NOT THE BIG ONE...yet

The stores were a mess, and some older buildings lost some bricks... and we in So-California survived yet another earthquake. Growing up in the LA area, for me these shake-ups are par for the course. In fact, most Californians understand that a tremor every now and then is pretty commonplace. We recognize them immediately and react with calm. It's the non-natives who get a little freaked.

During today's quake, I was in the middle of a meeting in a pyramid-shaped glass building on the sixth floor. Not very high up, but this building (I am told) is built on rollers so even after the 20-second tremor it continued to sway back and forth for a couple minutes, which is an odd feeling when you are not in a boat.

The only earthquake that ever actually scared me was the Northridge quake of 1994. At around 4am in the morning, I woke up to a rumbling sound and then it literally felt like a giant picked up my apartment and shook it like someone shakes a wrapped Xmas gift. I heard several car alarms go off... then everything - all city lights - went black. Poof! no power.  Then came the sirens.  Of course in then light of day, there were lots of cracks in buildings, broken glass and some structural damage (my apartment moved one inch from my front porch) but luckily it was a holiday at 4am so most people were home asleep and not on the road or in public buildings - so causalities were at a minimum.

People often question why we live in the earthquake-ridden California. It's because the "big one" can come tomorrow or 40 years from now. So in the meantime, reinforce the foundations, upgrade the seismic specs, and sweep up the glass... then go do something outside because the weather is beautiful!