The News from Harsh Betty
guest blogger today, harshbetty.
If this were a blog entry, I might call it "IM IN UR MANSION, USIN UR SOAP".
We got evacuated about 3 a.m. Tuesday and have been staying in my boss's neighbor's vacant house (they went on a temporary work assignment for a few months; the house is furnished but has a hotel feel to it) in Vista. It's a gorgeous house, easily big enough for another family or two.
A points out that the only difference between "evacuation" and "vacation" is a couple of vowels. :)
Nonetheless, the whole thing has an End Times feel to it. Almost everyone in my office was evacuated (most of us are here today, though, some with kids and pets in tow). Leaving my 'hood in the middle of the night, I had to pass through a ... well, *gauntlet* is too strong a word, but a ... *posse*, let's say, of teenage-looking soldiers with respirators on and M-16s. It was chilling.
ILs evacuated before we did, and it looks quite possible that HL's parents will lose their home. It's more isolated than SIL's house (which is in a gated community) and it looks like they're concentrating more on saving the denser neighborhoods (er, number of houses, not IQ). Our place seems pretty safe for the moment. We're in a subdivision, and unless the wind changes direction and picks up quite a bit (which is always possible) we're not in any danger. Knock on wood. I'm going to see if we can get back today, if only to get some damn underwear for A, who packed a suitcase full of all kinds of other interesting things, but no damn drawers.
This is all just very surreal.
note from Jay:
updated: A neighbor tried to go back for something and was turned back. Apparently, the neighborhood is still cordoned off, not sure if that's because of the fire or the "rules."
If this were a blog entry, I might call it "IM IN UR MANSION, USIN UR SOAP".
We got evacuated about 3 a.m. Tuesday and have been staying in my boss's neighbor's vacant house (they went on a temporary work assignment for a few months; the house is furnished but has a hotel feel to it) in Vista. It's a gorgeous house, easily big enough for another family or two.
A points out that the only difference between "evacuation" and "vacation" is a couple of vowels. :)
Nonetheless, the whole thing has an End Times feel to it. Almost everyone in my office was evacuated (most of us are here today, though, some with kids and pets in tow). Leaving my 'hood in the middle of the night, I had to pass through a ... well, *gauntlet* is too strong a word, but a ... *posse*, let's say, of teenage-looking soldiers with respirators on and M-16s. It was chilling.
ILs evacuated before we did, and it looks quite possible that HL's parents will lose their home. It's more isolated than SIL's house (which is in a gated community) and it looks like they're concentrating more on saving the denser neighborhoods (er, number of houses, not IQ). Our place seems pretty safe for the moment. We're in a subdivision, and unless the wind changes direction and picks up quite a bit (which is always possible) we're not in any danger. Knock on wood. I'm going to see if we can get back today, if only to get some damn underwear for A, who packed a suitcase full of all kinds of other interesting things, but no damn drawers.
This is all just very surreal.
note from Jay:
updated: A neighbor tried to go back for something and was turned back. Apparently, the neighborhood is still cordoned off, not sure if that's because of the fire or the "rules."