I do not like this news

[vilakins]

Our department had a champagne breakfast this morning followed an hour later by mince pies, lolly cake, chocolate brownies, and liqueur chocolates with more champagne! When I got back to my desk after that our department all had huge tinned plum puddings from our manager. I think I'll keep mine till winter. We finished at noon and not much work actually got done.

Then I came home feeling mellow and ready to relax and do as little as poss with seven library books stacked up ready to read.

So far so good.

My sister (you remember, the nutty one who has all sorts of bizarre obsessions like magic water) is going to India for two weeks to volunteer in an orphanage with five other people. No, I can't see just what they'd do to help in just two weeks, but what do I know? She wants to come up tomorrow to buy some cotton Indian clothes to wear till she can buy something there. She wants me to go shopping with her but I have several days of reading and knitting and chilling out planned and besides, it's embarrassing just being with her. I know what she'll do: tell all the shopkeepers she comes across her life story and just why she's going to India. Oy. You need a fish slice to fit a word in edgeways.

Anyway I've managed to talk her out of schlepping me along and reduced the contact to lunch out so I might escape the sister-induced migraine.

So far fairly good.

However there have been two more big earthquakes in Christchurch (probably with loads of people out shopping too) and Greg's on the phone to family about it. His mother got "thrown around a bit" but she's OK and, as ever, unwilling to leave her house in the red (demolition) zone. The latest is that there are no fatalities but some injuries. Those poor people down there; a lot of them just can't take the stress any more and are moving out. I heard a woman who won a CD on the radio this morning saying how lovely the weather was down there. And now this. :-(

Comments

[feng_shui_house]

*HUGS* I do so hope there's no worse than you heard. That's quite bad enough!

[vilakins]

The trouble is, there may well be more quakes. it doesn't seem to stop, though I think the Napier ones went on for a long time in the 30s too.

Hey, would you prefer me to comment on your posts here or on LJ?

[feng_shui_house]

I'm hoping the aftershocks at least don't hurt anyone. *hugs*

I don't have a preference whether you reply to ehouse on LJ or feng_shui on DW. Whichever is more convenient for you. Although I have to say that DW has been CONSISTENTLY faster loading and more reliable than DW for ages (been RPGing at DW instead of LJ because of long-standing problems loading pages.)

I'll put posts directly on LJ if they refer to LJ stuff, but otherwise I want to try to get in the habit of posting from DW.

[vilakins]

I've been posting from here for ages. It's a pity DW doesn't show how many comments there are on LJ (LJ's fault, I'm sure) as I often want to know what people have said there.

[nods] Moving the RPG here was a good move and pretty easy with just two of you. I think a couple of the comms I'm in may consider it. I hope picowrimo and naarmamo do; both were disrupted by Russian attacks during their months.

[feng_shui_house]

We haven't officially moved the RPG, just been playing flocked on our character's DWs, but I am seriously considering setting up a 2 person comm for Avon and Blake to play together, since LJ is obviously not getting any more usable.

If DW manages to get community importation working, that will bring a lot more goodies over here.

[feng_shui_house]

eeep. 2:15 A.M. I've been fascinatedly reading all the complaints on LJ (like watching a factory burn down- so interesting) & lost track of time. I'd best get in bed.

[kerravonsen]

{hugs}

[vilakins]

Thanks. [hugs back]

[gwendraith]

I heard about the earthquakes on the news this morning and thankfully no one was killed. It must be so frightening living there during these quakes and after shocks. (hugs)

[vilakins]

They said (correctly for once) that the population will probably be decimated as 10% move out due to the stress. Finding jobs elsewhere will be hard for them though.

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

Meeep D: *hugs Christchurch*

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Awww. [shaky Christchurch hugs back]

[threeoutside.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to those folks. I hope this is the last of the shake-ups for a long long time!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I think they'll continue for a while. The Napier ones in the 30s did apparently.

How is retirement so far? :-)

[threeoutside.livejournal.com]

I hope so.

Retirement hasn't been "normal" because three days after, I flew halfway across the continent to spend 18 days with my son and his family. I won't really comprehend "retirement" until I get back home, and begin to make a new routine for myself!

[communicator.livejournal.com]

I hope nobody has been badly hurt. It sounds like Christchurch is getting a cluster of these things, and hopefully they will get weaker each time.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

They have been getting weaker but these two were pretty strong: around 6. when Greg spoke to his brother-in-law today, the guy was audibly drunk; he's really not taking it well. Oddly enough Greg's sister was panicked by the first quakes last year and early this one but she's coping much better now than her husband is.

