[Asteya]

I pray and hope the best for the people everywhere who are dealing with the wildfires that are going on in the world right now. It's horrible that some are arson, I try not to wonder what is going on in a mind like that.

With this being said, living in SoCal and dealing with the wildfires, is it really worth living here? My first dealing with fires was in san diego in 2003, I was still in school then. I feel living in LA we're paying for this heat, fires, inconvenience, high electric bills due to having the AC run all day, terrible parking, expensive rent, and other things that come along with living a city. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this situation and unless I feel stable, I'm generally not happy and feel really bad for my fiancé for dealing with MY unstableness. Our lease is up soon and while we LOVE our place, we're overall unhappy with the rental company and can't afford to move because of a recent vacation that was planned over a year ago. We also don't know if they'll offer another year rental contract to us to stay, yes, it's that strict and we did complain a lot. We moved in and the floors were sticky and dirty, everything was dusty, the walls weren't painted, we found trash in cabinets, shelves broken in the fridge, etc... Everything is in their favor. I know another big change is coming up, I just don't exactly deal with the uncertain very well, at all... I don't drink but it makes me want to...

[Blueberrybook]

I'm sorry about your anxiety. We're also worrying about keeping our house though the cost of living is much cheaper here than LA. My husband is from California though. He basically grew up in Long Beach (Lakewood, CA). His dad & sister still live out there. We used to visit every summer, but things got awkward with his sister, so we're not this summer. My father-in-law has a house built the 1970s, well maintained, maybe 1400 sq. ft. and it is worth quite a lot of money, at one point up to half million dollars, but I think it's come down some since. It is not a fancy house or anything. It's nice, but not what you'd expect for so much money.

I know about the wildfires. A lot of my husband's friends from growing up live more in the mountains, farther from LA so they could afford to buy a house. We actually eloped and got married in the San Bernadino Mountains at Pinerose cabins. I want to go back and stay for awhile; we last went maybe 6 years ago (coming up on our 14th wedding anniversary), and i have the urgency to go back before the place burns down.

Change is coming up for us too. Either us leaving the house or me get a part-time or full job. I emailed my brother-in-law's aunt who is high up in one of the local school districts (the largest near us without having to go into Houston proper), and I think she is going to see if she can do something for me as I told her we were looking at losing our house. I also told her I need something low stress because of my recent ulcer and parenting a daughter with a ton of sensory issues (didn't mention the bipolar). Hopefully, she will come through for me. An extra $25,000 a year isn't a lot, but it would mean keeping our house versus losing it. So we'll see. I haven't worked since I was in grad school. Every time I've had a job, I've had to resign because of the bipolar nearly getting me in the hospital, though those were higher paying higher stress jobs.

I'm nervous about the future as well.

[Wild Coyote]

I am also anxious about the future, especially housing and health care.
I have been disabled for over 30 years. My income is very little. My husband works hard and I feel guilty I do not bring in a better income to supplement his. Life is getting more and more expensive.

It has become a constant stressor.


WC

I'm sorry about all the wildfires you're having in the area, Astreya. Yikes, they can be so awful, even if you're not in the path (I've only ever dealt with the terrible smoke). If you could afford to move, would you? Which weather/natural disasters would you find easier to deal with? (I don't mean that flippantly, just, you know, every place has something to deal with. For instance, lots of rain doesn't bother me, but a lot of wind gets to me fast. Sorry, rain was probably not the best example there... I hope you get rain.)

Ugh! Don't you just hate when they rent an apartment still dirty?! Related (sloppy painting, though at least there there's *some* sort of effort...) but kind of funny, we had neighbors that when they moved in discovered a plastic spoon painted right onto a shelf)!) Lol.

I hope the uncertainty settles for you soon (I'm not good with it either --hear ya!) and that the wildfires abate.

