Our Tsunami

Friday night Kevin and I went to the opera. As we were sitting through our third intermission (and had resorted to Internet surfing to pass the time) we read about the earthquake in Chile. We read about the possible tsunami, but didn't give it much thought because usually the tsunami watch is cancelled. So with this in our minds we tucked ourselves into bed.

Too early on Saturday morning, we got a call saying the emergency sirens would start sounding at 6am for what was now being called a tsunami warning. We waited under the warmth of the covers, and sure enough the sirens sounded. We turned on the TV and started checking the Internet for information. We took stock of what supplies we might need. We filled our food grade buckets with water and watched the news as people made runs for gas, toilet paper and food. Being that we are up so high, and well out of the flood zone, we had nothing to do but wait.

So what do you do while you wait for a tsunami?

The answer is simple-you go to a birthday party! We were supposed to go to a birthday party at the beach, but seeing as they were all closed, the location was moved to a nearby park. There was lots of food and the kids had fun playing on the playground, while the adults tried their hand at water volleyball.

At the park there were quite a few families that obviously live in the flood zone, and had come to pass the time. They had brought food, games and suitcases, planning for the worst. Some of them ended up joining our festivities and we had a great time. I am sure we were a sight to see with balloons, games and food, but it was the perfect way to pass the time and not worry about what might or might not happen.

Thankfully the tsunami was minor, but I guess we weren't the only ones to party. We are grateful it ended up this way and next time we will be even more prepared.