Rain Report: It poured down hard most of the day with so much wind it was raining sideways. I went out to buy a rain slicker and rubber boots and driving along Mulholland, there were microwave-size boulders on the road as well as many smaller rocks and a tree that fell across the road. There were flooded areas all along the road so drivers were swerving to avoid either the rocks or the sitting water. It was a scary drive but I got my slicker so I could go out and check the drains around the house. Some were clogged with leaves and debris so I cleared them away and 20 minutes later, they were clogged again. I guess the water was flowing so fast, it kept picking up debris every time. Authorities have started evacuating people from the burn areas because if mud starts coming down, it can take a house with it. On the bright side, the roof’s not leaking.

We got sandbags yesterday and placed them across the back patio in anticipation of the deluge of rain that’s coming. The fire stations are providing the bags and the sand for whoever needs it and since our backyard slopes toward the house, it seemed like the smart thing to do. We’ve never lived in this house during torrential rains but if we do get the 20 inches of rain predicted, who knows what could happen. I went grocery shopping and bought enough food for a week in case the roads aren’t passable. The last time it rained like this about 10 years ago, part of Mulholland Drive collapsed and went down the hill so the road was closed. We live in the hills so with the extra food & water, we are covered if we can’t get down the hill. It started raining at 1 p.m. this afternoon and it’s still raining now (11 p.m.). There will likely be mud slides where the recent fires were. Everyone is anxious and hoping for the best.

Why did I have to be a girl? We have a wedding to go to next month and I still have nothing to wear. I’ve been out shopping the last three nights, I’ve bought two dresses, took them both back, just bought a third one tonight, but I’m leaving the tags on. I don’t like dresses but the last wedding I wore pants (beautiful silk ones) and I was the only woman in pants, so now I need a dress, since I do not own one. Men just put on a tie and jacket or suit but it’s not easy for women. Here’s my dress dilemma: How long? Above or below the knee? Something frilly? Don’t want to out-frill the bride. What about color? Will fuschia be too distracting? “Look at her trying to steal the spotlight!” Then black. Can’t go wrong with basic black. Too morbid? Will it send a message that their marriage is doomed? What about a jacket? I might look like I stopped by the wedding on my way to a business seminar. What’s the dress code? Even restaurants will tell you “upscale casual.” It’s just too stressful. I need to bake some cookies.

Oops, I tripped and fell in the kitchen. My foot caught the edge of a runner which pushed the runner forward creating a hump ahead of me for a second trip and by then, there was no turning back. It happened quickly but I still felt like I was in slow motion, seeing the floor coming at me, knowing I couldn’t stop it, and hoping nothing was going to break. The last time I fell was 20 years ago ice skating and I broke my shoulder, so this time as I was going down, I kept hoping no bones would break. And they didn’t. But I do have bruises on my right hand, left knee, left elbow, and my back is sore, but no broken bones – yay!

I ran errands most of the day. To get all my favorite things I had a lot of stops: The tea store for my favorite white organic tea; Whole Foods for the healthiest tortillas; Trader Joe’s for yeast and high lycopene tomatoes; Bristol Farms for prunes; then I went to the mall just because I haven’t been for ages. What is that smell at Restoration Hardware?

What a fantastic way to start the new year. Denis and I had our morning tea (okay, it was noon) outside on the backyard patio! It was a beautiful day. We sat and watched the hummingbirds zoom over our heads and then guess what else zoomed over our heads? The fighter jets that flew over the Rose Parade yesterday – flew right over our house! It was so exciting!! We could hear them coming at first because they were very loud. Then two jets flew over, heading north-west. Then, about 10 minutes later, two more jets, loud and soaring high in the sky followed. I’ll never forget it. Yesterday we had our annual Open House and I had visions of having a fire going in the fireplace with my Christmas tree all lit up, but it was 70 degrees so there was no fire. In fact, I had to turn on the a/c to cool the house down. Air conditioning in January? Nobody in New York should be reading this… don’t hate me for living in California. If it makes you feel better, I had some ice buildup in the freezer.