November 28, 2005

We had another earthquake. This one lasted long enough to get me thinking about doing something like finding a safe location to wait it out. Once again, I was sitting at my computer when the shaking began. It was a much worse feeling earthquake than the previous two, although the initial numbers put it at 4.2 which is about the same as the other two. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough to give me time to think about acting. I feared that the intensity was going to build, but instead it just came to a quick end. I had no doubt that we had an earthquake. I did go to the USGS web site, not to verify that we had an earthquake but to find out how bad it was. Three in a month has me thinking about putting some detail into our emergency plan. At this point, it is just a loose collection of contingencies.

I had to run to the post office to pick up the mail since we had it held while we were out of town. They were supposed to hold it until we picked it up, but instead they delivered it. I didn’t check the mailbox before I left so I felt a little foolish when the clerk told me they didn’t have any mail for me and asked if I checked my mailbox. I was kind of mad that I wasted a trip since the instructions were to hold until we picked up. Our mailbox is across the street in a bank of boxes about the size of PO Boxes. We have a key for our box. There are also 4 large boxes that are used for larger packages or in this case, excess mail. The mailman leaves a numbered key in your regular mailbox and you use it to open the larger box to retrieve your mail. Once unlocked, the key is trapped like in a coin operated locker.

I did some grocery shopping. I spent $102, about average. Hmm, mail boxes and groceries - not exactly interesting content. Life in Alaska is still just life.

The day flew past. I don’t know how the time passes so quickly. I did start writing for another book idea that came to me while flying to SF. I wrote a few thousand words and I think I may have finally come up with an idea to utilize many of my ideas and experiences in a work of fiction. My initial assessment is that the concept doesn’t come up short on content yet doesn’t get overwhelmed with characters, two problems that were plaguing previous ideas. Maybe I will give it a couple days and see if it comes together like I think it might.