Sunday, May 31, 2009 

Thank you for the name calling

One can be a huge disappointment to someone when they don't live up to being a good person...a good friend...I was a disappointment in the later part of our 11 years or so in and out of each others lives. A decade has past since then....I always wanted to gather the courage to apologize for my failures...to make up for it....but now it's too late.

So...anonymous...take your vile comments elsewhere.

I now understand that your hatefilled comments and threat come from grief and I hope that you find peace with your heartbreak. I assume this Christine! is acting out of grief, too.

Who is to say what way to grieve is the right way or the wrong way or who is allowed to grieve...

I wish you both peace in your heartbreak...

Namaste.

10:49 PM | |

 

Happiest of Days - Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey R. Cole!


buttefly wedding cake
Originally uploaded by o´holysweet!.

Jeff and Jessica.....

I am so sorry I couldn't make it to your special day in Austin, but I wish you two long happiness, joy and wedded bliss!

(p.s. - send pix....)

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10:47 AM | |

Thursday, May 21, 2009 

Have to drive down to La Crescenta


PumaSightingSign
Originally uploaded by santa barbarian.

and start cleaning out my storage unit for a big Garage Sale on Saturday.

After a fire, you really start thinking "do I really need all this stuff?"

I also want my Kitchen Aid within sight.

10:29 PM | |

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 

Since it looks like Stateside has closed...


Turtle Guys Posing
Originally uploaded by santa barbarian.

what will become of the little turtle guys in their fountain?

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7:09 AM | |

 

Bella Dolce WILL be opening!

But at a new space at 113 West De La Guerra Street in June!


View Larger Map

If you haven't tried their baked goods yet, make sure you stop by for a visit once they get their ovens up and warmed up!

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7:01 AM | |

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 

Bella Dolce's signs are gone

and the business card holder on the door is no more. Sadly it looks like the retail frontage in Arlington Court for Bella Dolce is not "cooking" along. Which is a shame, because their cupcakes rocked!


Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
Originally uploaded by santa barbarian.

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12:50 AM | |

Monday, May 18, 2009 

Things that make you go....hmmmm....

Food wrapper coating found in human blood.
To the growing list of chemicals showing up in human blood, a new study adds compounds called diPAPs that make food wrappers grease-proof. Scientists don't yet know if diPAPs are harmful to human health. But they break down into PFOA, which may be carcinogenic. - Discovery Channel

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7:52 AM | |

Sunday, May 17, 2009 

When in Cambria


Olallieberry Bread Pudding
Originally uploaded by santa barbarian.

a stop at Linn's is a must.

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7:58 PM | |

Saturday, May 16, 2009 

The New Must Have "Rachel" Hair-do


Like My Silly Face?
Originally uploaded by wendyu.

Rachel Alexandra's.

The Filly rocked Old Hilltop today. No wonder some tried to keep her out of the race and the ol' boys club...they knew she would womp'm.

You GO girl. Now...to try to explain the new haircut I want to my hairdresser.

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3:43 PM | |

 

While the multimillionaires wax poetic

about their luxurious high flying private jet Santa Barbara lifestyle, the firefighters who helped save their 23,000 foot square feet mansions are paying for their own equipment.
How can this be?
Santa Barbara-area firefighters were using their own money to purchase protective eye goggles during their fight with the Jesusita Fire. Rikki Emory, president of the Santa Barbara Firefighters Alliance (SBFA), said that as a result, the group decided at its May 12 board meeting to focus future donations and fundraising efforts on purchasing over 400 goggles and a wildfire suppression pump for city and county firefighters.

Erinn Lynch, from SBFA’s public relations committee told the Independent that due to recent budget cuts to city and county departments, firefighting liaisons were coming to give their latest status updates from the frontlines of the fire with bloodshot eyes. “It’s critical for us to raise money for them to protect themselves while they protect us,” Lynch said. She and her group are aiming to raise around $50,000 to purchase this gear.

...Their next fund raising event will be their annual Fire Ball on June 5, and they are always accepting donations on their website. - SBIndy

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10:04 AM | |

 

THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS


SBFIRE4 003
Originally uploaded by NEWSMAN91.

9:25 AM | |

Friday, May 15, 2009 

Bo Obama Beanie Baby


That's right...Ty's having a dog gone good time raking in the bucks off Obama mania. Make no bones about that. Bo is top dog in the country...and in the toy world these days.

Bo, a Beanie Baby version of Barack Obama’s new presidential pooch, has been disappearing from shelves within hours of his arrival in stores. He has also become eBay’s latest pet project, with purchasers seeking double the doll’s $4.99 retail price online minutes after they buy it through retail outlets. Some are even asking more than $100.

