So yesterday at work, I was sitting at Michael's computer computing some accounting stuff for Gary when I heard a vaguely familiar deep rumbling sound and my chair started to move... only itwasn't just my chair. It was my chair, and my desk, and the walls, and the office, and the ground. I heard Charlotte in the hallway struggling to stay on her feet in her 4-inch heels and the entire accounting department thundering down the stairs (I've never seen Gary move so quickly). Yup, it was an earthquake.
Originally reported as a 5.8, the 5.4 quake struck at 11:42am near Diamond Bar and Chino Hills. The shaking lasted a long time; I was surprised. They say that people could feel it as far away as San Diego or even Las Vegas. There was no major damage or injuries reported.
Of course, the phone and internet lines were immediately tied up, but not because of damage; big-mouthed people were just burning up the lines with their accounts of the "traumatic" event. For about an hour, nonstop, the office chatter and all of the radio frequencies were bursting of tales of those who were a little (forgive me) shaken up. People were blabbing about how they had to call and make sure their loved ones were alright, and comparing the shaker to the Northridge quake of 94. Seriously? not even close. The Richter scale is logarithmic, remember? 5.4... 6.8... not exactly the same thing. Calm down people.
Maybe this is sick and twisted of me, but I've been kind of waiting for an earthquake for a while now. I kind of like them. It's a roller coaster-type feeling, only weirder. It's like surfing on solid ground. It does mess with your sense of reality and stability though. The scariest and most poetic part about an earthquake is that your most stable surface, your anchor, and the thing that you rely on and expect to be solid, is moving under you. Your entire world is literally rumbling beneath your feet. It's bizarre. I love it.
I waited anxiously for aftershocks, and while there were several reports of them, I didn't feel any... =(
