Yeah - CC has it right - rollers are pretty much what they sound like. All of the earthquakes I've noticed in the last few years have been these kind of loud jolts - my first thought is that something like a bookcase has fallen over. I notice the sound almost before I notice the movement. These have all been very close to me - within 5 miles, a few within 2 miles That's probably why the sound is so noticable, and the movement feels like one solid jolt - because the wave hasn't had any room to get going yet (can you tell I'm not up on my physics?).

The thing I don't like about rollers is the feeling that they could get more intense as they go along. The Loma Prieta quake felt like that to me. We had a roller in the city (SF) last year - I was talking to a client on the phone, looking out the window, and I started feeling a little dizzy, and then I noticed all the cords for the blinds were swaying, all the while I'm thinking "What's going on?" ("Earthquake!" is usually the last thing to occur to me!) Finally, a few seconds into it, I told my client that I thought we were having an earthquake and I'd better get off the phone!

Fish - we'll try to arrange a little one - just so you can have the experience!