The Washington Federal Savings Bank in
downtown Olympia sustained heavy damage.
(photo by Steve Bloom, The Olympian)

After the vibration lasted maybe 5 seconds the violent back and forth motion began.  I remember looking up at the suspended heating duct above me and watching it swing violently, creaking and scraping.  I remember now that the lights were already out at this point.  I didn't notice the lights go out but since I sit next to the big floor to ceiling window I probably wouldn't have noticed anyway.  I suddenly realized this wasn't going to be just a little shake and be done with.  Even though the entire earthquake only lasted about 40 seconds it sure seemed much longer.  I remember the events in kind of snapshots of time rather than a stream of events.  This may sound stupid but it was almost like I was in a movie.  I just couldn't believe it was really happening so it must be a movie that I was just watching.  So many weird things went through my head in just a matter of moments. 

I had been listening to "The Night Is Still Young" by Billy Joel on my headphones and I got tangled in the headphone cord as I scrambled under my desk.  I skinned my knees on the carpeting as I pushed my chair back, dove to the floor and ripped the headphones off my head.  The oscillating fan I have under my desk fell over, almost landing on my hand and my computer was literally doing a jig across the floor towards me.  I remember trying to push it back into place but the violent north to south shaking increased and it just came over faster.  I pushed the button to open the CD ROM drive to get my CD out but without power it was just going to have to stay in there.  Suddenly the shaking slowed considerable and I thought it was over but then the building began pitching back and forth even more violently.  We were still only about 20 seconds into the quake. 

I opened the drawer to the left of my chair and grabbed for my cell phone in my purse.  Usually I have to fumble around for it when it rings but somehow my hand found it right away.  I don't know how long I sat there staring at my phone.  I could not for the life of me remember my own phone number.  I even have it programmed in but I think I was in shock because I couldn't even remember that.   Brian was at home with Tessa and I desperately needed to know that they were alright.  I kept thinking to myself, "Please stop.  Please stop."   It felt like the shaking was going to go on forever.  I finally remembered our number and dialed the phone.   Brian answered just as the shaking stopped.  They were both fine.  That's when I began to shake.  I had been doing pretty good until I heard his voice.  My relief was overwhelming and I began to shake and cry.  

With Brian still on the line I got out of the building.  My hands were shaking so bad I told him I'd call him back.  That was a bad idea.  I had called soon enough that the phone lines hadn't been flooded yet by other frantic callers, but by the time I tried to call him back a few minutes later I couldn't get through.

We also turned on the computers to find we already had e-mail from friends and family asking if we were alright.  Returning people's e-mail and sending out messages to others was comforting and normal. 

In a strange twist of irony, the usually waterlogged hills of the Pacific Northwest at this time of year are uncharacteristically dry.  We are running so far behind in rainfall this season they are already asking us to cut back on water usuage so the strain isn't so tough this summer.  Had the hillsides been soaked by winter rains, there would have been dozens more mudslides adding millions of dollars more in damage and probably loss of life.   Mother Nature was looking ot for us a little bit on February 28th.