Halfway through my reading vacation and today has been the first day, other than the read-a-thon day, that I’ve gotten to spend reading for fun. I’ve had to do quite a bit of reading for class this week. This week’s discussion is on intellectual freedom which means we’re talking about hate speech and pornography and book banning.
Today I’ve been able to spend time reading a little bit of Pinker and I dipped in to a few of the essays in Dirda’s Bound to Please. I have also finished A Life of One’s Own (more about that tomorrow). Tonight I hope to spend some time with Proust.
I’ve been listening to and watching news about the fires in southern California since that’s where I grew up. I had an email exchange with my mom today. She and my dad live in El Cajon, it’s in a valley about 15 miles east of downtown San Diego. She said the smoke is bad and ash is falling on the house. I’m not worried about my parents, their house is in the middle of the valley populated with over 75,000 people. However, my cousin who lives in the northern part of San Diego has been evacuated. She and her husband and two kids are staying at her mom’s house not far from my parents’ house. My cousin’s brother, a new EMT and firefighter, has been fighting the fires since Sunday (he’s 25, good-looking, an all around nice guy, and single! He also used to be a lifeguard–front row, second on the left–and to think I changed his diaper when he was a baby!).
Fires and Santa Ana winds are not new to California. But my parents have lived in their house, the house I grew up in, for 36 years and my mom tells me this is the worst she’s ever seen. My heart goes out to all the people who have lost their homes. Take care.
Want to help? The Red Cross would be happy to receive your donation.
Oh, I do hope your family stays safe! I’ll send good thoughts their way.
And I hope you have tons of time for fun reading the rest of the week …
I stopped by Red Cross today and made a donation. Even though Santa Ana wind is not new to southern CA, I have never seen anything as unreal and horrible as this wildfire.
I got off the phone with a friend who lives in La Jolla and he says ash is falling onto downtown.
I know. It’s nuts. I have friends in Lemon Grove, which is pretty urban but you never know. :-S
Some friends of mine in San Diego were evacuated as well – its very frightening. I hope your family stays safe and sound.
Try to enjoy the rest of your reading holiday!
Thanks Dorothy!
Matt, Ash on downtown is bad. La Jolla is probably pretty bad too. Hope your friend is safe.
Sylvia, Lemon Grove? You are the first person I know outside of CA who knows Lemon Grove. I suppose even urban areas aren’t really safe. but we’ll keep our fingers and toes crossed.
Verbivore, I hope your friends are safe. I’ll be trying very hard to enjoy the rest of my reading holiday
Hope your family and friends are safe. Kim from Honeyed Words was evacuated recently – but according to her, some people are now allowed to go home. Hopefully this means things are getting better.
Have fun with Proust. He’s coming with me to Hanoi.
I hope your family is safe! It’s very scary to watch all of this unfold via the news – I can only imagine having family in CA.
It’s frightening when the newscasters say that the only thing that will stop the fire is the ocean or a change in the winds! I feel terrible for those people. I hope your family stays safe!
Hope you get in more reading time, too!
Ihope your family and friends all stay safe. Very scary.
I would be worried too. It’s so awful what’s been happening. Wishing the best for your family and everyone out there.
Thanks for the good wishes everyone! The latest report from the fam is that they are all doing fine. The winds have dropped and so has the temperature and there is even a little humidity in the air. What a relief!
I’m sending good wishes, too. My cousin lives in the City and works in Poway — so it’s been a crazy week for her.
I live in L.A. and I know the feeling–I have so many friends who have friends or relatives that have been evacuated or in danger. Sorry you’ve had to experience the worry. The ash and smoke have been a nightmare–the kids have not been allowed outside at school this whole week–but I live in an urban area, too, and haven’t been in any danger. Now that the Santa Anas are gone, there has been some relief, thank goodness.
I send my very best wishes for your family – I’ve got everything crossed that the fires die down very soon.
On another note, I’d love to hear how the discussion on intellectual freedom went. I feel very strongly on the topic (that all things must be able to be said, even if only to be dismissed) and want to blog about it when I can.
LK, thanks! Poway has been really crazy I’ve heard. Hope your cousin is well.
Gentle Reader, I forgot you are in LA. My sister lives in the Valley. It is a relief that the Santa Anas are gone. And I hope your friends and family are all ok.
Litlove, thank you! It’s nice to see you again. I hope this means you are feeling better. I will post about the intellectual freedom discussion next week after the class is done talking about it. So far it has been surprisingly low-key.