The Bo Beanies, of course, are modeled after the Obamas’ new Portuguese water dog, a gift from Senator Edward Kennedy earlier this year. And while the similarities are obvious — the doll is advertised as “The First Dog” — there is no presidential seal of approval for the product.

Nonetheless, Ty Inc. introduced the stuffed animal on April 16, two days after Bo made his White House debut in a photo session with the president, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha. Ty said the company will donate a portion of its profits from the "Bo" doll to local animal shelters. - MSNBC

Let's hope that Ty donates a portion of the sale of Bo to our local animal shelters who were overwhelmed with need during the fire.

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10:44 PM | |

 

Humans are not the only ones to suffer in a fire

many animals perished in the Jesusita Fire, among them some hard workers that I had featured in a blog posting in December of last year....goats of BrushGoats4Hire.
I was heartbroken to find out that 35 of them perished in the fire while "still on the job" in some sections of Mission Canyon.
Thirty brush-eating goats that had worked overtime in the upper reaches of Mission Canyon since the middle of March perished in the Jesusita Fire.

The goats were part of a herd of 175, the majority of which were trucked out of the canyon last Tuesday, shortly after the blaze erupted.

By Tuesday night, Lorraine Argo, owner of Brush Goats 4 Hire, who has rented the goats to the Mission Canyon Association on a number of occasions, said 35 goats remained in the canyon. - The Daily Sound

Our hearts go out to Lorraine and the remaining goats of BrushGoats4Hire.

A number of other non-domesticated animals were forced to flee their usual environs to escape the fire...a black bear, possums, bobcats and so many others. Many made it...a good number of them didn't. Fire doesn't care if you have two legs or four...it goes after anything in it's path.

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9:26 PM | |

 

Wondering how to thank the firefighters

Your Santa Barbara Firefighters deserve kudos for a job well done. It was an honor for Los Angeles Fire Department personnel to work alongside them.
Among the non-profit charitable groups that can directly help them (and all of the many California fire agencies that responded), is the Fire Family Foundation.

To learn more, visit:

http://www.firefamilyfoundation.org/

Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,
Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department

or they can always use some baked goods and cold drinks at their staging areas:
Earl Warren Showgrounds, Tucker's Grove, The Mission and Westmont College.

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1:34 PM | |

 

Happy Animal Blogging Friday


Dolphin Party
Originally uploaded by treklightly.

or...rather...Happy anything other than death and destruction by fire Friday.

12:58 PM | |

Sunday, May 10, 2009 

If Los Angeles has a Fire Service Recognition Day

I think that Santa Barbara should ABSOLUTELY have one too. Who do we contact to make that happen?
The second Saturday of May is designated "Fire Service Recognition Day" in Los Angeles. On this day, members of your Los Angeles Fire Department host an Open House at every Neighborhood Fire Station to warmly welcome visitors of all ages. - LAFD

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6:39 PM | |

 

Jesusita Fire is winding up

but the images still haunt the memory and the soul....


deathcab for cutie - "grapevine fires"

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6:28 PM | |

 

Great Ash Cleanup Tips

from someone who has done it a number of times.
Wood ash is alkaline. The easiest way to make lye is putting wood ash in water. It has a pH of about 11, just a little lower than household ammonia so it is important to clean it up.
Read Bryan's entire post over at his blog "Why Now?"

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10:40 AM | |

Saturday, May 09, 2009 

Music to go home to

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9:55 PM | |

 

1/3 of Santa Barbara Evacuated


Jesusita Fire
Originally uploaded by scottlondon.

that's a headline we don't want to see again. But perhaps even a headline more chilling...."Jesusita Fire likely a sign of things to come."


MSNBC has a great little visual slide show.

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6:40 AM | |

Friday, May 08, 2009 

we had an earthquake this afternoon


toby shake n bake
Originally uploaded by esd_attorney.

along with the wildfires...

we're shakin' and bakin'

2:27 PM | |

Thursday, May 07, 2009 

Smoke is billowing everywhere

and setting off the alarms in my friends' house. Don't know where other friends are and if they are OK. The evac center is full to capacity...another opened over at UCSB. The helicopters are churning around somewhere...sirens are screaming past hurridly.

Very unsettled. A little on edge. Hoping this all ends soon. Oh...and did I say how freakin' hot it is? Close to midnight and 80+ degrees.

We've officially entered Hell.

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11:45 PM | |

 

Saint Barbara


SBFIRE2 067
Originally uploaded by NEWSMAN91.

seems to have abandoned her namesake city. send prayers...and fireman.

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5:43 PM | |

Wednesday, May 06, 2009 

To quote Alannis....

"Isn't it Ironic"

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared May 3 through 9 Wildfire Awareness Week, to remind Californians to be vigilant as the state approaches peak fire season and to highlight the importance of the homeowner's role in preparing their property ahead of time to survive a wildfire.

