I just got done with the Salt Lake Sit-Down #27 as I’m writing this. We talked about all sorts of things. Yes, we even touched on COVID-19, but we didn’t linger there too long thankfully. Most of what I wanted to talk about had nothing to do with the virus because we will get through it and get past it.

Job security is on the line at the moment. Many jobs are laying off people in droves. Even my job isn’t secure or for certain. There is always a possiblity that I could end up finding myself unemployed in the very near future. As of this writing I still have a job. That could all change by the time I write my next post. Am I concerned about it? Of course I am. Am I worried about it? No, I’m not. Whatever is going to happen will happen and I will deal with it accordingly if and when it ever happens. Worrying about it at this time isn’t going to change anything or alter it in any way. I might as well enjoy my life and my job while I still have it.

Life goes on. What are you doing? Are you stressed out and worried about everything going on around you? It’s okay to be concerned, but don’t let it consume you. Keep on with keeping on. Like everything in life, this too shall pass.

I can tell you right now, if I get laid off, I’m going to be livestreaming every day, and probably drinking on the daily as well. At least for the short term. I’m not going to worry too much about things, because things are going to be what they are going to be. I’ll survive it and come out better for it in the end, and so will you.

So get into strength training if that’s your thing, or carry on with it if that’s what you are already doing. Eat, drink, and be merry if that is more your style. Play your musical instrument(s) if that is your thing. Hell, play some video games and veg on the couch, I don’t care and I’m not going to judge you in all honesty. At the end of the day, nobody gives a shit. That can be a curse or that can be what sets you free, it all depends on how you want to look at it.

Be aware of what is going on around you, but don’t let it consume you. The sun will rise in the east as it has always done, and it will set in the west, just like it did yesterday. Life goes on. You’ll survive this as will I. We are stronger and more resilient than we give ourselves credit for.

Another thing I plan on doing during this period of unrest and uncertainty is reading more books. I’ve got a few on my Kindle that I haven’t gotten around to, and now is as good a time as any to get into them.

What are you doing during this time? Spending it with those who actually matter? Learning something new? Relaxing and decompressing? Playing games? Shooting the shit with people that you’ve come to care about? Whatever it is, enjoy it. Whatever is going to come will come. Whatever isn’t, won’t. No sense worrying about the things you have no control over. Might as well enjoy your life and enjoy your time.

Women and dating are pretty much on hold for me at the moment. Too much panic and uncertainty in the air. Too much bullshit. That’s okay though. I’ve got plenty of things to do in the meantime. I’ve got videos to make, podcasts to be a part of, and blog posts to write. I’ve got books to read and movies to watch. I’m good for quite some time. It’s interesting to see how much time I’ve dedicated to dating when that time all of a sudden gets freed up. Turns out I’ve spent a lot of my time pursuing women and I’ve always struggled to find ways to balance out dating and doing everything else I do. Now I have a lot more time to pursue other endeavors. That’s a good thing.

Things are starting to settle down as far as the earthquake goes. There are still aftershocks going on as I write this. Yesterday one ripped through my area while I was doing a livestream with Masculine Geek. A 3.6 I believe. Shook the camera, made some noise on my end, and sent the cats running for cover. By the time I realized what was going on, it was over. That’s how quick aftershocks come and go. Not much time to react to them. The shitty part about aftershocks is you don’t know if and when the next one is going to hit, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about them when they do show up. It’s just a matter of bracing yourself and riding it out until it’s done. Thankfully they only last a couple of seconds.

I just wish they would be over and done with so that I can return to some semblance of “normalcy” in my life. At least with a lot of other “natural disasters,” once it is over, it’s over. You can then ascertain the damages and get back on with your life. Earthquakes are a little different. Since you can’t see them and you don’t hear them until they are upon you, you have no idea if and when they are truly done. You get back to doing your thing and then an aftershock reminds you that things ain’t quite done yet, and may not be done for another month or so. This is how long they can go on for. A month. Maybe more. Maybe less. No one knows for sure because predicting earthquakes is nothing like predicting a tornado or a hurricane. The earth moves far slower than a storm cell does.

