That was NOT how I imagined my first night in the new house...
So I'm still in the apartment just on the shore of Hilo, Hawaii. I'd gone to bed early because I'd been working since 4 am on the book (yes, I'm still on EST time, why do you ask?) At 9:30 I levitate out of the bed as the tsunami siren next to the apartment building (and the 3 dozen scattered all over town) goes off.
Half-asleep, no idea what's going on, I throw kid in the car and drive to new house. Just for occasions like this, we had bought a place way up the hill overlooking the bay. It would have to be a wave of dinosaur-killing size to reach our new house. It's safe from tsunamis. It does not have, however, furniture, clothes, food, or my computer.
I reached the new house to be greeted by my husband who is living there, sleeping on a futon on the floor. He shows me pictures of Japan and maps of the incoming wave and explains we have until 3 am until it hits.
I get back in the car -- leaving child with husband -- and run back to the apartment. It takes a while, I keep getting stuck at intersections near gas stations as everyone who knows the drill is getting bottled water and filling gas tanks. I grab my computers -- ELFHOME is due in 20 days -- all the food I can carry and some clothes and back to the house I go.
I try to sleep but I can't get comfortable on the twin futon with husband, its freezing cold, didn't bring WARM clothes or my blankets. So I got back up and chatting online with friends, letting them know I was in a safe place. First waves hit Hawaii at 3:07 and it quickly became apparent that we're not in for the pounding that Japan got. Still I can't get to sleep. At 7:00, Pacific Tsunami alert is lifted, and I try to head back the apartment. Unfortunately Kona on the other side of the island is getting 12 foots waves, so they're keeping people out of downtown Hilo too. Back to the house I go.
Finally at 8:00 am, exhaustion hits me hard enough that I do sleep, freezing cold, on the floor.
I'm back at the apartment, slightly brain dead, trying to figure out the last action scene of the book. Deadline looms. Must write.
Half-asleep, no idea what's going on, I throw kid in the car and drive to new house. Just for occasions like this, we had bought a place way up the hill overlooking the bay. It would have to be a wave of dinosaur-killing size to reach our new house. It's safe from tsunamis. It does not have, however, furniture, clothes, food, or my computer.
I reached the new house to be greeted by my husband who is living there, sleeping on a futon on the floor. He shows me pictures of Japan and maps of the incoming wave and explains we have until 3 am until it hits.
I get back in the car -- leaving child with husband -- and run back to the apartment. It takes a while, I keep getting stuck at intersections near gas stations as everyone who knows the drill is getting bottled water and filling gas tanks. I grab my computers -- ELFHOME is due in 20 days -- all the food I can carry and some clothes and back to the house I go.
I try to sleep but I can't get comfortable on the twin futon with husband, its freezing cold, didn't bring WARM clothes or my blankets. So I got back up and chatting online with friends, letting them know I was in a safe place. First waves hit Hawaii at 3:07 and it quickly became apparent that we're not in for the pounding that Japan got. Still I can't get to sleep. At 7:00, Pacific Tsunami alert is lifted, and I try to head back the apartment. Unfortunately Kona on the other side of the island is getting 12 foots waves, so they're keeping people out of downtown Hilo too. Back to the house I go.
Finally at 8:00 am, exhaustion hits me hard enough that I do sleep, freezing cold, on the floor.
I'm back at the apartment, slightly brain dead, trying to figure out the last action scene of the book. Deadline looms. Must write.
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