Earthquake!

I missed the whole thing. I was at home, just putzing around, and felt nothing. Didn't even know anything happened until about 10 minutes later when I happened to check Facebook.

[Thank goodness for Facebook, America's source for news. -- DA]

I was in Ontario, walking across the room, and didn't feel anything, but the people that were sitting commented on how long the earthquake was. Then I saw the pool in the backyard and noticed that the water in the pool was in mini-tsunami mode.

As I write this, only two deaths are being reported, which is very low considering the proximity of Mexicali to the epicenter.

[The LAT this morning says the quake lasted 35 seconds! -- DA]

Just after Easter Dinner at my mother-in-law's house in Torrance, we were sitting in the living room and talking when a gentle rolling started that continued long enough for us to change conversation to wondering how big it was and where it could possibly be centered. Given the length, we knew that it was big, but given the gentle motion, we knew it was a distance away. Spent the next 3 hours watching SPECIAL REPORTS on the quake and the conversation turned to the sorry state of the media that showed images of sloshing pools over and over and over again.

[Hey, John Bredehoft (see above) might have found those images fascinating. -- DA]

We were finishing up our Easter dinner... that's probably going to be an earthquake theme... at my parents' house when the house started a very gentle rolling. My seven-year-old daughter and her cousin were in the bedroom watching cartoons and spent the rest of the afternoon excitedly describing the quake to us (which isn't that much different than what the grown-ups were doing).

I'm a survivor (actually, kind of an ugly word, since seven people died) of the '87 Whittier quake. I was jogging with my dad in Whittier, where we lived, when the whole world started to shake. I thought it was World War III. One thing the movies don't show when they depict earthquakes is how loud they are when you're at the epicenter. All the bushes around us were shaking as if someone were grabbing them by the roots and rattling them around. If we'd had the presence of mind, we could have seen all the chimneys on the street we were on toppling over, but we were too stunned to think of looking around.

The house I grew up in was built in 1906, way pre-code (though I suppose the San Francisco quake may have given the builders pause), and we were certain that it would be shaken to the ground. Fortunately, when the shaking stopped, we ran home, and the house was still standing, and is still there this day, though my family no longer lives there.

Here's a quote from the LA Times article about yesterday's quake, currently linked by yahoo:

"David Serrano was at home in Guadalupe Victoria, Mexico, watching a Star Trek movie with his 3-year-old daughter when the room began to shake."

Star Trek! You just can't get away from it.

I was on my laptop at home and felt the house move. I looked up at the swaying miniblinds and noticed that my two dogs were fast asleep & snoring underneath. So much for dogs warning us of oncoming earthquakes!

[I hope you let them know later how disappointed you were in them. -- DA]

I was with family in Murietta but I was standing and didn't feel a thing. Folks who were sitting felt it first and alerted the rest of us. A smallish child near me became alarmed but a hug and a hover from me got her through and earned me a great big hug in return. In times of emergency -- real or imagined -- even younguns will cling to just about anything.

A large dog slept peacefully outside until several car alarms roused him when he looked around wearily as if to say, "What? Leave me alone!" and promptly resumed his nap.

Nothing fell or tipped over there or here at home in Rancho. I agree with you all. Enough already with the swimming pool.

[Dogs really fell down on the job on this one (see Stephanie's comment above). -- DA]

While I was getting seasick from the swaying, my son, only a few feet away, felt nothing.

I had to laugh at the news reporting the "mystical" animal connection and how upset dogs get by earthquakes. My dog and a visiting dog were both going:
"Ham, ham, ham, ham...earthquake...ham, ham, ham."

Two quick quake-related thoughts:

1. Didn't want to risk publicly shaming my faithful canine companion for any perceived lack of perceptiveness, but since he appears to be in good company here, I'll add our Chocolate Lab, Guinness, to the list of dogs who snoozed their way through the Great Shake of 2010. Rancho Cucamonga had its share of rockin' Sunday afternoon, but G's afternoon nap continued unabated.

2. Sunday morning, DA announces he'll be curating a mini-film fest in Ontario. Sunday afternoon, earth literally shakes. Coincidence? I report, you decide ...

I was in Apple Valley (which is approx. 220 mi from the center of earthquake). We were all sitting down and it felt like we were being rolled back and forth. It lasted for quite awhile. I'm sure those closer really were shook up.

Earthquake-1...Dogs-0. I was lounging watching golf on TV (no paint drying jokes, please) and just rode it out with its smooth, rolling motion with not 1..not 2...but 3 dogs oblivious to what the heck was going on...a Rat Terrier, a Chihuahua and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. But give the Cav a break, because she is royalty.

My husband and I were in separate rooms. He yelled, "earthquake," and I looked up to see a light fixture swaying. He said it felt like the chair he was sitting in was moving in a back and forth motion for a few seconds. I did not feel anything, and have still not felt any of the aftershocks.

Several years ago, I was standing in the check-out line at the former Ralphs Supermarket at Mountain and Fifth, when an earthquake occurred. Rows of metal light fixtures hung from the ceiling. They moved in unison and started clanging. It was all over so fast, that I didn't have time to decide whether to stay in the store or run out.

But, the experience has since caused me to silently rail at the grocers every time I grocery shop. They put all of the light, easy to grab products on the bottom shelves, while the heavy jars and cans line the shelves overhead. When the big one hits, lots of people are probably going to be killed in the grocery aisles. I think it's too sad that product placement for the quick dollar is more important than safety.

Dave, i thought of Shirley's comments @ Liquorama, they used to have wire strung across the shelves to prevent the predictable bar & store footage from quake zones, I think the "top shelf liquor" will turn into "piles of insurance paperwork."