I was on the phone at work (in Fairfax, VA) when the quake started. At first, it seemed like a wicked bad thunderstorm where strong winds rattle the windows and (just barely) move the building. So I turned around to look outside and it was beautiful and sunny and not a single tree moved, but the (moderately) heavy shaking continued. A co-worker stopped outside in the hallway and asked what it could be. I said it had to be an earthquake, and with that, he bolted down the hall to the stairway exit and went outside. I chuckled (and stayed inside until leaving for lunch a few minutes later), although had the shaking gotten much worse, it would have been prudent to bolt for the exit also.
