It smells like a smokehouse BBQ...

My friend Carla, who lives in Texas, always calls when we have a fire, earthquake, or any other newsworthy event in Los Angeles. And most of the time, I tell her that it's far away, didn't really cause that much damage, or how I'm just not affected that much. But since last week, the latest fire has spread across the southland and burned down a lot of people's homes. It's also caused damage to a lot of other homes and structures. And of course, tens of thousands of people have evacuated their homes. Anthony's sisters and family members who live in Chino Hills (one of the major fire areas), have left their home and is living with relatives in Fontana (far east). There are fires to the North of me (in the valley), South of me (Brea, Anaheim, Orange County), East (Chino Hills, Diamond Bar)...and the skies are a heavy, foggy gray. It's hard to breathe when you're outside!



(But it hasn't stopped us from going to a Kings game last night...Lynn had box seats and VIP parking! And today, we went to the grand opening of Urth Caffe's new downtown location and HQ! Will Ferrell was there too...sat right next to us...so of course, I've been saying I had breakfast with Will Ferrell!) Free food and drinks...I love it!

History Made!

I cried during Barack Obama's speech tonight. (Transcript at Jack and Jill politics) The 44th president of the United States. Record turnouts at the polls. I stood in line for an hour to an hour and a half at my voting place this morning...alongside homeless men...trying not to breathe in the smell of urine permeating the SRO Housing building I voted in. The man in front of me in line, small, black, blue-eyed, cracking jokes about how there was a time, before me, when you couldn't get your drink on until after the polls closed. And now, anything goes. He said he had never seen such a turnout in his entire life! And I believe him.

Tonight, Anthony and I wandered the streets of L.A. We stopped at an old bank building on 4th and Main where an election night party spilled onto the street. Everyone was drinking and eating pizzas, cheering and clapping. We joined the merriment, just as John McCain made his concession speech. Gracious. Sarah Palin looked like she was about to cry. And afterwards, on we went, to another location. Pitfire Pizza. One of the many restaurants offering a deal on this historic election night. We ordered pastas, salads, and chocolate cake for $12.99 and the cold beer was free! We sat down and after finishing our salads, President-Elect Barack Obama and his beautiful family took the stage. I felt chills, happiness, peace, and pride. I helped elect this man. I contributed to his campaign. I spread the word. My mother spread the word! He was the first person she wanted to campaign for, vote for, and excited for. My mother, who had been apolitical all her life, put up an Obama sign in the front window of her house. Through forkfuls of linguine, I cried. I felt the emotions well up inside me...all the moments when you had doubts that one person can change the world...here was proof that anything was possible. Tonight. Love. Peace. Happiness. A new world order full of hope and change. Yes, we can. Yes, we did.