Which Hamlet is that? The Innokenty Smogdunovsky (sp?) one?

[communicator.livejournal.com]

I think it's Olivier, but I can't remember where I got it now

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

That's Olivier. This is Smoktunovsky:

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks. They look very alike in icon size.

[samantha-vimes.livejournal.com]

Your MIL's situation is worrying. Has the building she lives in been checked for safety (or for that matter, shown no visible signs of damage)? I mean, I'm hoping they just flagged a few blocks as unsafe without her structure actually being unsound. Even so, being "thrown about" is bad. You can't move her against her will, but I hope she rethinks moving. Better a fresh start with mobility than a broken hip.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Her house is actually only slightly, mostly cosmetically damaged but houses in the next block are unliveable or completely destroyed. They've flagged the whole area for demolition because of the type of ground there. The government is paying the residents for their properties at a fair rate but Greg's mother just doesn't want to move, she's been there so long. She'll have to go in the next ear though. There are a lot of people in her position: with houses that need little or no repair but have to come down because the area's unsafe.

[samantha-vimes.livejournal.com]

Probably the kind of soil that moves like a liquid under the forces of a quake... we have to worry about that some here in CA. So I understand both her feelings, and the government's.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, there's been heaps of liquefaction there (shown on the news bubbling up through paved streets) and that's the major reason for red zoning. I understand why they have to raze areas but it's hard for people whose houses happen to be OK. Personally I'd take the money and run but I haven't lived in one house almost all my adult life as she has.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

Very sorry to hear about the earthquakes - heard about it on the news as I was going to bed. Hope there isn't much harm done.

Well done for avoiding the shopping!

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

*hugs* for you and your mother-in-law.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Its scary stuff: she got thrown out of the kitchen and onto the back porch. She's determined that she's all right, and several family are having dinner with her tonight.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

I am late here to read about the problems. Poor people...no merry Christmas for them, so sad, at least no one died.
I am glad you managed to extricate yourself from that mess around your sister.
Stay safe!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yes, a lot of them are without power (which isn't as bad in the longest summer days as it would be in winter) but totally the wrong time of year to have a disaster.

My sister's not shopping today after all: she's had to rush to the side of a critically ill friend in hospital. My sister's very overbearing and annoying but she has a vastly kind heart (hence the orphanage visit).

[sheenaghpugh]

Yes, I'm really sorry for the Christchurch folks.

Good luck with avoiding the shopping. She sounds wearing. It's always unwise to assume strangers want to know your life story...

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Or even why you're going to India and all the good Indian friends you have and the other places you've been too etc etc. I can see the smiles become fixed and the eyes glaze over.

She's very kind and generous though. She's not shopping today after all but with a critically ill friend in hospital.

I was thinking of your icon and Blackadder when I misquoted it in the subject.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear about your poor mother in law! Hope it doesn't get any worse.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

They had another one overnight but not as bad. I think every building that was going to fall down already has.

A friend said she was thrown about too and their Christmas tree fell over.

[morzsa.livejournal.com]

:( at the earthquake.

Two weeks in an orphanage can do a lot of good. If it's holding babies, tspending individual time with kids it's good, if it's work in the kitchen, facilities etc it's also a lot of good. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yes, but only for two weeks? By the time they're up to speed, they'll be leaving. I didn't think it would be enough time to make a real impact. A month or six weeks would be so much better.

How old are your adopted kids?

[morzsa.livejournal.com]

Two weeks are more than enough for most facility maintenance projects, and any time anyone can spend with kids is making an impact.

My adopted kids are 3, 3, 10 and 10 and we have guardianships of several teenagers. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought of maintenance: good point!

Such little ones! I had this impression they were all teenagers. Have you got the puppy for them yet? :-D

[morzsa.livejournal.com]

Well, I can't legally adopt teenagers, I'm too young for them!

Yes, we have our puppy Izhar Cohen. :D He is having a great time with all the kids.

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

:0( Poor people

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yeah, at this time of year too.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

So much for peace on Earth!

I'm glad Greg's mother is fine, I don't suppose telling her how much the family worries for her would influence her into moving?

Hmm not much work being done can't think why! :¬D

Have a good New Year!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

She'll have to move eventually before they demolish the neighbourhood but she'll probably dig her toes in till then. It must be hard having lived there most of her life.

Thank you, and the same to you!

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

Am sorry to hear about Greg's mum. :( Poor Christchurch, hasn't it had enough?

The work food sounded yum. :)