sunday through wednesday

i'm the kinda gal who only watches football for three reasons (okay four) - one - if my dad was watching a game, i'd love to sit down and watch with him (this is back in the 60's and i'd ask my dad which color we wanted to win) - two - if i'm married to or dating a football fan then i gotta root for his team. (yay, us!) - three - if i know someone on the team... that's how i became a Rams fan back in the day. my grade school classmate's dad was on the Rams, so of course i showed tons of team spirit - and four - when my new boss has a son who plays college football.

so, i was watching yesterday's ucla-cal game on tivo (woo! love me some tivo) and i thought it odd there was still so much tush touching going on. pats for your teammate, pats for the guy you just sacked, lots and lots of pats.

this doesn't happen in other sports. i've never seen pete sampras give his doubles partner a three patter after a backhand put away. basketball? definitely not.

just a thought that popped into my mind as i watched.


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most of the time i'm fairly computer competent, but tonight i give myself a big fat F. i've completely forgotten my personal info and password for my IM account. i fiddled & faddled and somehow got through via my blogger profile, then proceeded to decline requests when i thought i was accepting. oy. so, fellow blogger buddies, new and old, ignore any declines and resend if you don't mind chatting with a spaz.

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my good friend, cam, came over after a weekend of camping. we had an impromptu dinner of tortellini, shrimp and porterhouse while we shared highlights of our respective weekends.

the santa ana winds are blowing, which has knocked down power lines and started multiple fires throughout southern california. while we were washing dishes tonight the lights flickered several times. we may have a power outage if more lines get knocked down. more serious than a power outage, would be the fire that could start as the lines go down, just like happened in malibu this morning. ..and...the cat is currently freaked out by all the noises outside and tree branches hitting the house.

dang, that last gust of wind shook the whole house!

legend has it when the santa anas blow, all bets are off. anything can happen.



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it's now early wednesday morning. day four of the california fires. over 1,300 homes destroyed, 881,500 people evacuated. the air is hot, stale and smokey. everyone's throats and noses are dry and sore. the sky is a smoggy brown, and as i see the ashes drift onto my car windshield i think of the families who are most affected by this tragedy.

the newscasts talk about only one fatality, but that fatality strikes close to my heart, as a coworker's brother worked with the man who died. i heard about his death on the news radio yesterday morning as i drove to work. the story broke my heart as i listened. the man, who's name i do not know, was described as a very kind and intelligent geologist. He sent his wife and young children off to safety while he and his eldest son stayed behind to defend their home until the fire trucks arrived. the wind grew and changed direction, causing the walls of flame to overtake them in a few short minutes. the father died and the teenaged boy is in critical condition, as well as several firefighters who were rescuing them. a news helicopter pilot said the radio transmissions of the firefighters' frustration was heartbreaking to hear.

he may have been a talented geologist, but my god! what was he thinking? his wife now has not only lost her home and possessions, but her husband. her children have lost their father and the oldest boy is in critical condition.

during our prayers last night, my five year old boy lamented his frustration, "momma, a house is just a house. it's not important. it's just stuff. poor man." he came up with that realization on his own, or perhaps i've taught him this value over time. why didn't that man understand? so sad.

if you've read this blog for some time, you know i don't like my home. hated it soon after i moved in. well, it's slowly growing on me and i'm learning more and more how fortunate i am to live in a nice town and have a roof over my head. i am blessed.