Fire in the alley!

Yesterday Chad and I were getting ready to take the dogs out to visit Mazzy when Chad smelled fire. Next thing I knew he told me to grab the camera because our neighbor's house was on fire! It ended up being their garage that was partially converted in to an apartment, and thankfully the only injury was very minor burns to the guy who was living in the apartment. It was pretty exciting to see Chad's co-workers (and friends) in action. There were 24 fire fighters involved, 3 Fire Engines, 2 Fire Trucks, 1 Rescue Ambulance, 1 Battalion Chief, 1 Investigator.

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Christmas Eve at the Firehouse

We had delicious tamales for dinner that Stephanie went out to get at 2am from Tamales Liliana on the east side of LA! I guess it is quite a popular thing to do on Christmas Eve in LA. They were very good.

The "White Elephant" Gift Exchange

The guys showing off their matching "house shoes" from Robert

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Yet another Christmas Celebration

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all of you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving! I am very thankful for my wonderful husband, family (furry & human) and friends!

I am thankful for our troops who cannot be with their families for Thanksgiving. They continue to work tirelessly to protect our freedom and to protect the citizens of Iraq from attacks, risking their lives for ours. They are true heroes and I am so thankful for them.

I spent my Thanksgiving with my second family at the firehouse. Everyone pitched in and made something and we had a delicious meal. Tons and tons of food, two turkeys (one deep fried), ham, yams, a couple different kinds potato dishes, stuffing, rolls, green bean casserole, spinach salad, homemade mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, etc. and so many desserts with about 10 pies left over. Actually it was almost nauseating to see so much food.

Robert deep frying the turkey (not 5 minutes after this, they got an emergency call for a fire from a deep fried turkey. The people were doing it on the balcony of their condo...duh! Set off the sprinkler system of the whole complex. Many people were going to come home to a very wet condo tonight):
I also rode along on a call. The emergency comes out from dispatch...person trapped in vehicle. A lady went into Vons grocery store...literally. Another case of oops I thought I was going in reverse but I floored it in drive! That to me should be immediate suspension of license. She wedged her car between Vons and a pillar and was traped. I wonder as she jumped the curb if that wasn't an indication she wasn't going in reverse. I also wonder why you would floor your car in reverse to get out of a parking space, because to get her car to jump the curb and crash into the building she had to have floored it! It was wedged in so tight it could not be driven out or pushed out, a tow truck had to pull it out. I am so thankful for the wonderful firefighters that have patience, because they were so kind to this lady, and honestly I wanted to ask her do you know you could have killed someone??? Good thing no one was on the payphone, because their Thanksgiving wouldn't be too happy - smush.


So tomorrow is black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. This is the day where people get up an 3:00 in the morning to get the biggest and best deals.

But why leave the house when you can get really cool handcrafted items right from the comfort of your home? So in the spirit of the season, I will be offering a huge sale in my etsy store... 10% off all items in my shop, plus free shipping on purchases over $50 in the US!!! Please contact me before purchase so I can adjust the price (I'll change the price through Paypal).

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Saturday Night Fire Update

Chad has been moved from the Montecito fire to the "Freeway Fire" in Orange County. I had my fingers crossed that he would be coming home, but there are four major fires that broke out in the past couple of days and they are in desperate need of firefighters. There have been 104 residences damaged or destroyed in the "Freeway Fire" which is located in Yorba Linda, Brea & Anaheim. From what I have heard on the news I do not think any of the fires are more that 20% contained yet. The worst thing I heard (aside from the obvious devastation) was that they have arrested 5 people for looting! I find it unbelievable how horrible some people are!!! As if these people haven't endured enough being evacuated and scared and some people loosing everything. I think the looters should be shot!

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Montecito Fire Update

I heard from Chad this morning, his crew is fighting the fires at the Westmont College campus. The devastation is unbelievable. From what I last heard on the news at least 100 homes and college buildings were destroyed, and 13 people injured. The 70 mile per hour winds made fighting the fire nearly impossible. I have friends very close and heard that it is within a block of their house, and a house of someone I know we think is gone. This really puts life in perspective, and teaches me how much I have to be thankful for.

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L.A.H.J.A. Medal Finals - Round 2, Fill The Boot, Paseo Cantina

I wasn't able to make it to see round 2 of the L.A.H.J.A. Medal Finals, but here are the round two results. Juniors: 1st - Cayla Richards & Capone, 2nd - Belle Calkin & Belle Agio, 3rd - Callie Selchau & Spa Sciences Southern, 4th - Hannah Warde & Monty Z.
Adults: 1st - Lisa J. Brown & Corinth, 2nd - Laura Fairbanks & Ferris 16, 3rd - Erica Schmandt & The Architect, 4th - Jennifer Jacky & Discreet (my friend and barn mate).

Instead, Chad and many other firefighters participated in the annual "fill the boot" to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The firefighters stood on street corners downtown and held firefighter boots to collect donations. The fundraiser is part of a larger effort by the International Association of Fire Fighters. Who could say no to a bunch of good looking firemen in their tunout gear?

We then went to celebrate Christina's promotion at Cantina Paseo. There was a great showing of firefighters, friends and thier significant others, we took over the entire outside patio. It was fun, the food was good, the service was attentive, and the drinks were strong. A bunch of the guys on duty came by too, which was nice.

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Chad was on the News last night

I don't know how long this link will stay up,and I don't know how to save the clip. Chad is about halfway through the clip.

link:
Firefighters: heroes on the front line

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=6450151

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Sesnon Wild Fire, Southern California

Photo: The New York Times

It's fire season again! My husband, Chad was deployed yesterday on a strike team to the Sesnon Fire in Porter Ranch. I know it is his job, but can't help but worry. The crew spent the night on structure protection, watching a street of houses in case the fire came that way. It is very windy (60 to 80 miles per hour) so the fire is still out of control. There have been at least 18 houses destroyed last I heard on the news, and 5,000 acres burned. There are over 800 firefighters that worked through the night to protect peoples homes, lets keep them in our thoughts and pray for thier safe return. Unfortunately, this is not the only fire burning in the area. It is so sad for the people who have to evacuate and wonder if thier homes will be thier when they return.

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Art's 40th Birthday Party

We went to help celebrate Art's birthday last night (Chad's captain). Art's brother-in-law made him an awesome beer cooler. He made it from a "confiscated" ice cream push cart (brother-in-law is a cop). He refurbished the whole thing into a Pasadena Fire Engine with lights sirens, temp gauges, drain. It was really unique. The theme of the party was gambling. We were all given $300 fake money to gamble with. There were real dealers and tables to play on. I just wasn't too motivated to gamble with fake money.

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Fireman Chad

Chad is all dressed up for the Pasadena Fire Department group photo

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