fire

as most of you can probably imagine, things have been pretty crazy over here in san diego the last few days. fires have rampaged much of the area, but things seem to be getting better. since i live in central san diego and pretty close to the coast, neither i nor my property was ever in any real imminent danger. however, other people i know were a little closer to the action. a few of my friends and coworkers had to leave their houses under mandatory evacuation orders. but even being away from the fires, the effects could still be felt near my place. you could smell it in the air sunday night. i didn't go into work on monday and halfway through the day, i closed all my windows because of all the ash coming in. unfortunately, i had clients flying into town on monday from baltimore for training tuesday, wednesday, and thursday. my manager decided to let them make the call, and they opted to go ahead with the meeting. my office was under voluntary evacuation on monday but not on tuesday. the air was thick with smoke and ash. soot covered everything. i was coughing all day and my eyes were burning. my throat is still sore from all the ash i inhaled. according to my doctor, i'm going to die at the age of 50 because of pneumoconiosis.

on the bright side, things are getting better. much, though not all, of the fire has been contained. the weather isn't as dry as it was and the wind has died down a bit. most people i know that left their homes have now returned. fortunately, no one i know lost anything due to the fires.

check out this map developed using the google maps api.

and here are three maps with some things labeled for a little perspective on where things are. each map gets a little more detailed and closer (notice the scale on the bottom left ).

don't call it a comeback

i've been back to dynamite a few times since it's changed, and when i go, i'll still run into a handful regulars. thing's haven't been the same though. the crowd is a mere fraction of what it used to be. i don't know the bouncer anymore and have to pay cover; though i stilll know one of the bartenders, who takes care of me, though not as well as adrian used to. and the worst part, the music hasn't been anywhere close to what it used to be. you won't hear any gang starr or jaylib anymore and only every once in awhile will you hear some wu-tang.

now, i can't say it's back to where it used to be, but when i went back on saturday night, things were starting to look up. the place was filled up nicely and the music was much better than it had been in months. they weren't playing stuff "that you wouldn't hear anywhere else," but it was still good hip hop, mostly older stuff. i also ran into a few other regulars, the ever-present-at-dynamite chivas and always goofy-smiling paul. paul was a little more drunk than i'm used to seeing him. at some point, i was talking to him at the bar. i turned around to get another drink and when i look back, he's slid in between two girls dancing. eventually i swoop in and play wingman. at first he was trying to get with the blond, but when he found out that she was married, he quickly transitioned over to the brunette. ahh ... that paul. good times. like i told one of the girls, he's one of the most genuine people that i don't really know well.

it actually turns out that paul and i have mutual friends. he's one of the few dynamite regulars that i've seen outside of dynamite. i ran into him at arterra at the del mar marriott. one of my best friends teresa's cousin domanic's friend christine's brother josh dj's at arterra every wednesday from 5-9. since it's really close to my work, i just roll through after work and chill with them for a bit. it's the closest thing i have to a regular spot and a group of friends in san diego these days. josh and domanic, who also spins, listen and play a lot of the music that i'm really into. at arterra, they play mostly slower, loungy music. i've always thought that if/whenever i throw a party, i'd have one of those dj for me.

anyway, dynamite is not back yet, but it's definitely moving in the right direction.