Observations

[larryJ]

Some interesting observations......well, to me anyhow.

The County of Los Angeles is 4,057.88 square miles.  You could fit 6.2 Elk Counties into it.
The Population of Los Angeles County was recently estimated at 10,016,000 people.  That's 3339 persons for everyone of the people in Elk County. 
In Los Angeles County, there are 88 incorporated cities. In Elk County, there are 5 incorporated and 3 unincorporated towns.

Some of the sights you'll see in Los Angeles County that you will never see in Elk County.......

During tax season (January 1 - April 15) there are many corporate tax preparers such as H&R Block and many more independent CPAs doing taxes.  Many of these will hire someone to dress in a green moo-moo type of costume complete with a Statue of Liberty crown and stand on street corners near their business waving an arrow-like sign that indicates there is a tax preparer there.  Last week, I saw a guy dressed like Santa Claus waving some sort of sign, but I didn't look close enough to see what he was advertising.  This is not limited to seasonal occasions.  Many times you will see someone standing on a corner advertising some business and they will be listening to headphones and dancing while twirling their arrow signs like a baton.   I have seen some pretty good dancers.  One local Shell Gas station uses a guy to stand on the corner with a sign indicating that the station operates a car wash in addition to self-serve gas. 

In downtown Los Angeles, we have a popular tourist area known as Olvera Street.  This was the first street built in Los Angeles.  It is packed many vendors selling cheap curios and such to the tourists and many locals also.  There are strolling mariachi bands playing traditional Mexican music.  The buildings on either side of the two block long street are the original buildings.  (Retrofitted for earthquake safety of course.)  While this area is rich in tradition and history, a mere three blocks to the South nearer to the present-day city hall is one of the countries biggest Skid Row areas with hundreds of people sitting or laying on the sidewalks.  Meanwhile, a mere two blocks to the Northeast of Olvera Street is Chinatown almost as large as the famed Chinatown of San Francisco.  A few miles to the West of this area is the famous Hollywood district, home of many theaters and movie star hangouts.  (Trust me when I say that Hollywood is not the glamorous place that it is believed to be, but it draws millions of tourists every year.)  A few blocks to the Southwest of Olvera Street is Little Japan with all the Japanese restaurants and such.  You don't see this in Elk County! 

In Los Angeles County, it is possible that when I go shopping at the local grocery store, sorry, major supermarket, I will rarely see anyone I know with the exception of the people who work there.  If you are a "people watcher" you will see all kinds of different people, some nice, some weird and most average shoppers.  In Elk County, you will generally always see someone you know.  There are 4 Walmart Stores within a ten mile radius of my house all of which are Super Centers. 

Just thought I would throw that in today.  I need a new hobby.

Larryj

[larryJ]

An accounting of my little trip to the hospital....

I had been fighting a cold for about a week.  Finally on Wednesday, I felt that it might have turned into pneumonia so off I went to the hospital.  I went to Urgent Care who sent me to Internal Medicine where I saw a doctor.  He sent me to X-Ray and then I went back upstairs to the doctor who decided I had pneumonia and sent me to the ER where I was prepped for admittance to the hospital.  So I spent Wednesday and Thursday in the hospital being pumped full of antibiotics.  By Thursday afternoon, the doctor felt I was okay to go home which was good, because I don't like being in the hospital.

Our Kaiser health care system is great.  All of above was done in one building and I was transported around in a wheelchair most of the time.  I don't like to be in the hospital like anyone else and was glad to get home to my own bed last night.  I think it has a lot to do with controlling my own environment, meaning I am not tied to a bed with an IV and leg wraps and I can't control the room temperature or what and when I can eat.  Once the medications are done, I am better off at home.

Hopefully I will be back to full strength soon.

Larryj

[Diane Amberg]

Glad you are home with your own local household germs. Needless to say, take it easy.

[larryJ]

It is still going when it should be over, but it is not done yet and no indication of when it will change.

