Okay guys, the seal is finally broken -- I *just* felt my first earthquake.
My first thought was that I was dizzy -- it's most definitely a gentle rocking sensation, kind of like when you stand up suddenly and your blood throbs so emphatically through your head that your whole body sways a little. Only I was sitting down, and even when I moved a little bit, the rocking didn't change. I looked into the office across from mine where one of the managers has a lovely gold wind chime hanging from the wall, and it was swaying slightly too. And then the CEO called out from her office, "oop -- is everyone okay?"
If I didn't know that that exact sensation can destroy whole cities in a fell swoop, I would say that it was almost pleasant, like cantering on a very small horse with a very smooth gait or having your little fishing boat rocked by a passing ripple.
In doing some research just now, looks like there was a strong 6.0 quake down in Parkfield which we felt up here. Crazy! I hope everyone down there is okay...
http://quake.usgs.gov/research/strongmotion/effects/shake/51147892/intensity.html
And here's the story from yahoo:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040928/ap_on_re_us/calif_quake