Life goes one and at the end of the day, nobody gives a shit. That’s huge if you think about it. Nobody gives a shit about you and your problems and your little life. Not really. That’s because they are all caught up in their little lives, which as far as I’m concerned is “normal,” and “how it should be.” When you realize that nobody gives a shit, you realize that you are on your own. Nobody, not even the government, is coming to save you. You get to save yourself.

That can either be incredibly depressing, or it can be the very thing that “sets you free.” You get to decide which one it is for you. You get to decide.

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At around 7:15am on Wednesday, March 18th 2020, a 5.7 earthquake hit Salt Lake City. The epicenter was approximately 3 miles from Magna, which is where I grew up and was approximately 2 miles from my home and another 2 miles from my work.

I was sitting in my work truck getting ready to start my day when I felt the truck moving up and down slightly. It was like someone had jumped on the back bumper and was bouncing the truck, messing with me. I looked in the mirrors and couldn’t see anyone and then the truck started shaking and bouncing violently. It felt like something had hit the truck in the back. For a moment I thought another truck had hit me, and hit me hard.

Then it was over.

I opened the door and saw my co-workers standing around, looking around, looking at anything and everything and I heard one of them say, “earthquake.”

I got out and made sure everyone was okay and checked my surroundings. The powerlines over our parking lot were still swaying a little bit. Otherwise, everything seemed to be okay. Traffic was still moving on California Avenue, and Bangerter Highway had the usual morning backup. Nothing seemed amiss.

I drove over to the gas station where we fuel up and that’s when I felt the first aftershock. It wasn’t anywhere near as violent as that first one, but it was unmistakable. And it was unnerving.

Everyone in the gas station was talking about it, it even topped the coronavirus stuff. Getting ready to leave the gas station I felt another aftershock. Much smaller than that first aftershock, but still noticeable.

I drove up to my first job and called my Dad to see if he was okay as he still lives in Magna. He answered and told me he was fine. He had been brushing his teeth at the time of the original quake. I asked him if he would drive past my house and check on the structure and see if any windows were broken or if the building was still standing. Maybe I was overreacting a little bit, but that’s what was going through my mind. That and my poor cats. I was wondering how they were doing.

About an hour later my work called and told me to come back to base. We were calling it a day. The earthquake had done sufficient damage to some structures that businesses and the government alike were telling people not to go into downtown Salt Lake if they could help it and to stay out of two story buildings or taller. We were being told to shelter in place. That’s what the alerts that went out over my phone said.

I got back to base around 9:15am and the power was out. Apparently quite a bit of the valley had their power knocked out. Some are still without power at the time that I’m writing this.

Driving home was a joke. Traffic was a mess, and not just because of the morning rush hour commute.

I got home around 10:00am to find my house a mess. Most of the contents of my freezer were on the kitchen floor. A bag of ice was melting there. Most of the drawers and cabinets were open, like someone had ransacked my house, looking for stuff to steal.

One cat was hidden under the bed. He came out with some gentle coaxing. My other cat had squeezed under my chest of drawers. Getting her out was something else.

My toilet had been leaking, there was water all over the bathroom floor, but with a little wrenching I got that fixed.

Since I’ve been home, there have been at least 4 more aftershocks. A small one while I had been fixing my toilet and three while I have been writing this. The last one was fairly decent. It knocked some things down that I had just put back in place not more than an hour ago.

The aftershocks haven’t been nearly as bad as the original quake, but I have to be honest, they are really unnerving. Things start to settle down and seem to go back to “normal,” and then boom…An aftershock hits and everything is uncertain again.

I don’t know how long these aftershocks will go on. I don’t know if they will go on for a few hours or if they will go on for days. Sleeping tonight is going to be interesting to say the least. That’s if I sleep at all.

One of the worst parts of this besides the not knowing if and when another aftershock is going to hit, is the fact that there is absolutely nothing you can do about them. You can’t prevent them. You can’t stop them. All you can do is brace yourself and get in a doorway. It’s freaky to say the least.

I’ve grown up with earthquakes. They aren’t uncommon in Utah. I’ve grown up hearing that we are “overdue.” Supposedly there is supposed to be a “big one” that could hit us at any time. One that is big enough that it could do serious damage to the entire valley. I’ve heard that my entire life here, and my parent’s heard it their entire lives.

I can remember several other earthquakes over the years, but this one is definitely one of the biggest in a long time. And those aftershocks… Those are what are bugging me.

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