Line Fire

 I was going to write a week ago but realized I needed to be further removed before telling the story. I guess I needed to know for sure it had a happy ending. Although the fire is still burning, technically we are no longer in any danger (we never were really). 

On September 5, I took the day off and drove Dad to Riverside for a nephrologist check-up. He's doing well as long as he keeps taking care of himself - diet, exercise, etc. On the way home we stopped at Panda Express and then started up "the front way" on Highway 330. Just before the first passing lane which is right at a fires station, we passed a turn out where there was a cop, another car or two, and a fire burning. It was 115* there in Highland. We passed a fire truck headed down shortly after passing the fire. We discussed how good it was that they were on top of the fire so quickly. We made our way home marveling as the temperature dropped to what is still considered hot in Big Bear - 84*. Dropped Dad off and went home to my puppy. 

By that evening, the fire had a name which is never good - the Line Fire. By the next morning it was 1000 acres maybe. (I don't completely remember the early timeline so just go with my numbers!).  School was normal. 

Sunday evening we got a call that there would be  no school on Monday. Monday we were told Tuesday off. At some point the entire valley was put under evacuation warnings. I packed the truck with the stuff that needs to be saved and tried to enjoy the extra tine at home with Slugger. Except that the smoke was SO incredibly bad by mid afternoon that there was only one walk each day. 

That's smoke, not overcast. 

I told myself, and prayed, that if anyone in the valley got put on orders then we'd bail. I was already contemplating going anyway because of the smoke. I already had a cough when all this started and I was at the point that all I did was cough. I knew the smoke wasn't good for any of us (i.e. me or Slugger). Dad evacuated himself on Monday evening. That helped the stress level for sure. David was busy helping his community help others, as they do. At about this point, school had been canceled for the week. 

On Tuesday afternoon, the area of Boulder Bay, inside the valley, was put on evacuation order.  I"d had enough smoke, and I knew that Sarah and Derrik and dogs would welcome us with open arms, so we went.  We didn't hurry, we didn't stress, we just finished packing the toothbrush and meds and such, and we drove away. It was VERY hard to leave. I never imagined that my house was in danger, but still, it was hard to leave, knowing that technically I didn't know what I'd be coming "home" to or when. 

Oh by that time the fire was over 20k acres. Anyway, while we were driving, the Bridge Fire that was burning on the sister mountain was apparently growing by leaps and bounds. Here's the view of OUR  mountain and then AWAY from our mountain toward that fire.

What we'd just left.

What we had to drive toward.

Clear sky on the left is where we would end up.

We stopped once we got past all the smoke and found ourselves at Del Taco with some firemen. They were on their way to the Bridge Fire that was now 30k+ and bigger than "our" fire. We thanked them profusely and then made our way to our safe haven in Placentia with S&D and dogs.  

I tried hard to prep Slugger as we drove. He had met Loki, the Great Dane, but not Freya the Husky puppy (3 years old?). To make matters even more fun, Loki had dental work done that day and was totally loopy from the anesthesia. I think that actually helped in hindsight - Slugger only had to deal with Freya. Sarah and Freya met us outside and we went for a walk around the block together. Freya welcomed Slugger inside and they quickly became friends. I don't think Loki even knew Slugger was there that evening as I kept him away as much as possible. 

Derrick works from home and I didn't want us to be an intrusion, so Slugger and I left for much of the day. We grabbed some food and then we headed to the beach! 

There's video but I'm not gonna bother. 

We ran some errands (Target pick up for the stuff I forgot like dental floss) and made our way back to S&Ds. Slugger and I spent some time sitting on their very nice patio. And visiting with Freya and Loki. 

Lots of sniffing

We had a nice time visiting and eating dinner with S&D on Wednesday evening. On Thursday, we made ourselves scarce again by visiting a local card shop (only spent $10, be proud!) and then having lunch with a firmer student who's in school nearby. It was fun catching up and learning how college life is going. I rarely get that opportunity. Especially with awesome students like Carlos. Another nice dinner and visit with S&D and it was time for sleep again. I had decided that it was time to go home on Friday. Nothing had changed with the fire, it was starting to get contained and I felt like I could be getting stuff done at home, like cleaning! 

Slugger was SUCH a good boy the whole crazy time. But he was very happy to get home to "his chair".

When we got home, we learned that during our drive, our evacuation warning had been lifted! Just us and one other. Everything else was the same. And the smoke wasn't great but better than when we'd left. But golly, our house REEKED! Luckily it had cooled off (which helped a lot with the fire and smoke) so we could leave doors and windows open at least most of the day. Also, the fire was now about 25% contained. That doesn't sound like much but it's actually pretty good. 

