Interesting Day Today- Saturday 11/15/08

For those of you who are not in California- we are okay. We are not in any fire danger. For the last two days our local television coverage is a constant barrage of "Barbeque Gone Wild." Every channel showcases some neighborhood in a hilly terrain where some science demonstration has gone awry. "The fire is so hot that the glass in that home has melted!" One reporter marvelled at how rubber tires transform into black hot bubbly liquid. Whoopee! I have a hard time feeling sorry for people who live in areas where they dance with embers during the late summer months and then surround their homes with sandbags in the winter when there is rain in the forecast. But can't help feeling sorry when someone gets hurt, pets are killed, and homes totally wiped out. Just don't start blabbing about how you are going to rebuild in the same spot and complain that insurance rates are unreasonable.

The effect of the fires though did reach out to us. Vincent played his last game this season and the team had a little party. After parking the car for two hours we came out to find fine ash covering the vehicle. I couldn't figure out why every neighborhood I went to in seemed to have a campfire going. When I went to Costco later in the day the employee checking bags at the exit was wearing a filtered mask. The only positive is that the ash in the air created red sunsets before the sun even begins to set. When we walked this morning along the beach the ash was evident.



Next week Connie will turn 50 and participate in the 3 day walk for Breast Cancer in San Diego. She is part of a group of mostly women from our church who have walked the walk for several years. With new recruits such as Connie the bunch, who call themselves the Wild Women, number 21. Together they raised over $71,000 for the cause. Thursday they will ride together and spend the first night in a hotel. For the remaining nights they will campout and double up in pup tents.

The boys and I will drive down on Sunday and greet her at the finish. 3 days of 20 mile walks- hope those shoes stay comfy. What will us boys do without her. Good thing that Dinker doesn't know what is coming up.




This morning at 6:30 we met up with a few of the group in front of Ruby's in South Redondo Beach. The day was gorgeous and the ash had not started to kick up yet. From there we walked up the beach to the pier in Manhanttan Beach. The walk took two hours and covered 6 miles. After doubling back to Ruby's a few of us remained to enjoyed breakfast at the eatery.



I close with at photo of Vincent appearing in this season's last soccer game. They ended on a high note by coming back to win their game 2-1. Hooray Gunners!