Surreal...

*UPDATE AT THE END OF THIS POST*


I have the worst sinus headache ever. It's as if my sinuses are the perfect tool to measure the amount of humidity in the air; when there is little to none, as there is now, they hurt like a mofo.


But at least I'm not fleeing the community in which I grew up, and watching it go up in flames behind me.


If you've watched CNN at all today, you may have become familiar with the San Diego county town of Rancho Bernardo*. That's where I spent my formative years, and it's really strange watching these crazy fires consume parts of it.


Even worse, my dear friends in Poway, one town over, have had to evacuate... as have most of their relatives in nearby communities. The thing is... these fires are burning so fast and furious, it seems like there will soon be no place to go. There are coastal towns that have been evacuated. Are these fires going to burn all the way to the sea??


Now, as some of you may recall, I have a lot of less-than-rosy memories of my years in this part of the world, and couldn't get out fast enough. I don't think I could stand to live there ever again. But it still breaks my heart to watch what's happening. It's really strange seeing my hometown on CNN. And to wonder whether our old townhouse is still standing.


And I'm very worried for my pal Cindy and her clan; they're like my second family, and they've been kind enough to let me crash their Thanksgiving celebrations for the past several years (though she's joking today that I should be prepared to host all of THEM this year...).


So please join me in sending positive thoughts their way. And let's all call on Mother Nature to turn up the humidity and turn off the wind, 'mmmkay?

*photo of Rancho Bernardo from the Los Angeles Times

**UPDATED TO ADD: Good news -- Cindy and her parents were allowed to return to their homes today (Tuesday), though they're keeping their cars packed and ready to go. Her brother, who lives in Ramona with his wife and young daughter, can't go home yet, but it looks like their home is okay. My old house isn't on the official list of burned houses, but it looks like the place where my pal Kimmy used to live nearby is gone -- a neighbor's is, along with a bunch of other homes on the same street. I have many fond memories of the time we spent there, swimming, hot tubbing, and laughing our asses off.

Thanks for all your kind wishes and good thoughts.