The 5.60 earthquake centered south of Palm Springs this morning shook my writing desk 120 miles away. The impulse is to stand up, expecting that firm footing will stop the shaking, which of course it won't. But I just sat and watched, quick to hit "save" on my computer. After six or seven seconds that seemed like 10 minutes, my belongings and I gently snapped back into place like rubberbands that had been momentarily stretched. In a delayed reaction, though, my knees wobbled for a half hour.

