  Atmospheric disturbance evident in the manic twinkling of lights in the darkened distance. The fires continue to rage. Now hearing from neighbors that they can see the flames from the hill. San Pascual Valley now evacuated, nearly ten miles from my house. The front that Im worried about is encroaching on Escondido from Valley Center just a few miles north of there and maybe ten more miles from here. No signs of respite. No signs of the troublesome weather pattern breaking its hold on the high pressure system.
My eyes burn from tears and smoke. The windows shut all day, my chest still feels tight and painful. My cold gathered speed in the night with the bedroom windows wide letting the early hours of the fires get in. Car looks like it drove through a nuclear winter. Ashes in dingy light. Window sills covered in white soot. Hayton cancelled our classes and our midterm for tomorrow. Guess I wasnt the only one who emailed her in a panic over family and personal safety. So to squander the night, Im gathering momentum with an open beer and a CD bought last night. Id call to find out what Kerris up to, but I was a little weirded out with her this morning. Amidst the terror of having my parents stuck in mortal danger, she didnt react with the concern I needed. Kind of blew it off as overly dramatic or just another day in the life. Not that shes uncaring; thats just it.
It was uncharacteristically casual of her to skip right on from my parents trapped in a fire to mundane things like the logistics of being close enough to take pictures of the flames. I dont know. I guess its not easy to listen to someone in a pinch like I felt I was early this morning. Still, I hoped for a little softness and compassion. It wasnt like I was crying to her on the phone.
Back to my Death Cab for Cutie CD. Fuck it all. Theres more to worry about than property damage and less-than-stellar friends. Things like mortality of people I love loom in the balance tonight. And to that, I raise a glass with a nod of respect to powers much greater than my little world. 
