I asked, and they said it was some shot or something… I never got this crazy ass death-shot. I figured it was some military-SD-complex-shenanigans-foretrade.

Now I know.

PS: Search google images for “vaccination” or “immunization”. Some crazy ass pics.

Hey folks. I’m back here in SD, where things have cooled down considerably. The Harris & Witch fires are 90% and 97% contained respectively, and the air doesn’t taste or look ashy anymore. Our home was unaffected, save for some ash on the windowsill, truly a blessing considering that the cities and towns all around us have been scorched in some way.

School has also restarted—and its kicking my ass. Losing 5 days doesn’t seem like much, but when you’re on the dreaded quarter system, you’re losing 10% of your classes. Nothing CRAZY, but combined with hard-ass professors eager teachers, this spells trouble for the average student. You know, the ones who weren’t using the week off as an extended study hall (hey, I was evacuated. I have an excuse. Kinda.)

Anyway, to my fellow peoples living in San Diego (I am not a “San Diegan”) I hope you and yours are all good. Thanks to Mr. Fisher for offering your place to me, and to Tyrone, who kept lookin’ out for me (I’ll pay ya a visit tomorrow). In parting, here’s a tune that I’m sure many here resonate with.

Bob Marley – No More Trouble

Catch A Fire indeed.

SD County Fires

Witch Fire

Harris Fire

Here’s some info I’ve collected about the fires ravishing through SD. Sorry about the formating, I’m evacuating right now and can’t fix it. I’m evacuated (in “the Lakehouse” near Riverside), and links are fixed. Changed to a faster-loading layout too.

UPDATE (10/27/07 – 12:53p) The fires look a lot better in SD and are mostly contained. I’m in LA right now, cramming and studying for the onslaught of work UCSD is gonna drop on students next week. I’ll be heading back to SD tomorrow morning. I hope everyone is safe and sound, and that the fires didn’t mess you up too bad. I added a link to the SD Fire Wiki, which is a great resource created by the community.

UPDATE (10/25/07 – 4:20p) One of my roommates has made it back to the house and everything seems fine. I will be going to LA to visit Amanda, and then I will head back down to SD afterwards. I also took down the google map because of its considerable load time.

UPDATE (10/24/07 – 9:10p) Our area (PQ) has just been cleared of evacuation status. I can return home as of right now, but I will stay the night here in Riverside. Since SD is still unstable, I will probably go to Amanda’s house in Los Angeles tomorrow, and then return to SD sometime this weekend after things have settled down a bit.

Newest Info

Newest Evacuation Map (PDF file) – Check to see if you can go back home.

Quick Tabs

My Top Links for San Diego Fire Info

1. SignOn SD Wildfires 2007 Blog – Best Blog resource: Updated every few minutes, with the info you need to know. (RSS)
2. SD Fire & Evacuation Maps – quickest mapping of the burned & evac areas
3. SignOnSanDiego Fire Map – Best overall Map, complete with pictures, video, and containment info.
4. SD Fire Wiki – Probably the best overall compendium of info. Go here first. Collaboratively edited by SDiegans”>SD Fire Wiki – Probably the best compendium of info. Collaboratively edited by the people.
5. SD County Emergency Homepage – #1 Source of (official) info for SD
6. Fires & Evacuation Center Map – the map I used to display above.
7. TritonLink – most up-to-date UCSD resource. See below anchor (note: UCSD is closed for the rest of the week).
8. California Freeway Conditions – See which freeways are closed (free-way specific search)

Very Important Resources

Some of the most important links from the list below

1. Disaster Safe – Let your loved ones know you’re safe!!!
2. Reverse 911 Sign-up – Sign up to receive reverse 911 calls on your phone!!!
3. Evacuation Checklist – How to prepare & what to pack
4. InCampus Alert – (UCSD Students) Register your fone for text alert Emergency Notifications
5. Evacuation Shelter Status (PDF file)
6. SD Emergency Fire Info: Useful Linklist – Links to many of the ones here, as well as health info & radio/tv stations covering the fires.
7. News 8 – Frequently Updated, but news coverage is pretty uncaring and sensational. Nonetheless, best corporate news media site overall.

My List of San Diego (Harris & Witch) Fire links

This is my linkroll for any info on the fires throughout SoCal.

