Singed

The big dinner in the backyard scheduled for last Friday was cancelled due to the wildfires. It was just to weird to do a big party while 1/5th of San Diego had been evacuated and fires still threatened communities. All of the San Diego Schools were closed for the week. People are calling to see if we have room to stay at our house while they are evacuated. We are calling others to offer our home. It is hard to get your mind around the statistics and the size of this thing. 560,000 people evacuated, more than 350,000 acres burned, 1,500 homes destroyed (not to mention business, commercial buildings & out buildings). We are literally talking walls of fire 50 feet high and up to 5 miles long as a front. So far only 9 deaths from a fire of this size. It is amazing!
No one is celebrating much of anything here. The fires literally put a damper on everything. Halloween celebrations in Hillcrest were downsized to very little on Oct 27th (Saturday). On the 28th the Chargers played the Texans at Qualcom to a nearly sold out crowd. San Diegans were willing to tell the country we support not only our team but also our city. So though it was smoky and subdued it was packed. Buckets were located at every gate for disaster relief and everyone was giving cash. We may be a little singed but we help each other in times of trouble. I am so proud of my city.

W and wildfires...

Horno, Coronado Hills, Rice Canyon, McCoy, Descanso, Poomacha, Witch Creek, and Harris. These are all names of fires in San Diego county this week that have destroyed over 350,000 acres, over 1,800 homes, more than 560,000 people evacuated (thats 1 out of 5 of the total population). Fires started last Saturday Oct 20th and as of today there has only been 10% containment. So far at least 9 are dead and hundreds of people hospitalized from smoke inhalation and respiratory problems.

The last time we had a fire season close to this bad was the Cedar Fires in 2003 promting president Bush to enact the "Healthy Forrest Act" which basically gave away our forrests to logging, which puts more sunlight on the ground and more moisture in the ground which grows more brush so we can have bigger wildfires. His wonderful new act that he claimed would eliminate wildfires has made his friends richer, and given us larger wildfires. Thank you for your lies Mr. President. Thanks W, for making our lives less safe on all fronts, foriegn and domestic.

Ten and counting…

It is ten days until the barbeque. Tables, chairs, tablecloths, glasses, napkins, and everything for the event except the food itself is on order. I estimate this barbeque will cost me between $1,200 and $1,400 dollars. I have been pretty anxious about this one since it is an outdoor event. My last planned outdoor event (a formal retirement dinner) was rained out. This time there is no bringing it indoors. The retirement dinner was for 20 people. When the rain came we moved the furniture out of the living room and dinning room and held it indoors. There is no way we can fit 30 people in the house for a sit down dinner. This event HAS TO HAPPEN OUTSIDE!
The weather channel is saying clear and sunny for the next nine days but on Barbeque Day, 40% chance of rain. I am now trying to figure out how to tent the entire back yard!!! What a pain!!!
OK, so instead of 30 people sitting down all at once it is now going to be more like an "eat when you feel like it. I will have two tables set up for six people each with the stone barbeque between both tables. There will be about a 3 time turnover on these tables to have 30 people eat. However, instead of building a huge tent over the backyard, I will be building a redwood roof over the side yard this weekend.

Off to war... again

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AJ and Little Jon are off to Iraq, again. They say it's for 7-9 months but I suspect it will be for longer, again. They are with the 3/5 Dark Horse Marines.

It makes me sick to hear that our President vetos healthcare for American children and will spend trillions on a war for oil. I didn't vote for that son of a bitch even when I lived in Texas.

I think of AJ and Little John often durring the day and worry about their well being as do many of us who have friends and family there.

Come home Safe!

Korean Bar-B-Que

It started out as a reunion weekend for Det-3 Vets. A few people John knows from past Marine Corps times were coming into town for a reunion at a Chargers football game. It went from a tailgate party to "why not make it a Bar-B-Que." Then it became it's own monster.

It couldn't be just some bar-b-que, it had to be better. Not just burgers and dogs, and not quite full steak dinner. It had to be beef and pork and sauces and rich tastes... what could fit that bill? Korean Bar-B-Que of course! Slices of Rib-Eye steak and pork marinated in sauces of kiwi and chili paste and honey! And of course there had to be a Bar-B-Que at each table! You cook your own food at your table as you talk, eat and drink with friends. That is all part of the charm. You don't get up and wander over to one central grill and fill a plate and find a place to eat and get back up for drinks and wander around. With Korean Bar-B-Que everyone sits together for the entire meal. There is no need to get up and wander around, everything and everyone you need is right there in front of you.

We have a very nice back yard. It has a tropical feel to it with ferns, banana trees, palm trees, bird of paradise and redwood. There are overhead hanging lamps, and garden lighting. It is the perfect place for a sit down meal. So all I need to get is the sit down part... Tables and chairs and tablecloths and the list goes on... Did I mention the list? Not only is the list of thing to get growing but so is the list of atendees!!! The count today is 22 confirmed, and growing. Have you ever had a dinner for 22 people?

We have the backyard deck stained and sealed, all I have to do is about 3 days of yard work, get tables and chairs for about 30 people, and prepare all the food. This will be a night to remember, I hope for all the right reasons. I'll let you know how it goes.