Sabotaged.net

Archive for October, 2007

For us, it’s “The Big One”

When I woke up this morning, rainbows shot out of my ass. The sun shone. My alarm seemed to barely make a peep. My body felt limber and able as I climbed out of bed and made my way to the shower. By god, I started my day in a fantastic mood.

Noon came around and I had been buzzing through my work at an above-normal pace. Feeling good about my accuracy. Handling calls like a champ. Repeating yesterday’s events in my head and glowing about ever dip and turn I took (more about it some other time, I hope).

Then, my co-worker, Nancy, brought up the fires. You see, I was aware of the San Diego fires over the weekend. I had seen that Ramona and some other Eastern San Diego communities were facing the heat. While I feel pretty cold-hearted saying it, I really didn’t think much of it. It’s one of those things like Florida. Florida always seems to have hurricanes. The people that live there know that. The people that don’t live there know that. It all seems expected. Well, I generally expect that when fall hits, certain portions of Southern California are going to be set ablaze by months of low/no precipitation and the Santa Ana winds (which I’ve always loved). I feared not about the fires and went on without consulting the news as days past. (In fact, I don’t think I heard a radio, saw a TV, or sat down at a computer yesterday. Not once.)

When Nancy spoke about the California fires with such concern, I furrowed my brow and tried to open the Union Tribune’s website. Finding that the website simply would not open, I felt my sense of alarm and panic rising. I then tried the North County Times’ website and saw a map that illustrated fire covering the northeast side of San Diego. I immediately stepped outside and made some phone calls.

I did not, by any means, appreciate the severity of it at that point. I got Bob on the phone and was telling him that I just ‘realized’ how big it was and how awful the few pictures I saw were. He had to interrupt to tell me that him and my brother evacuated early Monday morning. They woke up and saw fire a few streets away. They grabbed some clothes, their cats, and left. On their way out, they realized their whole neighborhood had already taken flight. It was then that they realized everyone else had probably received a reverse 911 call (they don’t bother keeping a landline as they both only use their cell phones).

As they drove through Rancho Bernardo, they saw several homes in the nearby neighborhood of Westwood on fire. (An old high school friend, Ellen, fled he home she shared with her Grandmother in the knick of time. Their home was lost. No word on Danika’s family’s house, which is also in Westwood.) They bummed some space from some family friends in Scripps Ranch, only to be evacuated again hours later. At that point they stayed in a parking-lot-turned-campground. They are now on Coronado Island with some other friends of the family.

While hearing all of this, I choked up. He was describing places that I can only describe as my stomping grounds being destroyed. And despite not living there anymore, I’m still very emotionally tied to Rancho Bernardo, Del Dios Highway, Escondido, Poway, etc. Just the other week I was having dreams of returning there for a long vacation on the bike and finally getting to ride some of those that I’ve spent much time on in the Focus. I was dreaming of seeing Lake Hodges from Del Dios and driving along almost on auto-pilot. And now? It’s been reduced to ashes.

The fact that HE was describing it to me in such a horrifying way was the most alarming part of it all. He’s not one to get upset or use words like “terrifying”. But, he did. He cried while talking about his dream home probably being burnt down (they finished construction on it just earlier this year). He had hard time telling me that they were unable to grab any family pictures or heirlooms, as they’re still boxed up and unpacked. Pictures of my Grandmother (his mother). My Grandfather’s ashes (his father). And everything else he’s busted his ass for all of his life.

I’ve been on and off the phone with them all day, trying to feed them information. Everything from confirming that all of my brother’s classes are canceled for the rest of the week, to checking the official list of homes that have been destroyed. My mind has been racing. I’ve checked with the Red Cross about volunteering there (I already have Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off, with more PTO and floating holidays to spare). But, I was told they didn’t need more volunteers; they needed supplies.

I’ve spent the majority of my life with wild fires as common place. I’ve been evacuated multiple times. I’ve helped others evacuate. One of my favorite childhood memories was playing on a fire truck days after a wildfire (they came to clean the pink retardant off of our house). But, I have never seen my family this torn up by one. It pains me to think that this one is finally the one to burn down our home, and I’m 1,500 miles away feeling totally helpless (and totally grateful that they woke up when they did).

Great Grandma’s clowns

Just feeling a little up and down inside.

Feeling a little froggy

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt inspired and motivated to play around on my computer. I actually opened Photoshop for the first time since I lived in California and seriously played with it. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little satisfied.

Oh, how differently we see things

Phil thinks that I should go to sleep tremendously early in hopes of waking up on time in the morning.

I think he should just stop waking me up in the middle of the night.