Means........our brush fire season should be over, but we have had no rain and a very large high pressure system sits on top of us. No rain is forecast in the foreseeable future.  This creates an off-shore wind (blowing towards the ocean instead of the normal on-shore breeze we usually get) which dries everything out and so the brush fire season goes on.  Awaking this morning, when I went to get my morning paper, I noticed the sky was somewhat of a different color from the sunshine and glancing up I could see a huge cloud of smoke above me.  I looked towards the mountains and could see a brush fire had started in the foothills.  It is probably 20 miles to the Northeast of me and certainly does not pose any danger with the exception of ashes falling on the cars making them very dirty.  A few family members have called with concerns about my breathing being compromised and recommending I head to my son's house at the beach.  Not a bad idea.  But I am doing okay and really don't want to make the drive unless I have to.  This fire is on what is known as Glendora Mountain Ridge Road which I have driven many times in the past.  There is a large forest preservation experimental area up there, but I think the fire is well below that.  The news channel say it is headed West....duh....that is the way the wind is blowing, dummy. 

Larryj

Larryj

[larryJ]

More.......went out to see that there were flames in the foothills and our cars and the ground are now awash with ash.  The county rents two huge super-scoopers that scoop up water from the local dams and dump it on the fire.  Both are flying as I watch.  Many schools in Glendora which is the city to the Northeast of us have shut down.  Our granddaughters attend school near there but I think it is far enough away to be okay.  There will be no outdoor recess today.  They just announced on TV that there are over 100 fire engines on site along with water dropping helicopters, planes and the two super-scoopers.  There are many homes in the area, and one has partially burned so far.  Now they are showing a second house fully on fire.  The good news is that the wind is a little lighter as the smoke is going up instead of West.  Now they are saying more structures have burned.  Guess I better watch TV instead of typing. All that ash is really messy.  Depending on the type of brush that burns, some of the ash can be sticky. 

Larryj

[Diane Amberg]

That is so sad. My prayers go out to all the firefighters who are trying so hard to get it under control. Especially when hills and valleys are involved, the wind can change dramatically and over run them .  Stay safe every one.

[larryJ]

Update.....Yesterday there were more than 700 firefighters on the fire.  Today it is pretty much contained.  At least I don't see any smoke.  Five houses burned, 17 more outbuildings damaged, 2 firefighters injured (minor injuries) and one civilian slightly burned.  2000 people had to evacuate their homes. One air tanker, two super scoopers, seven water dropping helicopters, two local police agencies, the county Sheriff, the California Highway Patrol (it got close to a state highway), the National Forest Service and many others were on top of this one....................

started by three twenty something idiots who were camping up there in an area where no camping is allowed.........they built a fire to get warm at five in the morning and the wind came up and spread the fire.  They were seen by a resident in the area and arrested.  They were initially charged with burning an illegal fire in a no-fire zone and bail was set at $20,000 each.  Then the Feds decided because it was in the National Forest, it became a felony and bail is now set for $500,000 each.

Our newspaper headline today............"CRIMINAL STUPIDITY"......

sheesh

Larryj

[Diane Amberg]

Now add the actual expenses to a public safety "mortgage" for them to pay off over time. Maybe they and others will get the message. We saw it on TV. Glad it wasn't any closer to your area.

[larryJ]

A while back I remarked about the death of my desktop computer and my quest for a new one.  I made the comment that I had purchased a new one around the beginning of December.  It was a great computer.....big touch screen (23"), wireless keyboard and mouse, etc.  Two weeks ago, when I turned it on for the day, it notified that there might be a problem with the hard drive and to back up any files I had.  I did that and continued to use it.  As time went on, it really began to warn me of impending doom concerning the hard drive and finally last Saturday, it gave up.  Most computers when they quit working do so quickly.  This one was kind enough to give me two weeks notice. 

I took it back to the store.  It was under full  warranty.  They said a week to ten days.  I reverted back to my old slow, seen better days, laptop.  Yesterday, they called.  It had only been four days.  "We're sorry, but your computer is not repairable."     All computers are repairable. What they meant was it was easier for them to send it back to the manufacturer (and cheaper) than to fix it.  So I went down to the store. They gave me a brand new computer same as the one I had. 

I have no problem with that except.........now I have to reload all the programs again.  I have to re-enter addresses and such, etc. 

But hey......it's brand new.

Larryj

[Bullwinkle]

     I have a desktop that quit on me and was told it was not fixable. Hard drive kaput. Problem is, I have many photographs on it I can't replace. I'm thinking of finding a working hard drive that will fit and putting the disk in it from the old hard drive. Anyone know if it will work?