I talked to my daughter today, and ...

Long: Personal:

My daughter phoned me this afternoon.  She lives in San Diego, and she told me that the fires are both frightening and fearsome.

But she is driving toward them, anyway.

She is "working" a golf tournament in Carlsbad, because the extra money is worth the effort; she and her family are planning to move to Northern California in a couple of months, and they need the money for the move.

She assures me that the fires are nowhere near the country club, and "they haven't cancelled the tournament, so there it must be safe, there".  She may be right; country clubs are the last bastions of American society, right?

She assures me that she will be in no danger; I told her to lock her car.  She replied that there's nothing of value in the car, and if it gets burned up the "only thing of value in that car, Dad, is me".

What you are thinking, is what I said.  I hope that she understands that when I say "Lock Your Car", I meant "Keep Your Escape Options Open".

So I phoned her back, this evening.  Worried that she might be at risk..

She's having fun at the event.  She said she met a lot of celebrities, including one guy who was her "teen-age heart throb"  (No, I never heard of him and didn't recognize the name .. apparently he's at television star from the nineties) and otherwise having a grand time .. although her job doesn't warrant any "tips".

But she says she is not in danger.

She's still working for The American Dream:  a few extra dollars to finance the next step toward moving to a better place.  It's not exactly 'financial independence'  in the next step, but perhaps it's a place  to go  where the salary is higher, and where the jobs are better and the future of her children is more assured.  They have A Plan, and she and her husband .... they aren't afraid of hard work.

And her mother needs her, due to medical 'sithuations', so next month my daughter is going to where she can provide support in turn.  She's moving to Central Californa, "where life is beautiful all the time"

I'm very proud of my children.  Her brother is "Davy, who's still in the Navy, and probably will be for life".  He's working steady in Puget Sound; they will soon both be within six or seven hours travel time of where I live, so I'll probably get to see my children, and my grandchildren, more often.  That's important to me.

For tonight, I'm worried about my daughter's safety.  But I .. I was about to say "I'll never let her know".

Too late, she already knows that.  I wish I could phone her again, without making her feel self-conscious.

Maybe she'll go home early.

11:12 pm .. 

Yeah, she called.  She's fine.  I feel better.

Never mind.