Fire Drill

This morning we were abrubtly awakened by flashing lights, honking horns, and the repetetive rings of the telephone. Why all this commotion at 5 am?? At first, we thought we were being robbed or pranked or something like that. After realizing that the energy had gone out and this was serious we realized that there was a wildfire quickly spreading throughout our neighborhood. The family gathered outside to see what was going on and in the horizon on top of the hills we saw a huge orange blaze lighting the sky spreading an amazing amount of smoke. By this time the fire department was in full force trying to assess the situation. All we could do is find flashlights and start gathering all the animals to make sure they were safe.

Eventually the power came back on and we were watching the news for alerts and for further direction. A little before lunchtime we were given the news by a police officer that our neighborhood was under a mandatory evacuation. Richelle and I are at a Ramada a few miles down the 101 highway with 3 of her siblings right now. We are safe and we should find out tomorrow whether we can return home or if we must stay away for another day.

It's been such a long day I can't even remember what all happened. It was pretty intense and scary during many parts of the day thinking about leaving all of our valuables behind. It is these situations that force you to think about what is really important to you. Electronics, toys, cars, and luxury items like these can all be replaced but things like photo albums, legal documents, and pets are things that cannot be replaced. We are getting word that the fire is dying down and hopefully the house won't be affected but much damage has already been done. The church that Richelle's dad is actively involved in has burned down completely along with several other homes. To think that one match, cigarette, or downed powerline could have caused all this destruction to not only property, but people's livelihood is truly humbling.

While we were gathering up the things we needed before we evacuated we had to leave behind a lot like my car but all that mattered was that we get to a safe place. Luckily we are out of harm's way now and all signs point to the fire dying down so hopefully our lives will go back to normal soon! I can't imagine how people dealing with much larger-scaled disasters (Hurricane Katrina to name one) have been able to cope with the drastic change in their lives. I guess what I am trying to say is that we are all pretty lucky to have it so good!

I hope you guys are all doing well and can't wait to hear from you all!

PS. On a positive note, I booked a role in a full length independent feature film that will start shooting in January! I will be playing the role of a Ninja! I also signed with McLachlan Talent Agency for theatrical representation last Friday.. here's to hoping I get some auditions for some big time tv shows and movies!