The first week end in March Ed took me on a Big Surprise date. It was a big surprise for me and it was heaven for Ed. We went to see the Eagles in live concert. Ed loves the Eagles. We missed them when they were in New Orleans so Ed was over the moon when he found out they were coming to Tokyo. They were wonderful. They put on a really great show.
As you all know March 11, 2011 was the Earthquake. This is the email I sent out to everyone that evening.
First let me say we are okay.
I was out this afternoon meeting a lady from our church. We were in a Starbucks in Midtown, Tokyo having tea. The building was really shaking and everyone got under the available tables. It lasted for a long time. Frances, the lady I was with, has lived here four different times for about 19 years total and she said this is the worst she has ever felt. She has never seen the Japanese get emotional as one of the workers did. They had to escort her to the back of the shop. Everything calmed down and then a second shock came through and the workers at Starbucks had us evacuate the shop. The emergency personnel directed us to a large park that had a large open space. They were evacuating the business from this building. There was an Englishman there and he had been on the 44th floor. He said the building was really swaying. He was visibly shaken. Frances and I walked to our church which was near by there. We had to use the restroom. They had book shelves that had fallen over and a statue which had fallen and some plants knocked over. I tried calling Ed but could not get thorough so I sent him a text which I could not figure out the space bar so the words were all ran together. The subways were not running so Frances was going to walk home. She would have normally taken a subway. I walked home because that was what I was going to do anyway. It was only a fifteen minute walk home for me. I even stopped and bought wine on the way home. I did come in the front entrance just to check if there was any problems. The electricity was out and the elevators were not working so I had to walk up five flights of stairs. There was sheet rock on the stair ways. I guess from when the building was shaking. A picture frame and a phone was on the floor and a wine glass fell off the dish rack an broke but that was all the damage. The sliding glass door to the office was opened which was strange. I tried calling Ed from the land line but all the phones were not working the system was too busy.
Then Dinah called me on our home phone and she was watching it all on the news. She was quite upset. I could connect to the Internet with the sling box so I was able to see the news with Dinah. We talked for a very long time while I looked for a flash light and the earthquake kit that the apartment management issued to us. I found out the electricity was on. I tried getting in touch with Ed and sending text but the circuits were still busy. Ed finally got through. He was walking home, he and several co-workers and hundreds and hundreds of other people. They tried renting a car but the computers were down and none of the taxis wanted to take them to Roppongi which is where we live, a suburb of Tokyo. So, poor Ed is walking over 15 miles home. I think once he gets closer to Tokyo or in Tokyo he will be able to get a taxi.
We are fine. I am safe in our apartment and Ed is on his way home. We have had two after shocks since i have been home, mild ones.
It took Ed five hours to walk home. He was in such a state but just happy to get back home and to know that I was safe.
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