21 October 2007

Smoke from a not-so distant fire


That's not fog, that's smoke

As is usual in this type of weather, half of Southern California seems to be going up in flames.

The "Santa Ana Winds" blow in hot and dry from the valleys. The temperature rises into the 90s, humidity drops to below 10%, and even irrepressibly wavy-haired folk like me suffer from flat tresses.

Because it has not rained much for over a year, our state is a wildfire waiting to happen. The smallest spark and WHOOM, it goes right up.

We are having about 3 fires in our county, but the biggie is right over the county line in Malibu and it is all over the news because OMG! Movie! Stars! Homes!

A wall of smoke blew in about 2 p.m. and turned everything an eerie burnt orange color. Ash began to fall from the sky to blow about in little drifts. The bag boys at the grocery store were wearing dust masks as they went out to collect carts from the parking lots.


That tiny bright dot up there is the sun

The other side effect of this is that everyone loses their damn minds. As I shopped last night, I was noticing the wonderful lighthearted brio of my fellow citizens. Today, all that was gone. I had people cut me off in traffic, try to run me down in parking lots, and, in 5 stores on errands, not one clerk said "Thank you." I guess everyone is just busy trying to breathe, because the smoke makes it feel like an elephant is sitting on your chest.

Pray for rain for us, okay?

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Not for important client meetings

I got this pen at my gynie's office the other day. I am a pen snob and don't normally take free pens but I couldn't resist this one because oh my gah! Can you IMAGINE ever using it?

I gave it to my attorney, who was dee-lighted. He said he would hand it to people to sign contracts with. Ah, University of Michigan Law, you know how to train 'em. Go Blue!

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And there are good posts from my blogroll over at Linkateria's Smashboard Sunday. Go check it out.

19 comments:

Chris said...

I live South of you but the winds are wild here too. I know the wind makes me cranky, I just can't stand it!

Chicky Chicky Baby said...

Very scary. Keeping my fingers crossed that the rain comes.

Anonymous said...

The smoke has moved all the way down here now too. It's crazy!

super des said...

Fire bad.
I used to get pens like that all the time when I worked in a pharmacy. It was pretty awesome to use them.

Kizz said...

Stay safe!

Major Bedhead said...

That is a scary-looking sky. I hope it rains soon!

Amy said...

I imagine this could make you feel slightly insane. It looks like the end of the world.

Anonymous said...

Holy Crap! I am watching this on the Weather Channel. Looks horrifying. I hope you are in a safe location.

meno said...

I COVET that pen. For a long time i had ammassed a collection of anti-depressant pens. Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac. Only the Zoloft pen still works.

I hope it rains for you, soon.

Anonymous said...

My sister wrote a story for her paper about a specific neighborhood in the way of the fires a couple years ago. It was pretty good; I'll see if I can find it and email it to you.

Stay safe. Though it may be a little twisted to say, I think that picture of the sun is pretty, in all the destructive fury of a wildfire. I hope you can breathe easier soon, and I'll be doing a very awkward rain dance over here in the midwest.

Love. that. pen. And the fact that you gave it to your attorney! Bwa ha ha!

ByJane said...

i.hate.the.santa.anas.

after years of living in l.a., I don't even need a visual to get the sense memory back.

keep safe.

Anonymous said...

Hang in there. We had a bout of bad wildfires this summer and the smoke in the air was really eerie.
I hope things get better soon.

Suzanne said...

I would totally use your attorney. He sounds wicked.

I hope you get rain soon. Because Movie! Stars! Homes! are at risk!!! Seriously, this is like, a national crisis! Oh, and I guess it would be good if you could breathe and all that.

Anonymous said...

Omg I love that pen! Lol! I would have snagged it too, but it would mysteriously go missing when my husband found it....

Mrs. Swizzle said...

Stay safe with all that fire! OMG just the pictures of that smoke gives me a headache. Praying for rain.

LOVE the pen!

LittlePea said...

There were a lot of fires in Florida and Georgia this past spring that had everyone going crazy and sick. Hang in there...be safe.


So jealous of the pen.

FENICLE said...

That is the kind of pen you need to pull out in all the wrong situations! Make em feel uncomfortable!

FENICLE said...

And I hope you stay safe & rain arrive very soon :)

Major Bedhead said...

Good lord. I was watching this on Countdown tonight. This is beyond scary.

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