Sakai, Japan

The telephone rang again...a bit later than usual. Ron was on the other end.

"Earthquake."

My heart started pounding even though I knew logically he was fine because he was talking to me. As he described his first experience of a surface earthquake, I was immediately online trying to figure out where it hit and the magnitude, so I could tell him.

The irony of technology. He can experience it and moments later I can find the details. The 8.9 magnitude earthquake really rocked Tokyo which was 231 miles from the origination point, and Ron appears to be 500 miles from the source. Ron felt the 7.4 aftershock quake 30 minutes later.

Evidently, everything stopped at the factory as the earth shook. Ron said it was a crazy feeling watching the building out the window shake like crazy. Initially, Ron was worried he was getting sick--as he suddenly felt queasy--which probably originated in his sensitive feet which felt the vibrations that weren't immediately identifiable. As a man who has spent most of his life underground, he is immediately aware of movement at a subliminal level, as it is a survival instinct that has been carefully honed from years of mining.

Now, I can't sleep again as I watch the news roll across my screen with the tsunami warnings. At this time, the warnings to do not extend to California or Alaska--which they often do. However, the first tsunami has already hit the coast of Japan.

Maybe some cookies and milk will help...so I can go to bed instead of watching the magnitude reports keep increasing. It has been a long week.