El Viajero

I have had a lot of people asking about the situation in San Diego. So far, things seem to be okay with all the people I know. There are a few sources I use to keep track of what is going on there. The good folks at Channel 8 have been providing updates and maps that are useful. The latest google mashup they have there is particularly useful. Since much of the trouble that concerns me is in the North County area, The North County Times has been a good source, too. And, if you can believe it, even the City’s homepage has some useful information.

To get an idea of the devastation, I’ll link to a couple of clips that have been shown around the world. First, a little background: when I was a high school kid, I drove a 1968 VW beetle. This was back in the day when all we had were radios to listen to (man, I miss good radio…). Every afternoon, after school, and after swimming or water polo practice, I would turn on the radio and listen to “The Cruiser” on KGB. Anyone who has spent any time in San Diego knows about Larry Himmel. In fact, I kind of met him in 1979 when—silly me—I tried to refuse selling him a beer when he walked into the main bar at the Hotel Del Coronado at 1:55 am, 5 minutes before California’s law prevents the sale of alcohol. One of the cocktail waitresses (would that be ‘prepared beverage waitperson’ these days?) said I should sell him a beer, so I did.

Anyway, he is a well-known guy in San Diego, reporting on human-interest stories and cracking jokes. Here is the video of his house burning down, covered by none other than himself (I saw this video in Japan on CNN and Fuji TV’s news):

Later, after the fire was just about out, he took a walk around his house:

Larry, our hearts are with you.