I'd like to start out by saying I can't keep up with blogging every day anymore. With the exception of the month I spent out of the country in 2007, I have blogged every single day for the past two years, and I now find myself having problems finding the time and energy to blog. I'll still write, just not every day.

That being said, here's today's post. I had to get my haircut today. My stylist is in Marina Del Rey, but I was coming from Lakewood instead of from home. A big fire had broken out in Sylmar, which is only about 20 minutes from Pasadena. I thought, boy, I'm glad I'm not up there where it's smoky. While I was in the salon, another fire broke out stretching from Corona to Anaheim. It's still 25 miles from here, but the wind is blowing toward Lakewood. On the drive back there, this is what the sky looked like. If you're thinking to yourself, "Just looks like another smoggy L.A. day to me," take a look at the second photo. I took it only 30 seconds after the first out the side of the car, instead of the front.

The reason I'm in Lakewood is this is where the new boyfriend lives. He has a dog, too...a German Shepard named Kraut, who Grace and Wally both love to play with. When I left for Marina Del Rey, I put her in her crate and, of course, latched it. The crate is in the bedroom, but I left the door open so Kraut and Wally could keep her company. I came back and was greeted at the door by Wally and...Grace! WTF? I went to the bedroom to find out how the hell she got out of the crate, only discover the bedroom door closed. She had somehow locked Kraut in the bedroom. AND - the crate is still closed and latched and I can't figure out for the life of me hoe on earth she got out of it. The best part is that she ate a new pair of my shoes. Sigh. This one is trying my patience.