I was in the middle of a dream when I felt a sharp jolt, and heard a loud crack, followed by a series of jiggles and 15 seconds of slowing fading rumbles. Probably my 20th earthquake in 25 years of living here. I knew it was close because of the abruptness of the initial motion. Quakes further away have a more gradual sway to them.
I walked down the hall and heard the sheets rustle as Alex sat up in bed. It’s unusual for him to be anything other than catatonic in the morning. He didn’t remember feeling it, but it’s probably what woke him up. Seventeen years old and he’s never been awake for one. I opened the Powerbook and went right to the USGS-Caltech Seismic Net site. Turned on the TV and saw nothing, but the local news AM station was abuzz with people calling in reporting how it felt. Amazing how different the experience is depending on where you are.
It was a 4.0, a few miles east of here in the mountains. No damage reported. Someday the news will be worse.