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mom nature has a way of reminded you. It's such a unnatural feeling,it really is rather scary.

At about 140pm,Sean called my cell to say our phone lines to the office were messed up. I told him I heard a initial attempt at a ring and then it would go silent.Sean said it sounded like my lines were being directed to my fax machine but,since it enjoys it's own dedicated line, I knew that wasn't the prolem. It happened to him 3 times and I really had no idea what the problem could be as I had been using the phone without problems all day.

Five minutes later,one of our circuit court judges,a friend and hunting partner of mine, walked into my offices to tell me about his Canada bow hunt and to invite me to Newfoundland for a moose hunt at the end of September. Just two minutes into the conversation, the artist next door interrupted us to say the toilets and phones were going to be down for a good while. He went on to say that for some bizarre reason,the water fountain on our entrance floor level had pulled itself out of alignment somehow and the water line broke,causing water to drop through the floor to the lower floor suite and, specifically, onto and inside the box containing the building's phone line connections. OK...phone issue with Sean resolved but WTF on the water fountain,right?

Anyways,judge and I keep shooting the schit and all of a sudden it very mildly felt like I was standing on the top rung of a ladder,set on uneven ground,hands free. The tremor and sound intensified during the next 5 seconds we were in the WTF stage and my friend simply said "Bob,are we in a earthquake?" Before I could finish my genius "I have no idea but we best get out of the building" reply,a deer head fell off my wall and pictures and books started falling from my shelving. As we stood to rush out, I saw a crack forming on the wall and plaster falling from the ceiling over my paralegal's desk. While moving towards the stairwell (20 feet),I saw a huge crack forming on the wall by our exit door and the artist's studio paintings falling off easles and from his walls. Before I went down the stairs, I looked in to the next door office to make sure the accountants, all women,were already out of their offices and then I hustled down the steps. I felt the ground moving on my way down (20 steps),causing me to hold on to the railing,because I had to, and I literally saw walls waving as I made my way out. Once outside, the people from our building and the other adjoining buildings were looking upwards so as to figure out what to do next as "things" were falling from roofs and off of the old windows and eaves of our building(s). My office is the old civil war home of the southern sympathizer and spy,Antonia Ford. I think it was built in 1865. Beautifulm structure but nothing but old bricks and plaster....Gorilla glue and duct-tape.

For me,the most intense part of this quake felt like the above ladder comparison but this time while standing on one leg with a wind blowing at 20 mph.You really are helpless. And the feeling is so unnatural for me that it was frightening,at some stages,especially if you sensed the ceiling could come down on you at any moment.

We've not experienced this before in this area. While admitting I was frightened at some levels,in a perverse sort of way,I'll also admit to it being pretty F'ing cool,as well.Bizarre,ping-ponging emotions in that minute and a half,folks. I've BTDT on the hurricane and tornado gigs but old mom nature through me a pitch I ain't seen or felt before and that adds much to the overall dynamic.

Anyways, all things considered, the region actually managed the potential nightmare very well in that our architecture and infrastructure still appear structurally intact and strong. My cell text feature works and calls come in but I can not call out,as yet. Traffic lights are out in some areas so traffic is and will most likely remain a nightmare till the 10 o'clock hour,or so. Tyson's Corner mall got hurt as did the National Cathedral. Because of the age of our architecture, in both DC and the burbs,the structural engineers will be quite busy looking at the guts of buildings and bridges to make sure things are ok. It appears there are no fatalities or extraordinary ambulance activities and most emergency crews are out helping at traffic intersections where the lights are without power.

All in all I give the movie a B+ with some extra credit points for the special effects. Although I remained outwardly calm,didn't piss myself and my instinctual actions seemed above average decent;my nerves were such that, if I could have, I'd of knocked back 4 fingers of Dewars at the Pub next door before I got comfortable in my bar stool.

We had a little one at work one morning before we started up. I was sitting at the break table reading the paper when my legs and the table got all "wiggly" for about 15 seconds. Very, VERY odd feeling that was. Some stuff on workbenches shook a little, but nothing got broken. We were about 150 miles from the epicenter on the Wabash fault.

Glad you are okay and I hope your family is okay.

Glad you're OK, Bob!

A 5.9 is nothing to sneeze at, particularly if the infrastructure isn't designed for it. What you experienced is what kills a lot of people in underdeveolped countries.

It's OK now to hit the Dewars, even better if it's Woodford Reserve!

Ed

Sounds a bit more exciting for you just 30 miles away than it was for us Bob but we're in a pretty new building. Glad it's worked out OK and now you have the most valuable of all things a story of the great quake of 11!

Well glad you are OK, but at least drink a good single malt from Isley!

I can't even fathom what a 7 would have done or how it would have been different from what I felt today. I certainly know it's far different but I wouldn't know how to add to it other than the ceiling probably would have come down.

I'm sure our building had much to do with it,Allen.


Appreciate the thought,Tim.

Glad you are OK.

A 6.6 moves your bed across the linoleum quite easily (Sylmar Quake).

Old buildings don't do so well in quakes.

BMT

Glad you made it thru the quake okay.

Thanks.

When I got home, I had a little smile on my face thinking the quake had my daughter's Yorkies shaking so much they stroked out.

Nope.

But,once I figure out which one of them pinched a loaf on my new "Sporting Classics" magazine,there will be only one remaining survivor.

Yeah right Bob, I don't see that happening. You will just clean it off and read the crappy mag!

Glad to hear you're all ok. I heard about the quake at work when the closed our corporate office. I can't imagine what a quake would feel like so thanks for the detailed description....

Probably best to stock up on your beverage of choice now Bob.... hurricane headed your way for a weekend visit... Let's see, earthquake check, hurricane inbound check, alien invasion... well actually yeah... no green one yet but still...

I'm thinking buy in bulk

I guess it's just a lot of rain for us though,right? And that's only if it moves up this way. I'm hoping the torrential downpour hits over Texas.

Dude....

Y'all were getting tremors all morning, per the results you said.

And, the dogs down here were freakin' the f'k up.

All clues.

Damn, and to think that was all caused by a water leak. Glad all are ok though.

Glad you came through mostly unscathed Bob!

Glad you're OK Bob..Interesting the water leak started before you felt the tremor, it just shows the ground was on the move even before it built into a full blown quake..

Or we just had incompetent plumbers,who knows. I'm not trying to read too much into it and,looking and thinking back to yesterday,the only thing that prominently stands out for me is the near helplessness you experience when the earth realigns itself. If one doesn't find a open area,free of falling debris and structure,inside of 15 seconds to a minute,an earthquake can rudely skew the mortality tables.

PS Pete...I loved the book. Thanks very much for your kindness.

Gezz Bob, from the subject line the first thing I thought of was my wife. I'm glad to see this isn't about her and I'm glad to hear you made it through the quake safely.

Bob