Ah, the holidays in Southern California

It's the middle of November, the sun is shining, it'll be over 90 today.
The hot dry Santa Ana winds are blowing, pushing fires across the hills, and a light drift of burnt-up double-wides sifts gently over the area.
The Christmas tree lot is setting up shop.

ETA: Now it is actually snowing here, but the snow is burnt up Palos Verdes land, not double-wides.

The Happy and Sad game

I'm happy that I grew a new skill today. I did something that was practically cooking. I made chipotle pork tenderloin, and even turned the targetting computer off and made minor substitutions and additions to the ingredients. Then when dark_of_night got back from Tartan Hall, I fired up some charcoal and magically produced a marinated tenderloin. It turned out great.

I'm sad that my mom was evacuated from her house because of the fire in Brea. (that link is actually a really useful fire map courtesy of the OC Register)

I'm happy that she's safe and that that particular fire seems to have done little damage.

I'm sad that meatheads can say things like, "I don't have a problem with torture"

I'm happy that I called her "repellent and barbaric."

I'm sad that she replied with a dancing smileyface icon.

I'm happy that I offered to buy her a t-shirt for Christmas that reads "I approve of torture."