If anyone is affected by the California fires, you have my deepest sympathies. Having lost my house to fire previously, I know what your pain is like, in a small way.

Thankfully we're a good 30 miles or so from the nearest fire but man is the area in general being affected. There is ash coming down on everything and the sky is this apocalyptic gray. The sun looked amazing when it was getting ready to set and it actually sort of creeped me out -- looked like some sort of hellish orb of fiery death. It's been a weird weird couple of days.

Indeed. I arrived in San Diego last night, and woke up to an oddly red sky and a "rain shower" of ash. Very strange, and I felt bad for going about my business in the midst of it.