From Los Gatos, California
* From the San Jose Mercury News:
A 5.6 magnitude earthquake centered near Alum Rock in San Jose
struck at 8:04 tonight.
* Well, guess who was sitting at dinner at 8:04 pm and felt, as the
song goes, "the earth move under my feet?"
* Me. That's who.
* When you hear, read, or see a news story about an earthquake you
think about Japanese people jumping under tables while tins of
shark fin soup come tumbling off the shelves in the background.
* I am not that experienced in dealing with earthquakes. Or shark
fin soup.
* Everyone who grew up on Long Island and has been through an
earthquake, raise hands.
* No one? What a surprise! Wanna know why? It's because we don't
have earthquakes on Long Island.
* Gang wars? We got. Mafia activities? Enough to start a new HBO
series. Jets and Mets fans? We got by the thousands. Earthquakes?
We got none.
* A bunch of the staff of the Fred Thompson for President campaign
were sitting at dinner when it felt like a subway train (they
don't have subways in Los Gatos, I don't think) came rumbling
under the restaurant.
* The younger, more delicate flowers with whom I was eating sat
stock still with their eyes wide.
* "Earthquake," I said calmly, being older, wiser, and pretty sure
there are no subways in Los Gatos.
* According to my mapping program, Los Gatos is about 14 miles from
the epicenter of this earthquake which was at Alum Rock,
California.
* While it was called a "moderate" earthquake by people who were not
in it, I am here to tell you that the chandelier over our heads
did not stop swinging for a good 5 - 6 seconds after the rumbling
stopped. My glass of Pinot Noir didn't stop sloshing around for
another 2.3 to 2.5 seconds.
* The reality is: I didn't see any cattle heading for shelter, nor
any household pets running under the living room furniture just
before I took a bite of my pasta and shrimp entrée.
* No bridges collapsed, no houses fell down, and no freeways
pancaked.
Continued... |