"What a beautiful day" has got to be the plainest Facebook status. But it was simply that - a beautiful day. Tuesday August 23rd commenced with a pleasantly warm sunrise. It was the kind of day that anti depression drug commercial film crews wish for in order to film the after effect - that kind of "happier" day. Precipitation was nowhere in sight, humidity was on vacation, and only the sun remained with a gentle breeze - at least that's what I absorbed from my ten minute breather before heading back into my office.
At approximately 150pm I rolled my chair back to reach for something on the floor, and noticed a vertical bounce building from underneath. The San Franciscan in me leapt to attention and identified the movement as emanating from the earth. Emergency crisis announcements advised that we stay in our seats. However, I took the more visceral approach and darted for the closest exit with droves of similarly rattled co workers.
This was an historic 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Virginia and was felt as far as Manhattan. Located about six kilometers of Mineral, Virginia the magnitude was initially 5.8 but since then has been upgraded. Suddenly, the East Coast was caught off guard by something unusually Californian.
Suddenly I was transported back to San Francisco during the equally historic earthquake of October 17 1989. The World Series was interrupted, a portion of the Bay Bridge collapsed, and I was at King Norman's Toy Store on Clement St. where the ceiling had cracked open and I climbed out from under the rubble of board games Life and Risk.
Thankfully, I was jolted back to the safer reality of the current temblor which reported no serious injuries. A sigh of relief followed by a string of jovial Facebook messages from San Franciscan friends gave me comfort. And why not mark this historical quaking moment with a densely packed chocolate shake from our office's neighboring gourmet burger brilliance, Shake Shack, right?!
Alas Shake Shack was all shook up! The adjacent edifice that houses this fiercely rebranded burger joint was under construction and had to undergo more extensive post tremor examination prior to allowing public access. So no chocolate shake (pout). Yet I happily return to my desk albeit sensitive to the slightest vibration.
So where were you at 150pm yesterday Wednesday August 24th? Did you feel the earth move under your feet?
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