Saturday, February 28, 2009

Shabbat rocket attack

This from Maxine:
Here i am, 8:45 a.m., in a deep sleep when all of a sudden, I hear a siren. I thought I was dreaming until I realized it was real...Shani came bursting into our room, Rafi and iIjumped up, I ran for my sweater which had been strategically placed when all this started months ago (in case I am in my p.j.s and have to evacuate the house), Yehiel, shani's boyfriend, half asleep and not used to this because he lives in Jerusalem, following behind. This siren was a double one and we all ran, dogs following.

Before we got to our "safe place" (a hallway downstairs), and before my mother-in-law could get out of bed, there was a tremendous "boom" followed by a softer one; we knew it was close, thinking it might have been a few blocks behind us. Tal is usually the one to find out first where it fell but he was already on his way to work about 20 minutes north of here. The softer boom fell in the industrial area of the city, on the southern side and not close to us.
Just for good measure, and as instructed by homefront command, we stayed put for about 2 more minutes (they say 5 but who has the patience?) and then the phone started ringing. The grad fell on the campus of the school i used to teach at - a 10 minute walk from here and a 3 minute car drive. According to the news, there's been some structural damage and 7 people are being treated for shock. there are apartment buildings all around the school. nice ones.
We heard the sirens of the emergency vehicles and then everyone, but me, went back to sleep which is what they're all doing now. Lucky them!

I don't know if this is the start of hostilities all over again, although there have been 101 missiles shot in the area from Gaza up to ashkelon (but always up to the outskirts of the city) till now.
Upper echelon municipality workers were all called in to the city's "war room" (an underground, protected room with computers, maps, phones to the army, etc).
Who has the strength to go through all this again?
Well, better get the Oreos ready.

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