I did in fact clean the kitchen the next day and then just released. We went back to school on Tuesday but with minimum days all week to help with the afternoon/evening smoke issues. Though really the smoke has been non-existent for almost a week now. 

We're at 59% contained and the acreage has pretty much stalled at just over 31k or so. It's still burning and won't be "out" for some time but it rained yesterday and that helped. Except it brought lightning snags. Storms can truly be wins or losses! Luckily this was more win. 

And this weekend I'll unpack the truck and we'll be pretty much back to normal. Oh, except that highway Dad and I drove up on Sept 5, will be closed for a while. The fire jumped it in at least 3 places from what I know - burnt road, guardrails, etc. It'll be a very sad sight for a very long time even once it opens. 

Oh, and the fire was arson! Dad and I believe that one of the cars we saw was likely the culprit. They cops caught him and he's in jail with no bail :) I have some suggestions for his punishment but they probably won't ask me. 

See Ya March

You'd think we'd also be saying goodbye to winter, but NOOO. Another almost foot (so far) on this last weekend of March. Slugger and I are BEYOND over it! WE've managed to get some walks in this weekend between snow falls. But I have also shoveled multiple times. ON EASTER! Okay, we always get snow about now, but not this much!! Mother Nature got a late start but I guess wanted to make sure we get as much as possible. Though according to forecasts, it actually could've been worse. But it's not done yet? Who knows. 

Oh, and more next weekend, by the way. Though maybe not as much?

I tried to post the snow video from Saturday morning but Blogger hates me I guess. Sorry. Have cute Slugger instead:

How we spent our snowy weekend :)

Spring Break SNOW

 Friday, March 15, the last day of school before Spring Break. NOT! We woke up to a FOOT of snow!!! And it's not done.  Might be a different break than expected. Like no trail runs probably! 

Pics at 8:30am

What. A. Week!

 The highs and lows of the last week are kinda extreme. Well, the lows aren't really lows, just aggravations. 

The washer that came with the house was dying - didn't want to do the final rinse unless I tried really hard (like ran the final spin over and over and took out half the stuff, etc). So, last Saturday, Dad and I finally got the gumption to get my old washer from his garage into my house. We did it! We were so proud of ourselves!! And the newly placed washer was worse than the original! Not only didn't it do the final spin right but it didn't drain at all. It drained the soapy part but not the final rinse. There was a drum full of water (and clothes). I almost cried. But of course, I really wanted a new set anyway, so one was ordered before we even got around to eating the dinner I made (which I didn't like but Dad said was good). 

The week was busy. Sunday I went for a run and my knee was giving me issues so I made a chiropractor appointment for Monday afternoon. I get there, and of course he's WAY behind, so I said never mind and left. 

Tuesday I had an appointment with the local tire guys to see what they could do with my slow leak. They said it was unrepairable and I needed 4 new tires. WHAT?!?! But he could replace them for $1000. Uh, no thanks. I am pretty darn sure that I don't need all new tires. Maybe 1, so really 2. Talked to the auto teacher at school and when they have time they're gonna take a look for me. And I got a name of a tire place in Apple Valley from a neighbor, just in case. But really?! Ugh.

I don't remember Wednesday. Oh, ha. Dad came over and helped me get both washers into my truck, individually, and I took them, one at a time, to the dump. Dad's such a good man! I didn't even feed him.

Thursday was Slugger's monthly shot, but also his annual visit with Dr. D. This was actually a high point. He raved about how well Slugger did inside. Oh, they had construction issues so it's like during covid where I sit in my car and they take Slugs. Doc then calls with his report. Anyway, Slugger was awesome, looks good, none of his lumps and warts are worrisome. He didn't even hear the heart murmur which means it didn't get worse, though it is still there so we keep an eye on it every year. They did some bloodwork and we left to get dinner. Dad came over and I didn't make him do any manual labor :) 

Oh, the BEST news of the week/month/year was earlier on Thursday (started happening Wednesday?) - I think I've made my last student loan payment EVER! They processed the Azle form and my new payment count eligible for forgiveness is 134. Only need 120!!! So THEY put it in forbearance while all the paperwork is getting processed and such. I won't cry until I see $0 balance but I'm SO CLOSE!!!

