5.9

Here I sit at my computer blogging.

Not that I don't want to talk to my blogging audience, but I'd really rather be able to use my cellphone right about now.

No cake.

Apparently, that's the story for most everyone around here as "cellular phone towers are overwhelmed on the East coast."  Because ...

We just had a 5.9 magnitude earthquake!

Talk about a freaky afternoon.  About 60 minutes ago, I put Jackson down for a nap and very shortly after he fell asleep, I logged onto Etsy in our office to browse.

Then ... I thought--for sure--that I was going crazy.

It started as a little rumble under my feet (felt like our washing machine was unbalanced) ... then it got more and more violent.  Within a few seconds, the bookshelves around me were rocking back and forth against the walls and Maggie started running around.  I walked out into our foyer, the house literally shaking all around me ... to find our chandelier swinging on its chain.  This lasted for about 20 seconds -- which, when you're questioning your sanity -- feels like an eternity.

Thus began the frantic phone calls, that, had they connected would have sounded something like this:  "Mom, I know you're going to think I'm crazy ... but I think my house is shaking" ... "I hope this isn't the beginning of another 'true story' like The Exorcist."

Only, they didn't connect.

Forever.

Still haven't.

Luckily, my neighbor across the street was outside on her porch ... so, I reluctantly walked across into her yard ... and I said something along the lines of "this is going to sound really weird, but about 10 minutes ago, was your house shaking?"  Never was I so happy to hear the words "yeah, we just had an earthquake."

Thanks goodness someone was well informed!

From what I've been able to read online so far, this earthquake centered in Mineral, Virginia and was a 5.9 magnitude quake, categorized as "moderate/strong."  Experts are considering that what we felt was merely the "foreshock" and there may be more to come.

Wooohooo!

Hey, I'm just feeling strangely satisfied that it wasn't some figment of my imagination and/or some malevolent force.

Geesh, I watch too many movies!

Stay tuned.