You're kidding, right?

A couple of days ago I was sitting at my desk at work.  The rocking I feel must be me rocking my chair back and forth without realizing it.  What else could it be?

Then I hear people around me talking about it.  I remember some construction work done a few months ago on the building, with several sides actually sagging.  There must be something wrong with the building!  I'm out of my seat, wondering why everyone else doesn't more faster - although my unit mate does.  Knowing the building and the administration, I assume the worst.  I get within a few steps of the doors, hesitating to go outside.  Then everyone else does.

It turns out the building is OK, and we even got a nice break outside in the beautiful weather.  We aren't used to earthquakes on the East Coast.  I'm in New York, far from the epicenter in Virginia.  Even there not much damage was done.  Oh yes, the cooling systems of a few nuclear plants lost power, but nothing actually melted down, so no big deal, I guess.

So when people started talking about a hurricane, I decided not to worry about Irene.  I laughed off the warning our county exec's phone machine left on my answering machine.  He loves to do that to show how concerned he is.

Then people at work started talking about how the governor had said he would call out the National Guard for people in low lying areas who refused to evacuate.  Maybe it is a big deal, but I'm not in a low lying area.  Yes, part of Freeport is on the water, but I'm ...

I asked some people at work, and they said I should worry.  My wife and I are making plans to go to my mothers house now.