Friday dawns... I was still living the student loan high, and happily expecting the delivery of the new washer/dryer. Well, I was at work, Dad was at my house. The installer dude BROKE a pipe! Like the pipe in the wall that goes to the water!! I hurriedly called a plumber who finally came this morning. So I spent about 24 hours with  no water in the house. Luckily I am prepared for this since when the power goes out, I have no water. Slugger and I survived. The guys fixed the pipe (and turned back on the water heater that had gone out cuz of the ferocious wind overnight while there was no water). And I will figure out how to get Home Depot to pay for it. And will never use them again. 

Oh and my amazing awesome Dad was here before 10am and stayed long enough for me to get home and walk the dog. THEN he went into town to get dinner and brought it back!!! 

Because all that wasn't enough, this morning I burned my bagel, then cut my thumb pretty good on the second one. The wind has caused power to flicker several times. BUT so far, no snow and barely any rain. Mostly blue skies all day actually. And amazingly ferocious wind. They say we could still see snow. It's 325pm and it's blue sky over us (not so much at the west end).

Anyway, I need a nap. And an influx of money to refill my savings. BUT THANK GOD I HAVE SAVINGS!!! I can't imagine how stressful this week would've been if I didn't. 

Survived

 Well, I survived the first real weather. My road is even almost dry again. Totally rutted and awful, but usable. We are supposed to get more this week. Yay. Though it won't be much. Just enough to be a nuisance getting to work in the mornings and getting up the road in the afternoon. Yay. Good news is that we have less than a month until Spring Break when we should be mostly done with the stupid weather. Spring snow isn't that big of a deal, hopefully! 

Slugger and I have escaped a couple times to find dry dirt. I tried running up 2N02 yesterday but it was gross much of the way. Did some hill repeats on the dry parts. 

I. Hate. Winter.

January 2024

 Whew! What a month! Really what a couple of weeks! 

First, I flew to TX for a wedding. I hadn't been back to North TX since I pulled out in the UHaul. Thanks to Jeff getting married, I got to go back! Of course, January can be hit or miss with weather and it was definitely a miss this time! I almost didn't go. Weather peeps were saying it'd be cold, which I can live with, but Sunday night was to be wet and cold and in TX that can be very very bad. My plane was scheduled to leave Monday morning. But I went anyway. 

Friday's afternoon flight was 2.5 hours late but it was okay cuz I just kept shopping and I finally found the perfect dress (though in the end, the maxi skirt and sweater would've been better due to frigid temps). 

Saturday dawned bright and decent (65 high). I went off to see the Taylors. The kids were off at college of course, but C and P had recently retired and they are loving life! P drove us to Dallas and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. We wandered around exploring exhibits and catching up and sharing stories. Museums are a wonderful way to spend time visiting I've learned. The museum itself was fun - very hands on and engaging. Definitely a great place to take kids. We stopped at Whataburger on the way back and it was YUMMY of course!! Wish I"d had time to eat there more than once over the weekend. Oh well. I did have a dress to fit in to after all.

Left behind the Taylors and made my way north of FW to the home of the Elliotts where Jeff (not the groom) would join us for dinner and games. Missing L&Q who moved to Wisconsin. We watched some football (Jeff's Chiefs), had scrumptious bbq and sides, and played a fun game (I don't remember the name of course). 

Sunday was wedding day, but first I slept in and relaxed a bit before going to PeiWei for lunch with the GGs. I was very sad to learn that PeiWei had changed ownership and the tofu was NOT the same at all, but overall the pad thai was still yummy. And now I can stop wishing we PeiWei closer! 

Left the GGs and went back to the hotel to change for the wedding. The venue was beautiful but it's hard to enjoy beauty when it's 12 degrees outside. Nonetheless it was FABULOUS to witness the union of Jeff and Stephanie and see several old friends. 

I don't miss TX at all, but golly do I miss certain people. Luckily I was able to hug them and catch up and overall it was a good weekend. Until it came to leaving... to make a VERY long story short, I drove to the airport Sunday night to avoid having to drive in the mess on Monday morning. Good choice. Except I was there longer than I should've been. I ended up on a plane at almost 5pm that took me to SNA instead of ONT but Dad rescued me and drove me to my truck. Good Dad he is! I took Tuesday off and slept and recovered. SO glad I did. 

So I worked 3 days and then left for a WASC visit. That had it's own craziness. In a nutshell: the other committee members drove me insane AND I didn't sleep well the entire time. I was a WRECK in class on Thursday but I was actually glad to be there cuz it was better than another day cooped up with the crazy people. The school I visited was lovely so that was a plus :) Oh, and I missed a storm that left not much snow but apparently some gross roads so yay for being elsewhere. 

