Back at home

Just an update. Even though the I-5 was closed this morning, we decided to head back down to San Diego from Bakersfield. The drive went great with no delays and we passed the Horno fire burning near Camp Pendleton, getting some pics (hopefully I can post later).

Upon reaching home, everything was much better than when we left early Monday morning. Most of the smoke had cleared and you could actually tell that the sky was blue. There was some small debris blown into our yard and the front sidewalk is caked with dirt, but everything is just peachy.

Thanks to everyone who IM'd or emailed to check up on us!

California Land: Smokin' Hot!

San Diego really is a beautiful place to live, but it gets kind of hot while it's ON FIRE.

We noticed the fires a little after noon on Sunday. I noticed that my car was no longer parked at my house and called the police to find that it had been towed (stupid homeowners' association rules) and we all piled into the car to get it back. $314 later (zomg!) we were driving home and noticed the haze in the sky. We turned on the radio and heard about the Witch Fire burning near Ramona, CA. We were amazed that this smoke was from a fire 30 mi away.

We went home and closed up the house and turned on the TV. With the fire due east and heading west at a remarkable rate, we definitely wanted to keep an eye on it through the night. Sarah woke up at around 5 am Monday morning and turned on the TV. The Poway High School that was being used as an evacuation center for Ramona citizens was cleared out and the evacuees were moved to Mira Mesa High School, just down the street for us. The Witch Fire was encroaching on Poway. The air quality was horrible. Even with the house closed up and the AC running, there was a thick wood-fire smell in the house.

We reserved some plane tickets to get Sarah and the kids out of town, but weren't able to get to the airport fast enough. Work was obviously canceled, so we decided to beat the crowds out of town and turn the fire into an impromptu family vacation. We packed up all the important stuff in the car in case the fire does reach the house and took off heading north at about 9 am. I-15 was closed due to the fire, but it was very easy to head out north toward LA on I-5 (the I-5 was later deadlocked by people trying to leave, so early was definitely the way to go here). Parts of LA were burning too, but we were able to avoid those areas pretty easily. We were going to stay in Stevenson Ranch, but there were some nearby fires so we decided to keep driving north. It's a good thing too, because another large fire broke out there.

We kept driving north and decided to stop in Bakersfield. It's a nice little town (and has Sonic restaurants!), but best of all, there's no fire.

We're just hanging out here enjoying the local sites and breathing clean air. We might head back home tomorrow depending on how the fires do through the night.

Whew! My fingers are sore!

After 24.5 hours of building spread out over 11 days, I've finished building the 5200-piece LEGO Millennium Falcon kit.

Here's a time-lapse video for your enjoyment:

3 Steps to Wealth!

Someone wrote this up on my whiteboard in my office:

1. Time Machine
2. ?
3. Money Hats!!

It finally came!

Back in March I placed an order for a certain LEGO set. Even though it wasn't supposed to ship until 10/01, it went ahead and showed up on my doorstep yesterday.

I haven't started building it yet, but based on how long the Death Star took, I'm guessing it'll be around the 20 hour mark before it's finished.

Here's some pics that I snapped:
  
 

Avast, ye lubbers!

Arrr, so today be International Talk Like a Pirate day. If I be tellin' ye the truth, enjoy this day I did. Ne'er before have I participated in the festivities, but this year thar be rum a-plenty and a good dose of piratitude among me hearties.

If ye's were unaware or disinclined to take part in Talk Like a Pirate Day, forget it not next year, or ye'll be walkin' th' plank at the tip o' me cutlass! So, grab yer bonnie lass and yer grog and Talk Like a Pirate, lest ye be keelhauled! Arrr!


If ye can't wait to fill ye holds with swag, th' whisper on the wind says that somethin' is a'comin'. Roll out th' cannons and prepare for battle!

Apparently, I'm a "Blood Snob"

A friend told me this, and truth be told, I like the title.

One of the things I like to do for the community is donate blood. I'm a universal donor with a blood type of O- so several agencies call me every 8 weeks trying to get me to come in. However, I'm fairly particular about which agency I donate blood with. Generally, it's the San Diego Blood Bank. They have several perks specifically designed to attract the <snobbery>blood donating elite such as myself</snobbery>:

• Points awarded for each donation that can be spent in their online store (or donated back)
• Online stat tracking (blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol, etc)
• Levels of preference based on how often you donate
• Awards (such as sports tickets)
• Gallon tracker
• etc.

Maybe it's an ego thing, but it's nice to whip out my Life Level 4 card and hear the trumpet fanfare and be raised on a pedestal in the spotlight... Ok, maybe all that doesn't happen, but there is some manner of recognition and the nurses are glad to have you there. The San Diego Blood Bank is doing it right and I'll be glad to see them again in another 8 weeks. Those other agencies should take notes.