
"Well I thought I did, but you said you don't get them."
"We can, but we just don't get them in the region that much.  Let me call someone and I'll call you back."
So I hung up the phone and looked online because I figured if it was an earthquake it would be on the local news already.  In the same moment I discovered that there had been an 5.5 earthquake, originating in Virginia, my mom called and my brother instant messaged me and there were a bunch of facebook posts from my area ~ information sure travels fast.  It was only a 2.2 magnitude in this area, but at least it confirmed that I was crazy (in this particular case).

Just as soon as the earthquake excitement died down there was talk of the hurricane.  Again my thought was, What? We're in upstate NY, you can't get those here!  So we were already plenty prepared for anything with food and water.  We got the pump ready in the basement in case of flooding and found the flashlights.  Early Sunday morning it started raining.  We made it to early morning Mass (church was pretty empty) and then closed up the windows and hunkered down for the storm.  Then wind started up and for about 8 hours Tropical Storm Irene blew and bucketed at us.  When it was all over the power had gone out for about 30 seconds.  And that was all our storm drama.  Many people in the area did loose power and many trees came down.

It is funny to me that people were then disappointed that it wasn't a bigger deal.  But I am grateful that it wasn't a big deal for us and would rather have been over prepared than under.  In the end I still have the opportunity to say that I experienced an earthquake and tropical storm in upstate NY during the time span of one week.  But I suppose stranger things have happened . . .