Nigel and Aidan felt their first earthquake yesterday! For someone with a lifelong interest in natural disasters (Nigel), it was an exciting experience. I couldn’t wait to hear Nigel’s reaction, and we had another great phone conversation.

Me: How did it feel to you?

Nigel: Very short but very shaky.

Me: Were you scared?

Nigel: 5.8 usually shakes things off the wall.

Me: I read online that it actually was a 5.4.

Nigel: The news on TV said it was a 5.8.

Me: That was the initial reading, but they revised it later. So what did you do?

Nigel: We went outside to avoid it.

Me: Were you scared?

Nigel: Um . . . I wasn’t scared, just a little shaken. You know, nerve-wracked.

Me: Earthquakes will do that to you.

Nigel: How big was the first one that you felt in your childhood?

[I then described to Nigel some of my experiences with earthquakes.]

Me: What was your first reaction when you felt the shaking?

Nigel: At first I wanted to duck and cover.

Me: What did you do after you went outside?

Nigel: We went to the beach.

Me: After the earthquake?

Nigel: Yeah. That’s what we were getting ready to do before the earthquake.

A little Shake n’ Bake, anyone? First earthquake, then beach. That’s life in LA for you.