It’s no secret that I used to live in Southern California. Land of Hollywood, and the earthquake. But in the years I lived there, I never once felt the earth move. I felt a sonic boom once, as the shuttle zoomed overhead to Edward’s Air Force base. But never did I experience an earthquake. Not in all the time I spent living on the west coast.

Fast forward to this weekend.

I was watching a scary movie with Mady when the entire house began to growl and shake, like a monster roaring up from the depths. Then the windows shook and I screamed. I was certain something in the basement had blown up. I never once suspected an earthquake. Not in the North Georgia mountains. But that was, in fact, what I had experienced. It wasn’t my dog farting into an open flame causing a rumbling explosion. And mastiff owners will agree with me, this is possible. But it was an actual earthquake. In Georgia.

Oh, we survived. And I learned it wasn’t the first time this has happened. Next time, I’ll be prepared. Or not. Are we ever really prepared for such things?

At least I won’t scream at the ghosts and blame them for the whole thing.

Until the next time…I’ll be adding earthquake prep to our disaster plan.