Adam Kurtz

I turned the page of my book with intent, absorbed like a coffee spill in a sponge, when my chair shook; no, not just my chair, but the ground, and the walls, and a distant clap of thunder reverberated throughout the warehouse, a triumphant roar echoing in a forgotten canyon. The longest split second of my life later, and all returned to the way it was, walkie talkies intermittently blurting out directions in otherwise quiet. It was 4:04 AM PDT, i had been on set as the crafty dude since 6 PM, and i was feeling minorly cracked out. That was a step up from most of the others who stopped by for coffee or snacks; their mood was more majorly cracked out, wiped out, cranky, or jubilant.

At that point there was very little left for me to do since people were no longer pounding coffee, knowing that the wrap time was at last in sight. I had started reading a book recommended by my dad called "How I Became a Famous Novelist" by Steve Hely and i was immersed. The book is hilarious and written in the style of a dude talking to you. I was on page 130 or so when the quake hit; I put the book down and stood up and scanned the area for anyone else I could corroborate what just happened with. No one was there, but eventually folks came by. Some said "did you feel that? that was awesome!" and i said "i did! it was awesome!". Others said nothing and i said to these folks "did you feel that? that was awesome!" and some of them said "i did! it was awesome!" and others said "feel what?" and i said "that earthquake!" and they undoubtedly said "what? and earthquake, shit, just now? i always miss them!" and i said "yeah man, just now, it was awesome!" and they'd reply "that's awesome!"

Then i got to overhear some conversations of "where were you for [some other earthquake]?" "in the tanning booth, i thought 'this is how i'm going to die.'" that was my favorite answer.

the job, though it's only a week long, is pretty fun, mostly because of being on the set, chatting with everyone, a friendly lot, and being cracked out on coffee in the wee hours of the morning.

tonight is day 2 - will it get old after one night or will it be even easier? i'm looking forward to finishing that book!