Loma Prieta Quake

20 years ago and about this time.....5:07pm if my memory serves me well. Was at Candlestick with dear friends Christa and Jeff and their oldest daughter Molly. Jeff scored the tix from a scalper. We were in section 44 (right field) 2ND to last row from the top. When the rumble started Christa said "sounds like people stamping their feet"....somehow I knew it was a quake and yelled "sit down." As we were rocked back and forth in our seats by the 6.9 magnitude, you could hear the joints (if that the correct construction terminology) creak....my eyes were closed but I did sneak a peak and looked toward the press box across the field. The light towers were swaying and some poor soul was on one hanging on for dear life....I recall thinking what is it going to feel like when this section gives way and we fall backward onto the pavement....it was a thought driven by curiosity not fear....I vividly remember the sense of calm that engulfed as I thought I was going to die.....oddly, I was okay with it. After 15 seconds of eternity it was over and a huge cheer erupted from the crowd. The woman in front of me, (with an A's cap on...the enemy) turned around, looked at me and asked, "What was that?" I grinned and uttered, "That was an earthquake. Welcome to San Francisco!" There are many memories of that evening and the days which followed including my up close and personal visit to the epicenter off of Summit Road....BUT, the image that is forever ingrained in the mind's eye is what I observed from the back seat of the Lawrence's car as we made our way across the Golden Gate Bridge. After spending nearly 2 hours to get through the city, it was dark as we drove onto the bridge....mid span I turned to look back at the City by the Bay.....all I could see was the fire in the Marina....that world renown skyline didn't exist....just a vast orange glow in the pitch black darkness.