CAL FIRE will be conducting fire safety inspections throughout the state over the coming weeks to educate homeowners of the importance of wildfire safety and to ensure that homes have 100 feet of defensible space. - Ledger Dispatch

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8:53 PM | |

 

These guys are GODS


I tell ya...
The job of roughly 900 firefighters was hampered by poor access to the fire area, officials said, as well as winds of up to 50 mph and thick brush that hadn’t burned in a half-century.

"We are in a state of extreme emergency,'' said David Sadecki, a spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. "We're running very, very thin.'' - Latte Times


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8:40 PM | |

 

Jesusita Fire

why are destructive things often so beautiful?

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8:28 PM | |

 

Oooppss...

Spoke too soon. Evacuated yet again. at least this time my friend got the humane society to come pack up the tortoise (with duck tape i.d. tag) and the chickens.

Everyone safe...but scattered to the winds. Just like the flames.

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6:27 PM | |

 

Jesusita Fire


Jesusita Fire
Originally uploaded by scottlondon.

photo taken by scottlondon

2:21 PM | |

 

Whew....that was a close one

One can never have too many hands coaxing a reluctant tortoise from his/her bushy sleeping quarters in evacuation time.

I think I prefer having my Amish "on" to Fire Evacuation "on."

Have a few spare $$? Consider tossing them to the Red Cross of Santa Barbara or the Humane Society....great folks in time of need. Also consider dropping off some food for the hungry fire fighters at Earl Warren Showgrounds.

A humungous thanks to all the radio stations who really provided top notch community service by providing life saving news...and some cool music to ease the soul.

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11:53 AM | |

Tuesday, May 05, 2009 

we're on fire

and the winds are picking up. i've got my tortoise, three dogs, four chickens and a fabulous friend rescue "on."

let's just hope i don't have to use it.

they've just declared our area under evacuation warning.

we're outta here.

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2:57 PM | |

 

Delicious Cinco De Mayo to y'all!


Margarita - Green Velvet Cupcakes - Cinco de Mayo 02
Originally uploaded by Tasquah.

Viva!

9:40 AM | |

Monday, May 04, 2009 

Get ready to vote for the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market

for top market! On June 1st, American Farmland Trust is starting a vote for the Country's best Farmer's Market.
American Farmland Trust is sending a message to food shoppers everywhere that food decisions are important, and as consumers we have the opportunity to support local farmers and communities-just by shopping at farmers markets.

Our three-month outreach campaign will ask Americans across the country to show support ofr their local market by voting in our America's Favorite Farmers Markets contest. The top three vote-getting farmers markets - one small, one medium and one large - will win a free No Farms No Food tote bag giveaway for their market customers.

Go to www.farmland.org/vote

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7:45 PM | |

Sunday, May 03, 2009 

Cooking Up Stories in the Kitchen with the Sisters

NPR's Kitchen Sisters, that is. They are coming to Santa Barbara for an afternoon of rambunctious radio fun and some delicious not so Hidden Kitchen cooking.
Hidden Kitchens, heard on NPR's Morning Edition, explores secret, unexpected, below-the-radar cooking across America. The Kitchen Sisters show how communities come together through food: midnight cabyard kitchens, prison rodeo kitchens, a secret civil rights kitchen, food traditions and rituals from across the country. The series inspired two books, Hidden Kitchens: Stories, Recipes and More from NPR's Kitchen Sisters and Hidden Kitchens Texas. - UCSB Food Matters Series
Set your timer to go off in time for you to get out to UCSB's McCune Conference Room 6020 this Thursday, May 7th at 4:00 p.m.

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3:22 PM | |

 

Cruising into Santa Barbara

With the Swine Flu frenzy afloat, several cruiseships have decided to stop off at Catalina Island and Santa Barbara instead of their intended itinerary, Mexico. Imagine passengers surprise to find that instead of cheap T-Shirts, trinkets and tequilla they were expecting, they were met with overly inflated prices for everything. Well...guess it's good for tourist biz dollars.

Approximately 5,000 passengers will be spilling from the two ships over the course of the weekend, some from the Sapphire Princess on today, May 2, and the rest from the Star Princess on Sunday, May 3. A third ship will be stopping in Santa Barbara on May 10, as part of its regularly scheduled itinerary.

...Downtown business is also preparing itself for this windfall, as the cruise industry estimates that the average visiting couple from a vacation ship spends approximately $200 in one port of call. While this is expected to provide a welcome economic boost, Chamber of Commerce President Steve Cushman reminds pointed out that the extra tourists wouldn’t necessarily mean an uncomfortably crowded downtown: The average weekend in Santa Barbara during tourist season sees roughly 40,000 visitors. - SB Indy

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1:57 PM | |

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