Well it happened.

Exactly 15 minutes ago I experienced my first earthquake tremor here in San Francisco.

I'm not going to lie...my knee is still involuntarily trembling slightly under the computer desk while I type this and my heart is still pounding hard in my chest.

It truly freaked me out...

*****

I was sitting at my computer desk in the middle of downloading my pictures from my camera into my laptop to post on Flickr. The T.V. was playing the movie "Stay Alive" but I was only half watching. Eric was sketching on the Wacom tablet on the computer desk right next to me. (we have the desks pushed together) Celine was in the kitchen making pizza. John was out visiting a friend from work..

At that moment the desk started to shake. I glanced at my bottle of corona on the computer table and it was rattling.

I looked down to see if one of the cats was under the table and pushing against the sides with their paws. But our cat, Michael was across the room staring at me with wide eyes and Fiona came out from the hallway.

The shaking stopped for a moment, then it started again a little harder this time. It wasn't like I imagined an earthquake to be. It was more like a swaying, rattling feeling. like a sumo wrestler was jumping up and down on the hardwood floor and pushing against the walls.

Then it became stronger. the rattling grew louder. Eric looked over at me with an open mouth, half smiling, half scared. It was hard to read.

I whispered "Oh my god" and looked around the room.

Suddenly this feeling of pure terror washed over me. "What if it gets stronger and worse?? what if all the books start falling off the shelves?? What if the walls cave in?? Am I supposed to duck under the desk?? What the hell am I supposed to do now??!"

"Come with me" Eric stood up and gently (but quickly) moved me towards the door frame. Celine came out of the kitchen and gazed at us.

"What's going on??" She asked nervously

At that moment... it just stopped.

Just like that. We all stood there frozen in place. uncertain whether it was going to come back or if that was it.

We opened the front door and saw that our next door neighbors had opened their front door too. They were around our ages, twenty-somethings. The girl was hugging her boyfriend and she smiled to us.

"Welcome to San Francisco", she said "And THAT was just a small one"

We all laughed nervously.

She went on to explain that she had been here for the 1989 earthquake which had been far more scary.

We chatted with our neighbors for a few minutes and shakily returned to what we were doing.

My first earthquake.

It was exciting in RETROSPECT.. but while it's occuring.. the only word I can use to describe it is..

UNSETTLING.

I still feel all shaken up over it and uneasy... waiting for aftershocks, fearing it's not over...

I guess after a while I'll get used to earthquakes

Did anyone else in the San Francisco area feel this one?

Day 37 of 365 days

I just found this online, it gives more information on the earthquake. It was a 5.6

cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_303231433.html