Shake (Quake!)

This morning at 5:06, the house began to shake.   Our impressive collection of tchotchkes rattled on their shelves and tables.  The walls creaked.  My wife, Muri, and I sat up in bed, ready to duck and cover.    As 48 year residents of Southern California, when we first feel an earthquake we wonder: is this is the worst it will get or will the shaking increase in intensity and become a major event?  This one was over before we could even get out of bed.  It felt as if someone had momentarily touched our house with a huge vibrator, but it did no damage except for freaking out my cat, Claude.   There were two little bumps, aftershocks, in the next half hour.