Earthquake Diary 18

Tuesday, March 22
According to today's newspaper, we may have our gas restored within a few days. It will be nice to take a hot shower, rather than a sponge bath, but I do feel sorry for the people who live in areas where it might take as much as 45 days to get it flowing again.

Yesterday I walked to Izumi Chuo and went to the AU Shop to see if they could fix my cell phone. They could not, but they loaned me another phone while mine was undergoing repairs. They said that because of the earthquake it might take as much as three months to get it repaired. I said that I did not mind as long as I could use the loaner.

I also checked out some of the stores in the area. The large supermarket had set up shop inside their two story parking lot. They were also letting people in small groups into the supermarket itself. I saw people carrying bags containing things like cereal, something we are almost out of.

Almost every store and restaurant had the lights on inside and people were apparently getting them ready to open again. I expect that by the end of the week most places will be reopened. Then it will just be a question of what stock is getting through from other parts of the country. The coastal regions that were hit by the tsunami are still having trouble but the police and military are bringing in supplies as rapidly as possible. Again I feel very sorry for them and very thank full that my personal situation is as good as it is.

During yesterday's walk, I noticed that much of the minor damage has been repaired with temporary repairs. Places that potentially could cause a person to trip and fall have ad hoc repairs that at least make them safe. I suspect that it will be years, if ever, before some of these places are permanently fixed. It is still not clear to me how extensive the earthquake damage has been. Many buildings are simply off limits and I can not tell if they have structural damage or are just messed up inside. I guess it is one of those cases where time will tell.

I just went to the other room to refill my coffee cup and discovered my wife had taken out the vacuum cleaner for the first time since the quake and was using some kind of dry rug cleaner. It sure makes me feel good - normality.

My two and a half year old granddaughter complained yesterday for the first time. She said that it was boring. There was nothing to do except play. She wanted to go to a store but they are closed. She seems to have a pretty good understanding of what is happening and has been on her best behavior since the quake.