It's not a cry you can hear at night, it's not somebody who's seen the light...

I made it to six hours awake! After sleeping for 16. I didn't even know my housemates went out to a comic convention thing this afternoon. Ali was telling me about it and I was like "You weren't gone!" and she was like "...uh huh!" Maaannnn. Comic conventions are my THANG too. Because I am a NERD. But sleep. Sweet sleep.

Now I have to go do that before I pass out. But I made it six hours. And I actually accomplished things while I was awake. I didn't get to all my tags, but I can finish the rest when I wake up. Which hopefully won't be in like twenty hours...

Frak this virus!

So you see this aftershock report yes?

Leah and I had just gone to see Sream 4 (which I will talk about in a different entry so people can comment and not fear spoilers) and the movie had just finished. We just left the theatre and we were in the hall when this weird noise started happening and the floor shook and I was like "oh my god, are there people running around in...oh the vending machines are shaking...oh. OH." And then the fire door started to close. The really big fire door that locks people in to lock fire out and keep it contained? Yeah. And the evacuation alarm went off and we see this tiny girl who worked at the cinema trying to keep the door open so Leah grabbed it and leaned against it and I pushed higher up (I am way tall but this door was like three times as tall as me...) to hold it open so the hundreds of people still in the cinema could get out.

The poor girl was freaking out. She said, "I just got here!" Poor thing. So yes, Leah and I held the door for about five minutes until it finally stopped trying to shut. It was so heavy, my word.

Everything at home is fine! My cupboard doors were open though and I was like "Dammit, Ariadne!" until I realised the earth had opened my doors, not my poor kitten without opposable thumbs.

I am so glad the movie had just finished not a minute before that. The credits had just started to roll (I just realised I missed the picture credits but you know...whatevers...)

So now I am eating roast. Good day!

My beautiful cathedral. That makes me want to sob. Of course, worse is the death toll and the trapped people and the horrible injuries and devastation and and and. I was just watching through the city this morning on my way to my first day of placement thinking "wow, so much scaffolding. This poor city." But you know what? The scaffolding was better.

We were all downstairs having lunch when it happened. It was five minutes until my first team meeting and then the entire building shook more strongly than anything I have ever felt and there was screaming and crashing and the lights went out and the lady next to me gripped my arm like a vice. And I sat there through it all, as calm as anything. When it stopped, we all exited the building (fumbling in the dark, but thank goodness we weren't upstairs) and when people asked me if I was okay, I said I was fine. I was surrounded by counsellors and social workers and I think I was the calmest one there and I don't know why. I went very focused. Get phone. Call Leah and Alison. Get home.

And then I looked to my left at the city center I was a five minute walk from. And I couldn't see it. The dust from collapsed buildings had obscured it completely. And I only kept from panicking that Ness and Jen were in there (they are okay, btw) because I was focused. Get phone. Call Ali and Leah. Get home. Got a text from Alison saying she was okay. Good.

My supervisor gave me a ride (bless her forever) and I finally called Leah. Talked her through an aftershock (to which my supervisor said 'GOOD!') as the car I was in shook like a mofo and people on the streets outside screamed and screamed. We drove past unspeakable damage and horror and I got home and my house is still standing. It's a mess, but still standing. And my vision blurred and I couldn't breathe and I sort of had a mini-panic attack. But I'm okay now. We have a broken pipe, but really? Lucky. So lucky. My kitty is sticking right by my side, but that's okay by me. Having a purring kitty curled up against your chest makes it a little better.

Have heard from all my friends. They're all safe. And my Tim Minchin CD came. The earth is still shaking all the time all the time and no dinner with Amanda Palmer (thankfully she hadn't flown in yet, but Jason Webley is in town and with Hera). But my girls are with me.

Today I visited a Dylan Moran forum I hadn't been to since commenting in early October. Too many assignments. ANYWAY I found the most lovely comment ever. So I took a screencap.

( It made me all warm on the inside )

This is the same thread someone else was fangirling over Darker London and Peter on a while back. I made a post, but I have no idea where it is now. I love this group of people. They are so wonderful and supportive and awesome and that comment just made my freaking week.

So I dedicated a Dylan Moran bases post to them over on burlesque_show :D

EDIT: OMG MY GOD I didn't even think to check my inbox there! This has been there since MARCH or something... I feel so bad for not noticing but it seriously made me SOB with happiness.

( ILY )

Done.

(Now I just have to study for the exam. And, you know, drop off the research proposal to the Social Work office.)