TC3 verse Mother Nature 23rd Dec 2011

Well you all are probably aware we got another rude awakening today from Mother Nature, and since then it hasnt stopped. Just typing that one sentence I have felt 3 aftershocks. Seems the TC3 thing is not important today.
Just briefly, since my blog was deleted when silly me deleted my google account I have been trying to retrieve and recreate my blogs, with the Orange Zone to Blue TC3 as my top priority blog to get sorted. Since the Dec 6th update, my house has now been written off.
We still have hole #3, lost count of the number of days, and takeaways. The last contact with teh Council investigator was to find out why the hole was still there and the mpipes hadnt been fixed. But the day after my last blog, I received my DRA Report that stated 'House beyond economic repair', with four options presented to me, and finally was the time to decide what was to happen next.
With the upcoming emergency repairs at our work building, and now was also time to decide if I wanted to rebuild on the same site, rebuild on another site, buy another house, or a cash settlement, seems Cantabrians are very absorbed in the fact of getting through the next day. Many things I was to type in here, but many of them have left my mind with todays events.
Firstly I have a confession, approx 20mins prior to first quake today I was checking my emails at workk, and we were slowly winding down, ready to sit down and have a few quiet drinks and a BBQ with sausys and bread. I thought to myself, 'All we need now is an earthquake'. I actually yelled out to the receptionist, but she was busy getting things ready.
I had just gone around the different staff to get pics of them working at their desks, and yes the faces were pretty happy. Obviously with the thoughts and visuals of the next four days of 'no work, lots of food, family, and rest time'. I will treasure those pictures now, as it wasnt long later that this changed.
The sausages on the BBQ were ready for us to eat, I went out and took a pic of some of the staff sitting outside. Just as I went to take another pic, the rumble came. They jumped up from the couch as the shaking continued. This we were told was a 5.8, but since then, they upgraded it to a 6.2. The aftershocks kept coming. The alarms in surrounding buildings were going off, and sirens everywhere. One forgets sometimes what the moment feels like, and it had been placed in the back of our minds recently, but these sounds, then helicopters flying overhead, bought back every moment lived in the last year when a quake hit.
I wish I didnt say this, but I advised staff that I would stay at work for at least 80mins, due to the June earthquake, where the second and bigger quake occured. As the aftershocks continued staff went home to where they felt safer and to be with their families. Actually I was quite surprised that we had more customers around this time than in the morning. But I guess, being seasoned Cantabrians they wanted their computers back just incase. Although our last building had to be evacuated and we were relocated, the loss of customers items was quite minimal. A lot of that I attribute to the staff being brave, and retrieving these form our quake damaged building.
As time progressed I checked the clock, nearly 80mins, YAY. Yes lots of aftershocks, but no bigger one. I stayed because after the June one, just to get home took 2 hours, and I didnt want to try to get home, then get hit by another big one, and need to get back to work to check our stock and the building. I was in contact with my son via Msn.
I remember saying to a workmate, yay 3:10pm, 80mins nearly. At that time I thought it was at 80mins.
8mins later (just checked on quakelive), the second large one hit, a 6.0. Damn in between time I had tried to contact the big boss in Auckland, but the network couldnt handle it, and only communications was via the landline. When you are not in CHCH or in the situation at the time it would be hard to fully understand what was happening, but luckily the ex boss had only left CHCH in July so was fully aware. The big boss rang a few times on my other cell, as I must say, each quake, the 022 network has mainly kept working. A big applause to 2 degree.

Once the last person left I was ready to go home and see what damage had been done. Driving home it was sad, our last day at work before Christmas, ready to sit back, have a sausy and drink and look a little forward to Xmas and just be our little work family. But this was not to happen. Speaking to a person over the phone and other people, and listening to other people speak of the current events, it was obvious that people we spoke of had had enough, on the edge of not being able to cope with this all over again, and in their minds ''oh no, not again!'.

When I arrived home I was pleased to see no liquefaction ,even on the road, as normally for the size of these shakes there would be liquefaction at home and all down the street, cars in holes, water spraying from the ground up to so many metres high, traffic jams everywhere etc. But not this time. Walking in the house, it was not as messy and in disheaval compared to last quake, but that was mainly due to, not having much left from all the quakes. But my front door that was binding prior, now has to be kicked to be opened or closed. I managed to quickly get osme pics of under the house, this was the place I have documentewd, through the broken foundations, for the last year. Usually after a 5.5+ there is liquefaction, but I couldnt see any from the pics I took with the camera through the foundation holes. There was definitely changes under the house but no new spewing liquefaction. My son smelt sewage again, but I think I may be a bit used to this smell around the house now, so didnt smell it too much.

A picture I have of my son when he was at primary school had shattered in the hallway, things fallen over, and ohh ohh, baby oil spilt. Last quake in June the baby oil was on the window sill in the bathroom with no lid, and damn that went everywhere. Your own ice skating rink. My shower tray is yukky, it was blocking up before, but looks like crap had come up and left its marks on the tray. Wer were so lucky not to lose power like those in New Brighton and other areas. But I did charge up my cell phones, camera and laptop, just incase, plus filled the jug.
Ewww our cold water is not looking good. A week ago I noticed that the cold water, was like when Chlorine is put in the water, but only like 50 times stronger. Instead of it settling straight away, the contents were visible in the bottom of the glass swirling around. It took 1 minute for it to look like normal water. Tonight my boy asked if the water was ok as he held up his glass of frosty coloured water. I told him to only drin the water in the fridge. Ok, people put too much of something in something, but this was beyond stupid. I have no idewa if this is bad or allowed, but it is something you definnitely would not drink.
I had to shoot over to the river of course to check everything was ok, and to get some pic of 'Nipple Hill'. It will be another sad day when that hill fully falls to the wrath of Mother Nature. Rather differnet feeling standing on the little bridge when an aftershock hit. A bit of a sway, rattle, shake, and wobbly feeling. It depends where you stand, if you are sitting, or lying down, or whatever you are doing, plus also if you are at home, or out somewhere, or even driving, the feel of an aftershock is very different. Unfortunately 99% of the ones that have hit us today are on our side of town.
Its 1:14am and the aftershocks are still being a pain, and my son is spewing in the kitchen sink, after being sick in the bathroom sink, looks to be a loonnnnnggg night!
Tomorrow will come too soon! Merry /xmas to all, and it gives me a warn feeling knowing you guys from Germany, Russia and The States have found my recteated Blog, and hope my waffling above hasnt bored you, and I apologise for any spelling mistakes, its just too late to bother checking.........