And February is supposed to start with snow. Yay. 

Winter Break Week #3

 Everything is off my list except "clean good". Well, know what? That "good" part is relative. I DID clean. Sort of. 

I finished the baby blanket and it's ready to be packed for next weekend. I also finished putting together my thank you gift montage for my Secret Santa. Hope she loves it all!

On Thursday, Slugger got into a row with a couple loose dogs. He's got some scrapes but he's okay. 

I FINALLY finished the kitchen counter project!! Now, technically, I haven't ruled out eventually putting a little white between each of the back splash tiles but I like it the way it is, I think. And the kitchen is clean and put back together!!! YAY!!!! So, see, I cleaned.

The BIG thing of the week that wasn't on the list cuz I didn't know it was a thing, is that it seems I've unclogged the drains. Last weekend when I did laundry, I think, it backed up into the bathroom sink. Or at some point. Anyway, I put baking soda and vinegar down all the drains except in the guest bathroom (cuz I didn't think about it until like an hour ago). Washing machine did weird things, but I think it was unrelated. No gurgling! No gurgling when I take a shower! AND I'm currently running the dishwasher and NO gurgling!! So maybe there'd been a clog as long as I've lived here?! I'm thinking it might be a good idea to run the mixture down the drains every month or two. Or every break :) Anyway, I think I have success. 

It snowed on Wednesday. Little over an inch. It's been cold though so it's lingering in places. I got in my NYD run but not a run on Wednesday. I burned some calories in the exercise room instead. Then today I headed up 2N02. It was sketchy in places but nothing impassable, on foot. There were vehicles but I would NOT have done that!! And it was beautiful :)

1/1/24 run

Snow!

Saturday run up 2N02

That's about it. Now a whole lot of puppy snuggles until the alarm goes off really really early on Monday morning!

Snowpocalypse 2023

 We survived the storm of the century! The first ever "blizzard"!! We spent 5 days at home (1 sick day, 2 snow days, plus weekend) and had several short walks and did some shoveling. Mostly we laid around :)

Here are pics in chronological order more or less:

                Wednesday        

                        Thursday

                            Friday

                                Saturday

                        Sunday (storm over!!)

BUT MORE TO COME THIS WEEK!!!!! I. HATE. WINTER!!!!!

Just In: I LIKE SNOW!!!

If you know me at all, you probably know that I have always hated snow and cold and winter in general. I don't want to go out in it, on foot or by car. When I decided to move to BB, I made Dad promise he'd drive me around when it snowed and I had to get somewhere. One of the reasons that the online job seemed perfect - I would't HAVE to go out in it. It took me 25 years to move back to BB because I didn't want to deal with snow.

I don't really remember hating it in DE but I also only remember one or two snow storms. It was in DE that I learned what an ice storm is all about. But I also had a 4WD truck so I guess I just dealt with driving in it when I needed to. My memories of DC snow are getting a day or two off here and there and that people would just abandon their cars in the middle of the street. Every year they acted like it had never snowed before even though we generally got at least one decent storm each winter. And Texas snow wasn't really snow. The few times it was, we got lots of days off school so I didn't have to deal with it. Same with the ice. Lots and lots of ice days over the years!! In fact, eight years ago I was in the middle of a week off due to ice - I went nowhere!

Fast forward to 2019. I now live in BB and own a 4WD truck again. And snowshoes. I have appropriate clothing for the cold (though not like the -40 polar vortex the midwest just experienced). And guess what? I LIKE SNOW!!! I was actually bummed yesterday because it rained all day instead of snowing!! It did finally snow once it got cold enough. Just an inch or so though.

I took off on my snowshoes this morning to see how much the woods got. Maybe two inches as I got a little higher. I'm sure it was a lot more even higher because that rain would've been snow up there. Anyway, as you know, my most favorite place on earth is in the woods. Today, I mostly was on the established trail but most of the time I was the only tracks. It was AWESOME!!! I'd show you how beautiful it was but I left my phone at home on accident. But I was kinda glad that it was just me and God, roaming through the snowy woods, the sun trying to peak through the clouds and trees. Seriously just amazing.

We are supposed to get even more snow tonight and the next TWO days. Hopefully it's snow!! We might even get a snow day but I hope not. I have plans for the day we'd give up in May!! Besides, I can drive in it so might as well go to work!! I do already have plans to take Slugs with me tomorrow afternoon, snowshoeing in the woods :)

Moral of the story: people CAN change!!

