Well, I didn't really plan to write anything until after the 4th, but I microwaved my TheraFlu for a little bit too long, so I'm sipping on it while it cools off, and I've got to do something. So, the ear-nose-throat affliction has turned into something less painful but more annoying. My throat doesn't hurt anymore, but I've got all kinds of drainage all of a sudden, and a real deep throat cough. I couldn't sleep last night either because of the Claritin that Connie gave me for my illness, or because I started reading Harry Potter yesterday and had a hard time putting it down.

On our way down to Fallbrook today, through multitudes of traffic, I saw a couple things of note.

1) A license plate on a car in front of me that read UB SOBER. I assume that it was meant as an admonishment to the rest of us to not drink and drive. But to me, it seems really counterproductive and a bad idea. Once a person is driving drunk, it's too late to remind them to stay sober. Instead, you may be convincing a drunk person that they really are sober. Imagine a mind in the drunken state, driving along, thinking that he might be a little too tipsy to drive. He's just about to pull over and call a friend to come pick him up when he sees in front of him, barely able to read it, but in his drunken state he thinks it's a message from God, UB SOBER. "Yerrightz," he says to himself, "I be tobally sover." So, my take is good intentions with the license plate buddy, but let's come up with something else, like UB HAMRD.

2) I witnessed my first California wildfire today. It was in Lake Elsinore on I-15 between LA and San Diego. You could see the smoke for miles. The fire itself was about a half mile east of the interstate, and you could actually see the flames. Several helicopters and planes were making trips back and forth from Lake Elsinore on the west side of the highway dumping water on the flames. It was mind-blowing. We could see houses up in the hills engulfed in flames. And people thought it was dangerous for us to live in Manhattan!

OK, the TheraFlu is almost gone...