I noticed something strange last weekend. While at a bookstore, I stopped at a small display table, picked up a book, and started thumbing through it. My leg must have slightly brushed up against the table, which wasn't that sturdy, causing the display to rock just a tiny bit. I caught this out of the corner of my eye, and my mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that we were having an earthquake.
Living in California for several years, and experiencing a few earthquakes firsthand, you start to develop a sensitivity to rocking and shifting motions when you're not expecting them. Your immediate reaction is to find the nearest person and ask "Are we having an earthquake? I think we're having an earthquake." Sharing like that is big in California. Step two is to visit the USGS earthquake map and check out the data.
Anyway, it's just funny how these things stick with you.
I live in San Francisco (well San Rafael - close enough) The last big earthquake I felt was in Seattle about 4 1/2 years ago.
Luckily it was early and I was still in my hotel bed, very luckily I *wasn't* still in the Emergency Room I had been in previously after a night of really bad food poisoning. When an earthquake hits do you reckon the guy heaving in the corner is going to get much attention as everyone rushes to a high level of trauma readiness ?
Why was I in Seattle ? Microsoft .Net indoctrination. Why did I have food poisoning ? Well - I think it was the fruit plate that we had at lunch (the strawberries in particular).
So watch what you eat !!
Posted by: Andrew Kimpton | June 14, 2005 at 08:59 PM