2018

Ah. 2018. The year that many, many dreams came true.

1. I moved to Big Bear! It was a whirlwind few weeks that ended with Slugger and I living in a cute and cozy log cabin in Big Bear, a block from the trails. The absolute BEST part of living in BB is that Dad and Tuck come over for dinner at least once a week, Slugs and I hang out at their house, and we get to do fun stuff together. Whenever we want!! For example, just last week, Dad and I went snowshoeing in the forest behind my house, then I made chicken pot pie, and we watched TV. DREAMS COME TRUE!!

2. I went to Hawaii!! I had an excellent 6 days on Oahu. First I did a bunch of sightseeing and touristy things like hiking Diamond Head and visiting Pearl Harbor. Then I spent several days exploring even more of the island with my good friend Torrey and his girlfriend. You can read all the details in my July 2018 posts (all 4 are from this trip!). DREAMS COME TRUE!!!!

3. In November, I left the online world to take a position teaching math at Big Bear High School. Twenty-five years ago, I graduated and never thought I'd be back! The school has changed and almost every teacher has left. But there are a couple still holding on. And a couple who I went to school with! It was a crazy 6 weeks leading up to semester finals and Winter Break but I think it went pretty well, considering. I'm excited to finish out the year and start fresh in August! DREAMS COME TRUE!!!

4. For Christmas, I bought myself a new truck! I had shopped for many months, made many decisions and then changed my mind again, and practically given up. But I needed a 4WD vehicle for snow and dirt. I LOVE the truck I ended up with and actually look forward to driving to school in bad weather (okay, not really). DREAMS COME TRUE!!!

Yup, 2018 was a GOOD year!!

Some goals for 2019 include running a whole lot more, travel (alaska?), time with family, and getting more involved with the Trails Foundation.

Hope your 2018 was all you wanted it to be and 2019 brings many more blessings. Dream big - you never know!!

Changes. Changes. Changes.

OMG. I'M MOVING TO BIG BEAR!!!!!

I received a new contract from Hesperia back in May. It had a VERY nice dollar amount on it. But I didn't sign it. I had no other prospect at that moment, but well, I just wasn't excited about going back there. So, I waited. And applied for a position teaching HS math online with Connections Academy. I didn't really know what it even meant, but I applied anyway. I had applied in 2017 and received an interview email but after I'd already accepted at Oak Hills.

I got that interview email again and this time I completed the interview, the morning before Gradnite. It was a series of questions, the first 5 of which I recorded my answers. They were typical interview questions. The rest of the questions were more about my aptitude - how to put a picture in a PowerPoint and such. With the end of the school year, I didn't really think about it again!

When I got off the plane in Virginia, I had an email asking for a second interview!! Well, okay then!! That was a video conference with four folks from Connections - teachers and principals and such. More typical interview stuff. I let them know, also, that I only had a short time before I had to sign my contract, or not. Again, didn't get my hopes up, but I did do more research on the company!! They're an offshoot of Pearson so I knew they were legit. They offer real insurance and all that fun stuff. And I truly would work from home so home could be anywhere. Again, didn't get my hopes up!

Then, as I was driving to the Toyota dealer to possible buy a truck, I got a request for references! I did not buy the truck. My hopes were starting to get up and didn't want to get myself into something I wouldn't be able to afford! I knew I'd be taking a pay cut if I got the job, but not exactly sure how much. I spent most of the drive to Western States trying to secure the 4th and final reference. I won't name names but if you tell someone you will do it, don't wait WEEKS!!

 I had to sign my contract by June 30. I spent the week before that living in two worlds - one dreaming of living in BB, the other settling for staying in the desert. Finally, I went to BB to at least not be hot while I waited, not so patiently. Then at about 3:15 on the 28th,, while sitting on Dad's front porch, my new principal called!! After a few minutes of details, and a few minutes of chatting with Dad and God, I called her back to make it official. Not only did I not have to go back to Oak and 35+ Freshmen in one room, I could move to BB!!!

About an hour later, after searching the few rentals available in BB that I might be able to afford, Dad and I decided to have dinner to celebrate. We stopped on the way to get gas and visit with Dad's friend Nick. I happened to ask if he knew anyone with a cabin for rent and HE DID!!!  Two bedrooms, one bath, a block from trails, huge fenced yard - it is perfect!!

I drove to Hesperia the next day to give them my contract, on which I checked "I decline"!!!

Long story short, on July 25, I moved in to a tiny cabin in BB and LIFE. IS. GOOD!!!

I'll post more pics once I'm settled and such.