Wednesday, December 27, 2006

I miss all the action!

Turns out that there was an earthquake here yesterday at 10:45 am. At that time, The Man of the Place and I were driving back from an early morning mission in Carlisle to get ourselves some new sofas. We got in there just as they were opening up for business, found what we wanted, bought it and left within 45 minutes. Yesterday was Boxing Day in the UK and it is also recognised as the day of the big furniture sales. Interest free financing over a thousand years and no fees for delivery or anything. On top of that, all the furniture is marked down. If you can hold out until Boxing Day for your furniture purchases, then you can save a bit of cash. We need more furniture to fill up the HUGE space that is our new front room. The furniture we found was off in the "discount room" filled with former showroom stuff and returned items. The old stuff that we have now is just too sad, stained and saggy to be put in such a stylish new room. Photos when it arrives sometime after the New Year. I digress . . . .

At 10:45 we were on the motorway headed back up into Scotland when it struck. The epicentre of the quake was in Dumfries itself. Apparently it rattled windows and rattled the nerves of a few Doonhamers (Dumfries folk). It lasted about 10 seconds and then that was it. No structural damage, no broken windows, just a bunch of people saying "What the heck was THAT?"

Nothing was felt out here in our village. In fact, most didn't know there had been an earthquake until I asked them about it.

7 comments:

Jay said...

When I was in high school we actually had a little earthquake here in North Arkansas. I didn't feel a thing, but a lot of people did and the switch boards at the police station and TV and radio stations lit up like Christmas trees!

There is this long fault, The New Mardid Fault that runs through NE Arkansas. Lots of "experts" have been predicting a "big one" along it for years.

Anonymous said...

I've heard of the New Madrid Fault! Its last major break was in the 1800's. It rang church bells in Boston and did weird things to the Mississippi (or so I'm told).

I haven't been in an earthquake yet, and that's fine with me. Glad it didn't break any of your new windows!

Sally

Libbys Blog said...

I remember there being one in Portmerion, North Wales many years ago. It shook the milk bottles on the worksurface, quite scary!

Unknown said...

I'm glad you didn't have any damage from the earthquake. And, that you weren't there when it happened - it's an eerie experience because there's no place to go when the ground starts moving around.

Unknown said...

I read once that Edinburgh has had a of quakes in the past.

Glad it was 'tickle' rather than anything worse.

Anonymous said...

Just the sort of action I don't mind missing ;) Much more fun to be buying furniture.
I had no idea Boxing Day was so special for marking down furniture! I'm dying to see photos of what you bought.
Thanks for cheering me up with the three extra daily minutes. Just don't want to think how long it'll take till it really makes a difference ;)

Susan said...

My Cousin lives in Dumfries. Thanks for letting us know, Ill have to drop her a line.
Loved the tales of Iowa.