(no subject)

[rachg82]

So, I was just watching this show on Mt. St. Helens (hey, while I'm talking about it, Check out the purty pictures!) on the Travel Channel, and it reminded me of how I used to think my Mom's house in Washington had a mini dormant volcano in the backyard. Hee! See, before I was born, my Mom and Dad and sister lived in Seattle, and so when I was a kid my Mom would tell me "I had a dormant volcano in my backyard." I was little and gullible enough to think she meant that literally, though. I didn't understand she just meant Mt. Rainier. So I was all "*eyes wide* How?! But, weren't you scared?" and she was like "Well, it's dormant. Supposedly, anyway." For years, I thought she really meant there was this little mountain in her fenced-in backyard. I'd picture Corinne all climbing up it and everything. Heh. Ah, memories.

So much for them calling Rainier dormant, though. On this show, they were all going on about how it's the most dangerous volcano on the continent. Primarily because of the mud-flows it would cause, if there were even a minor eruption, I guess. Nice. Another reason not to live in Seattle, folks. Of course it's a similar thing with Mt. Hood, here, but shh. Heh. I'm all "Hey, Mt. Hood? If you could, like, stay dormant? That would be great. Thanks." I forget sometimes what a dangerous region I really live in, sometimes. We don't get those constant emergencies, like how the south has hurricanes, but we're at risk for all these massive horrific disasters. I mean, we're on the "ring of fire," man. I'm chilling on like, what, three different fault lines right now? Ugh. You know what's annoying though? They talk all the time about how "the big one" could hit at any time, but it's like NO ONE ever prepares for it. I mean, we had earthquake and volcano drills, in school, but I don't know. I hope they're building shit real sturdy up in here. And if The Big One does hit? It can do it while I'm on vacation or something. Heh.

I suppose there's really not all that much we can do to prepare, though. That sucks! I fucking hate the "Ready? We're here to scare the shit out of you" news stories on that stuff. Because that's their only purpose, except to maybe say "Save cans and bottled water." They're all "Any time now, the big one could hit! If it hit in the ocean, it would cause a forty foot tsunami! It would cause effects all the way in Japan! Volcanoes might be caused, by the plates colliding! But, anyway, Tracy, what's the weather look like this week?" Meanwhile, I'm hiding under my bed, weeping.

I remember, when I was a kid, I used to be so scared of earthquakes, I'd cover my ears, if people were going to start talking about them. Well, I should say big earthquakes, anyway. I've been in several, although I was only awake for one, and it was tiny. I swear, I'll sleep through anything; only reason I was awake for the one, was because I was in class. There were these other little ones in Cali once, when I was on vacation, and they caused the cracks in the walls (which were there from previous quakes, heh. Note to self: Do not live in Seattle, Alaska, or California. Check.) to widen, and knocked my stepbrother right off the couch, but I went right on snorin'.

Speaking of Alaska, though, this guy I work with, who lived in Alaska for a long time, has been in some 7-8 pointers. Holy mother. Said he saw streets rolling, like the ocean, and breaking apart in rifts. Like I said, I don't think I'll be moving there. Heh. It's a beautiful place to live, but, hey, I can vacation. Fucking quake better not happen when I'm on a vacation there, yo! Stupid, shifting plates. Stay still!

You know what I got a kick out of, though? I've been to St. Helens quite a few times now, and I was watching that show, and was like "Hey! I didn't know you could go anywhere there except the north side!" Heh. Man. When I was there on the field trips, we always went to the same observatory, and I remember pointing at Spirit Lake, asking if we could hike there, and they were like "There? No way." They must've thought I was pointing at the crater, which is closed, because on the show they were saying how there's all these hikes you can take to the lake, and up the mountain. I mean, I knew you could hike on the north side (and did, a bit, myself), but you can actually go to the lake itself. And, if you go to the south side, you can see the side of the mountain that wasn't even affected by the blast at all. Old Growth Forests are still on that side. I want to see that! How lame! I mean, it was cool to see the north side and all, but still. Crap-ass field trips. We could've gone spelunking into the caves! We always had to go to the same damn observatory, and watch the same ole film. But, anyway. Heh. I'm all going on about something only I care about. Like that's anything new, though.

You know, every summer, my Dad and them do something, like a vacation to California, and/or a camping trip, and sometimes try to come up with day-trips they can do while I'm there. Next summer, I should bring up St. Helens, because they were mentioning day-long hikes you can take to the summit. I don't know if my brother's ever even been there; if he has, he's probably only seen what I've seen. You know what's really sad, though? I've never actually gone to Crater Lake. I've been by it, and driven past it, while vaguely awake, but never really visited. That's so pathetic! For those who have no clue what it even is, it's the deepest lake in America, and resides here in Oregon. So, considering it's not like I'm someone who never takes a trip around my state, it's kind of like "the Hell?" that I've never spent time there. So, hey, dosidella? I guess you can use this against me, next time I'm all "You've never slept in a tent! You have no oven!" You can be all "Crater Lake, bitch! Recognize!" Hee.

Comments

[scorpysue.livejournal.com]

Heh. I've lived in Adelaide all my life, and yet I've never seen most of the tourist attractions here. Never been to Kangaroo Island (although I have seen it from the mainland!), never been to the Flinders Ranges proper, never been to the Eyre Peninsula, the West Coast, Coober Pedy, and so on.... I'm a bad local. But I'd like to go.

And hey, earthquake and volcano blather is fun. Go right ahead.

[teleute12.livejournal.com]

I used to get all worried, too, because my grandma and aunts lived in Tacoma. However, now I think that if there was an eruption, they'd know about it far enough ahead of time to give everyone warning to evacuate, and stuff. So, yeah.

And I've been to Crater Lake! It was really pretty. Mostly, however, I remember the ground squirrel I saw. Hey, I was all of 10 at the time, and we didn't get much in the way of nature in our suburb, so, yeah.

Re:

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

Ha! That's adorable. Come to my house, we have squirrels in our yard all the time!

Yeah, I don't really sweat the volcano thing as much, because you're right, they would most likely be able to tell people ahead of time. But the ensuing result--possible destruction of homes and all--would suck. But, I don't really think of that. Earthquakes are what trip me out.