These fires are more serious than I thought....

Classes at all SD schools are canceled for the week, so I'm heading back up to Monrovia for a bit.

My thoughts go out to all the people who've been evacuated from their homes.

Smoke in the air

I'm in San Diego! I've been here for a whole 24 hours! And things are kind of exciting. Although not in the way I imagined. There have been huge fires in the area, fires so bad that they cancelled my first day of class 2 hours early, and also cancelled all classes tomorrow at SDSU. I guess the city of San Diego itself isn't threatened, but the people of Chula Vista have "recommended evacuation," and most beaches along the Orange County coast have mandatory evacuation.

The woman I'm renting my room from asked me today if it's alright for two of her friends to stay at her house for a while. They've been evacuated from their own house and don't really have anywhere to stay yet. I hope they can move home again soon, and not because I like my privacy!

Hey, did you guys know that Bittersweet Symphony, made famous by The Verve, was written originally by the Rolling Stones? And that The Verve had to surrender 100% of the royalties to the Stones' copwriters, ABCKO?

So that famous song gave them fame, but much less fortune than one might assume. Crazy.

The highlight of my day

Yes, my day had reached its zenith when this evening I turned onto Foothill Boulevard behind a white truck whose license plate read, and I quote:

"WAHAPEN"

I am sure some of my readers are familiar with the genius of Christopher Guest, including perhaps my favorite film of his, A Mighty Wind. This quote from the film still elicits laughter from everyone in my family, and it will for many years to come.

Coincidence that I was behind that truck? You decide.

Debbie Harry, you slay me

I have a new love for Blondie, after discovering and burning this CD left behind by Leah.

Unadulterated charisma

I really, really want to be Jamie Hyneman for Halloween. I've only watched Mythbusters once, but there's something about that jaunty black beret and walrus mustache that just begs to be duplicated. I think I'm the one for the task.

Everyone said it was bad. My sister. Hannah. The LA Times. But I still had to see it: Across the Universe. It's the Beatles, right? So it can't be all bad...?

It wasn't ALL bad. I liked Joe Cocker's version of "Come Together," the "I Want You" scenes, and, uh...I think that was it. Even Evan Rachel Wood couldn't save this one.

A room with a view

I have finally found housing for my three weeks at SDSU! I'm going to be renting a room a mile and a half (the proximity is so thrilling to me, you don't even know) from campus. Hooray! That means I can bike to class every day, and not have to stress about parking. AND I get my own bathroom.

I'm renting the room from a woman in her mid thirties, which, I have to admit, could be a little boring now and then, but hey...better quiet than crazy, I suppose. I'll be working on a teaching certificate, after all. Now if only she had a pet. :(

I've been practicing my biking around Monrovia. Not that I really need to, after four years living in Davis.

Three weeks til I move in. Aufregend!

Note: Sorry to those whom I've left out of the loop (Hannah!), I've been pretty lazy about updating this. Starting in a few weeks, I'm taking a one-month course at SDSU that trains people to teach English abroad. After the program ends, they are supposed to help us find actual teaching positions abroad. I'm really looking forward to it.

And Meredith, I do live off of Montezuma! If you take El Cajon, I believe you can reach the place I'm staying. I just might hit you up for restaurant recommendations and the like. Thanks!