Does anyone remember that movie, "Ernest Goes Camping"... or something like that?  Well in that movie, there is a part where Ernest breaks into song because he is sad and it has started to rain.  Well, one of the lines in the song goes... "Gee I'm glad it's raining, so no one can tell that I've been hurt."  I find myself singing that song whenever it rains, even though I'm not sad.  I love the rain, and I am very glad it is raining right now.  The earth needs it.  No more fires!

I purchased a nice brush for my cat because I know that she likes to be scratched and pet.  In fact, I always see her rubbing up on things as most cats do, but she usually rubs against rough and sharp things.  So I started petting her with her new brush and she literally grabbed it from my hands and starting brushing herself!  I couldn't believe it... so I grabbed the camera and started shooting.  What you see here isn't nearly as cool as what she did the first time, but I didn't get that on tape.

(By the way, this is my first YouTube video that I have ever posted.)

As if one enormous fire wasn't enough...

The most recent fire in Malibu, CA was a really close call.  I was staying at my friend's house which is right at the bottom on Latigo Canyon where the fire was centralized.  We were woken around 4:30 AM, and we immediately starting loading photo albums into our cars and backing up computer files.

By the time we got out of the house, the fire was already only 50 feet away!  We literally had to drive through the fire to escape!  I could barely see because the smoke was so thick, and burning embers were bombarding my car... it was definitely a close call!

Fortunately, the firefighters were already onsite, and they did an amazing job of protecting the homes on Latigo Shore and many other places.  My friend's father stayed behind to protect the house I suppose, which I thought was a pretty risky move.

Immediately after evacuating there, I headed up to my mother's place in the Malibu Villas which is only 2.5 miles North.  We started the same packing of photos and such right away.  Soon after the police rolled through with their loudspeaker and instructed everyone to evacuate.  I probably shouldn't have, but I chuckled a little bit when I saw people spraying the front of their houses with garden houses as is it might prevent their home from burning... haha.  Look at this picture with the garden hoses!

All in all, everything turned out well for me, but there are people who I know well that had their homes burned completely to the ground.  Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure:

All,

Our environment is in need.  It is time to start taking the steps that are so simple and so easy, that it makes no difference in our everyday lives.  One of the first of these is to start using re-usable grocery bags when shopping.  I have made the transition, and I actually like using my black nylon grocery bags to shop with over plastic bags for several reasons. 

1) They are way more durable, so no more bags breaking and eggs cracking
2) Girls check you out and wonder where you got those AWESOME black grocery bags

I purchased my bags online at www.reusablebags.com .

Note that the bags are machine washable in case they get dirty.  You can also puchase organic cotton bags if you don't like nylon.

Here is some more information from www.reusablebags.com regarding the use of Plastic Bags and how it negatively affects our environment.

Top Facts - Consumption

• Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.
• According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.
• According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion)
• According to the industry publication Modern Plastics, Taiwan consumes 20 billion bags a year—900 per person.
• According to Australia's Department of Environment, Australians consume 6.9 billion plastic bags each year—326 per person. An estimated .7% or 49,600,000 end up as litter each year.

Top Facts - Environmental Impact

• Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.
• Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade—breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest.
• As part of Clean Up Australia Day, in one day nearly 500,000 plastic bags were collected.
• Windblown plastic bags are so prevalent in Africa that a cottage industry has sprung up harvesting bags and using them to weave hats, and even bags. According to the BBC, one group harvests 30,000 per month.
• According to David Barnes, a marine scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, plastic bags have gone "from being rare in the late 80s and early 90s to being almost everywhere from Spitsbergen 78° North [latitude] to Falklands 51° South [latitude].
• Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation.

Top Facts - Solutions

• In 2001, Ireland consumed 1.2 billion plastic bags, or 316 per person. An extremely successful plastic bag consumption tax, or PlasTax , introduced in 2002 reduced consumption by 90%. Approximately 18,000,000 liters of oil have been saved due to this reduced production. Governments around the world are considering implementing similar measures.
• July 2003, ReusableBags.com goes live, advancing the mainstream adoption of reusable shopping bags.
• Each high quality reusable shopping bag you use has the potential to eliminate hundreds, if not thousands, of plastic bags over its lifetime.

I did my research, and I came up with a perfect recipe for long term health!

The Perfect Smoothie
Berries (High in Antioxidants and Vitamins - in order of importance)
        Cranberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries
Ground Flax Seed (High in Fiber and Omega 3)
Plain Yogurt (with Probiotic/DanAvtive Bacteria)
Juice - for sweetening and texture

In Addition
Have a glass of water and some glucosamine supplements for hydration and healthy joints

Recipe/Directions - Blend All Together
1/2 Cup of Nonfat Plain Yogurt (organic)
2 Cups of Assorted Berries (organic)
1 Table Spoon of Ground Flax Seed (organic)
3/4 Cup of Juice (your choice, whatever you choose will change the flavor a little bit, and the sweetness)

** Fair warning - this is not a mild smoothie, it's a bit hardy, but you will be amazed at how your health and energy changes.