clock … watching time, the only true currency

I woke up to an earthquake this morning.

My eyes didn’t snap open, but I woke up, clock says 4:43am, and things kept shaking for maybe 10 seconds more. I could hear things shaking, but nothing fell or was out of order when I got out of bed. I tried to go back to sleep, but given two of the last three books I’ve read (but not yet blogged) are about earthquakes…not so much.

Intellectually, I know we’re living in denial about the potential impact of an earthquake, bracing and bolting notwithstanding. But reading these books breaks through the background clutter. The two books: A Dangerous Place by Marc Reisner (of Cadillac Desert fame) and A Crack on the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester. I like living here, despite the red zone. I am a bit more conscious of this choice these last few weeks. Especially this morning.

The USGS has details about this 4.2 magnitude event, which officially took place in Oakland at 4:42am. I reported my experience, which you’re invited to do, and here’s the aggregated map and report of observers.