What's a little earthqauke among friends?

So, last night at 8pm, while I was watching TV, an earthquake hit. It didn't seem particularly strong to me, but it did last for about 30 seconds. Nothing fell off shelves or walls. There was amost no reaction from the people in my building or outside. But then, I live on Nob Hill, which may be one of the few neighborhoods in the city built on solid rock. Other people in the city felt it much more strongly.

The local news reported it as a magnitude-5.6 tremor, centered about 9 miles northeast of San Jose. They claim it was the strongest to hit the Bay Area since 1989. The shaking was widely felt within an 80-mile radius, as far away as Santa Rosa, Sacramento and Monterey.

Some think that quakes like this are a precursor to "the big one." If that's true, you East Coasters better get a move on and come visit soon!