California has many great benefits to offer it's residents. And since we have lived here for three years I guess we can finally say "We are officially Californians", at least by address! With that being said we can now check earthquake off of our new resident Welcome to the State list~ check please!
While this was technically the third earthquake I have felt, today was the only one that felt more than a building "settling".
I was in downtown Los Angeles today for a work training, Doug was in Oxnard working and Zachary was in Ventura (completely oblivious to anything going on). I always said the last place I wanted to be in an earthquake was at the Los Angeles AHA office and especially not in the basement conference rooms. When I moved offices to Ventura County, I thought, whew, bypassed that one. So I am now in LA maybe 5 times a year.
Where was I today, hmmmmm.............. Downtown LA, in our old brick building, flanked by highrises and (wait for it, wait for it) in the basement! Someone told that not only did I face my biggest LA fear, but I survived it (thrived it, if I may). So, yea me!
Back to the big shake. It happened close to noon (PST) the building vibrated (like a jackknife!) for about 4-6 seconds, then a big shake, some big time sways, more violent shaking, lights now moving big time overhead, another sway and then some light vibrations (In Oxnard I heard there may have been a tumble by someone's boss, who may or may not have been wearing a hard hat and carrying a flashlight at the time). The whole episode lasted about 20-25 seconds, which I am told is a fairly long quake for a 5.8 measurement. Overall it wasn't all that bad of an experience, more unsettling that anything else and long enough where there was some concern that this was maybe going to be bigger than anyone wanted. But thankfully for all involved it wasn't.
So we did it. We survived.
FYI, I have also learned to take cnn.com and other news sites with a grain of salt. I went to cnn.com and saw the big red banner "BREAKING NEWS: LA rattled with EARTHQUAKE". Then a story below, "LA hit by EARTHQUAKE". It seemed pretty dramatic considerring what it was and I think may have caused friends and family not in LA some unneccesary worry or concern. But we thank you and love you for your concern just the same.
He loves the new Bulldozer too. What a great age when not only the gift is appreciated but so is the box it came in. 
(I wish this picture would do the 405 traffic some justice, it appears we are moving, we weren't!)