[Blueberrybook]

Innerzone is right. Every area has some weather issues and sometimes more. I live in an area of Texas prone to heavy rains and street flooding, tropical storms and hurricanes. We had to evacuate for Harvey just a year ago. We got lucky, but so many people did not. One of my daughter’s best friends lost her house and now the family is living with a set of grandparents while they try to rebuild. Since I have lived here 14 years, we have had to evacuate 3 times for hurricanes, and shortly before we moved here, Tropical Storm Allison came in and did a number on the area. We lost electricity for weeks with Hurricane Ike as well as our roof (it caused a lot of wind damage here). Evacuation traffic is awful, no gas, no water, no food any where. During the Hurricane Rita evacuation (poorly planned), but it was on the heels of Katrina, everyone fled, and over 100 people died due to heat and other factors just trying to evacuate. We also live in an industrial area with a lot of chemical plants nearby. Chemical mishaps have happened. We have had to shelter in place, air conditioning off, windows closed in the middle of summer until the all clear was given.

Every place has something.

[Unrigged64072835]

I agree with that, Innerzone. We have tornadoes, high winds and snow. Still, the cost of living isn't bad here, and we have good hospital facilities.

I feel for those dealing with the wildfires. They seem to be everywhere.

[Wild Coyote]

My heart goes out to anyone suffering in the heat, the fires, etc.
There's so many challenges in this world.

Met a man who had traveled to this area for this past week for his employer. He cannot get back to his house now, as wildfires are too close. His wife and daughter have evacuated and are with family.

We never know.


WC

[*Laurie*]

There are 90 wildfires burning in this state right now. My town (northern California) is scorching hot and smoky. My throat is sore from breathing smoke for 6 weeks. One of the fires, the County fire, was enormous and in the county in which I live. Except for the coast, Calif is built on a desert. Thus, we have desert-like weather - very hot, long summers - unbearably hot during the afternoon with cooler, quite lovely nights and mornings.

Asteya, have you experienced other kinds of climate - southern humidity, for example? The sheer living hell of that?

HA. No way am I leaving California. I love this state, it's magnificent in so many ways. The wildfires are a tragic loss of gorgeous land and so much wildlife. That's true.
If I could, I would spend a full summer in Ireland. I found the climate there delightful.

[BipolaRNurse]

I grew up in the backcountry of San Diego County and I well remember living with the ever-present threat of fire. Every summer, and especially in the fall, we would burn thanks to the Santa Ana winds and dry brush. It would be 110 in October and the heat would be even worse because of fire. But we accepted it as the price we paid for living in that part of the country.

We have some wildfires burning here where I live now. We had a relatively mild, dry winter and the trees are dry too. I hope the firefighters will get the upper hand on all of the fires burning out of control.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by BipolaRNurse

I grew up in the backcountry of San Diego County and I well remember living with the ever-present threat of fire. Every summer, and especially in the fall, we would burn thanks to the Santa Ana winds and dry brush. It would be 110 in October and the heat would be even worse because of fire. But we accepted it as the price we paid for living in that part of the country.

We have some wildfires burning here where I live now. We had a relatively mild, dry winter and the trees are dry too. I hope the firefighters will get the upper hand on all of the fires burning out of control.

The heat being worse because of the fires - that's exactly what I just heard on the news. So the high heat causes the fires, the fires cause high heat...it's a vicious cycle.

[pirilin]

I drove the coast from San Francisco to LA. Silly me. It should have been done the other way around.
I would have had the protection of the mountains.
People drive too fast up there. They were pushing me to the abyss.

I let everybody pass as soon as I found some gravel to stop.
The only one who thanked me was Sir Elton John. Riding shotgun in a Ferrari Testarrosa.
Never again. Specially now with the poison pills.

Anyway, I liked San Diego. Hated LA. Went thru Carmel hoping to meet with the Mayor. One of my heroes. To no avail.

All in all, I'm used to Miami. Gimme my hurricanes and my Cuban coffee.

Good luck to you and yours. Cheers.

[*Laurie*]

And now a large fire has moved closer to where I live...again. This entire state needs a tremendously drenching rain. That's not going to happen, but I can dream...

[Blueberrybook]

Prayers to everyone dealing with nearby wildfires

[Blueberrybook]

Weather...ugh! I want to go for my morning walk/run. It is 4:50 AM (I think the nearly full moon from last night/early this morning got me up early; I almost never sleep well with a full moon) and already 80 degrees outside, high of 93, a bit cooler than last week, but the humidity today is 88% right now. It does not feel good out there, even with the sun not up. Air quality ozone alert again today.