General Fire Info

• Disaster Safe – Let your loved ones know you’re safe
• Evacuation Checklist – How to prepare & what to pack
• California Freeway Conditions – See which freeways are closed (free-way specific search)

San Diego Specific

• SD County Emergency Homepage – #1 Source of info for SD
• 211sandiego.org – Official Evacuation Information
• SD Road Closures (SD Public Works) – See what streets are closed
• Detailed Road & Freeway Closure Info – Uber-comprehensive, somewhat overkill, but lets you know exactly what’s going on.
• Evacuation Shelter Status (PDF file)
• SDGE Power Outage Map – Don’t turn off gas (SDGE says), and Don’t turn on water (Fire Dept.says)
• SD Health & Environment – Info about Air Quality & Water Conservation
• SD Emergency Fire Info: Useful Linklist – Links to many of the ones here, as well as health info & radio/tv stations covering the fires.

North County Specific

UCSD

• UCSD Fire Info Page – best source of info for UCSD students
• UCSD Emergency Status – Updated daily on UCSD’s status, though TritonLink is more up-to-date (note: UCSD is closed for the rest of the week).
• InCampus Alert – Register your fone for text alert Emergency Notifications

Fire Maps

• SignOnSanDiego Fire Map – Best overall map, complete with pictures, video, and containment info.
• SD Fire & Evacuation Maps – quickest mapping of the burned & evac areas
• Fires & Evacuation Center Map – the google map I used to display above.
• Google Map of the Fires (I used to display this up top)
• GIS Visualizations of the fires
• MODIS Active Fire Mapping Program – get accurate info of fire containment

Traffic

• California Freeway Conditions – See which freeways are closed (free-way specific search)
• SD Traffic Problem Areas
• Directions to where I’m currently at (Takes into account freeway closures).

SigAlert

• San Diego Traffic Map
• Ventura Traffic Map
• Los Angeles Traffic Map
• Orange County Traffic Map

News Coverage

• News 8 – Frequently Updated, but news coverage is pretty uncaring and sensational. Nonetheless, best general info site overall.
• News 8 YouTube Channel – I haven’t really checked it out, but its there.
• SignOn SD Wildfires 2007 Blog – Best Blog resource: Updated every few minutes, with the info you need to know. (RSS)
• 10 News – Good mostly for the live video

Be safe, and evacuate early friends.

Sunny San Diego is nice but, I miss home.

So off we went.

9 adovada tacos each, a horchata and a beer later, we went up to the English speaking dude at Taco Bell and ordered 18 more (hey, its better than the 30 we got last time!).

Damn dude those things are sooooooo good. PLEASE, if you live in San Diego, or visit or whatever, go to TJ and get some tacos. Carne Asada’s always good, but its a consensus between the Mennonites that adovada can’t be beat. And if you can’t make it across the border for whatever reason, go down south to Chula or Southside or whatever and hit up Tacos El Gordo, which is TJ tacos @ US prices (1 for a buck vs. 3 for a $1! = KO! GGPO.)

After that mission, got back, and I wasted time. Mel said Patti was havin’ a get-together and was gonna roll, but she fell asleep.

So I did too (so I guess the “wow… sleeping early for a change” awymsg was still valid.

But of course Mel wakes up @ 1, calls me on the fone, and asks if I still wanna go.

An offer I couldn’t refuse.

So I went, met the Co-Op Crew, saw Tiff, Jose, Salo & Angelica, Patti (of course), Eric (con mujeres), Angelo, and who am I forgetting…

I just chilled on the balcony with the Co-Op & Tiff; Dana gave some interesting sermons bout ucsd politics and the co-ops. I could tell he was passionate about his shit; speaking with force and conviction about the urge to punch VC Watson in the stomach.

Tiff was cool as always: I really felt like you were tryin’ to get to know me better, thanks for askin me how I’ve been. I know I wasn’t too responsive, but someday, we’ll sit down and talk, like that time in….TJ

… the connections are uncanny!

Damn, today was a good day. I went to class, went to work, blah blah blah. On my way home I thought to myself, “Why don’t I go to the beach?” So off I went past 56, exiting offa Del Mar Heights, taking it all the way down to the beach. I got to the shore, busted out my altoids, then body boarded a lil’ bit. It was sooooo nice going to the beach again.

Nothing clears my head more than being out in the ocean; Nothing makes me feel more free. And damn were the waves nice. There were a lotta surfers (and hella more headin out when I was leaving), and I got to see some nice rides and some horrendous wipeouts. Myself? I just went to catch 3 good waves. The first wave was just my typical ride it for awhile, then get thrown offAnd even better was the way I felt after realizing I made well on my promise to go to the beach every week (starting week 2 haha).

Everyone in San Diego should make that promise to themselves. It’s your personal 3 hour vacation from the world.