eek! There's a fire getting close to my brother's house. I hate to call this late but I worry.

Laga, call. It's totally worth the hour.

I talked to sis-in-law. She says it's pretty smoky but not too close and they're keeping the news on. I told her we'd be up late and everyone's welcome here if the need arises.

The fire started in Rancho Palos Verdes and they're currently evacuating the community just north- Rolling Hills Estates. Bro's family is just north of Rolling Hills Estates and Mom & Dad are sleeping over there tonight (it's their anniversary). I know I'm not going to be able to sleep as long as the fire keeps heading north.

Argh. Someone please tell me to step away from the stupid blog argument, especially since I have no idea what I'm even arguing about anymore. (I think that I'm saying that PETA is bad, animal rights are good, and someone else is saying that I haven't said that PETA is bad often enough. But I think I lost track of this argument several posts ago, sometime around when I got accused of supporting the capitalist system by continuing to buy food, and I have no idea why I keep responding, but I can't stop.)

Hil: step away from the crazies!

In fire news: the evacuation center is south of my family so I have relaxed a wee bit.

The conversations here have pretty much convinced me that, bad as my insomnia is much of the time, I shouldn't take Ambien until my kids are in college. And then only if they have the good sense to move out.

Safety~ma to your family, Laga. And talking~ma for you, P-C.

(I was a little bit afraid when I saw 132 new posts after 8 hours of being AFK).

That Ambien stuff sounds great. I'm saying this as someone who gets hallucinations from mild fever.

As for restaurant bills: with my friends, everyone are paying their own share according to what they ordered, and we split the tip accordingly (so that sometimes, if one ordered just a drink and the others ate a lot, he/she will pay most of the tip. Sometimes now. It's flexible, according to the amount of money everyone are having at the moment).

Hil, I got a recipe for apricot and maple cupcakes. But it has an egg in it. Do you want?

Also. SO tired. Coffee is only slightly comforting. AND there's a water break in my neighborhood since 7am (before I really got up), and the useless local council here doesn't do a shit about it. Said council only has to take care of about 4000 people.

I think now it's time for more tea, and praying that I'll be able to brush my teeth and wash my face at some point today.

I take Ambien CR --very occasionally. No side effects. well, major gronk, but since i don't take it unless I've been a few days without sleep -- I may have earned the gronk

My sister took when she went from Japan to the US and needed to adjust her sleeping instantly. On day 10 she woke up in the hotel room with all the lights on -- which is odd bhecause can not sleep with any light.

But, I wouldn't take it for the first time or two without someone around , Just in case

I don't usually take it unless someone else is around because I am not sure I would wake up if I needed to.

Nights are fast if you sleep through them

Laga!!! Is that the cool tree house place?? Yikes. Fire, keep away! My thoughts are with you n your family. Also, tell your folks congrats & happy A!!