In the Summer of 2002, Southern California was burning. It would be my first encounter with wildfires and how it affected California, the ecosystem, the economy but, more important, human lives; the death and devastation and how it affected all. It would be a sharp transition from the tornadoes I grew around in Ohio and Oklahoma. As years have passed, the fires have become a yearly event, but in 2002, it was different.

In September 2002, I played in the Baja Cantina golf scramble at Knollwood Country Club in the Valley. As our fancy, air conditioned bus entered the Knollwood parking lot, twenty or so fire trucks lined the entrance and were scattered at random in the parking lot. The fires, you see, were all around Knollwood. They were based many miles away and, at no point, were we in danger, but Knollwood became a fire hub. The fire men and women were resting for a few hours before they would re-enter the macabre scene. The worn out warriors of the flame sat, leaned and lay against their trucks, exhausted. Their faces were covered with sweat, soot and grime.

One of the leaders of the fire brigade approached Big Mike Gorey (legendary Baja Cantina bartender and leader of our excursion) and asked if his men could reside in our air conditioned bus as we played our match. As I stared at my half consumed Coors Light, listening to this humble request, I was filled with such a gleam of inadequacy, it nearly brought me to shame. These heroes were asking us, a group in the midst of social fun, if they could use our facilities for a brief respite before they wandered into the fray to risk their lives again.

I think about that request (and, of course, we let them use the bus) and the courage it took and takes to go into the wilderness of the unknown. I tip my cap to the Trent Murrell- Meisenheimer’s, Mikey and Tommy Mazza’s of the world. I don’t take it lightly. As the West Coast burns and the hurricanes stampede through the Southeast, I just wished to focus a moment on the men and women I respect.

53 Things Rolando Can’t Stand…

Rolando doesn’t dislike the Progressive and ‘Flo’ commercials, he can’t abide them. It’s always funny to me to see the vitriol that strikes his eyes every time ‘Flo’ or one of her cohorts stains the screen. I enjoy watching him race for the remote control to ‘Mute’ the offenders. I’ll admit, I sometimes hide the remote to see the glaze of despair cover his face.

Rolando Eats and 53 Great Meals…

This past Saturday’s Mah Jongg night began with the serving of a 3-day process of cooking. I love to cook and Saturday was Duck Confit night.

53 Great Bands You May not Know (But I Love)

The Vaccines are a London-based Indie group that was a late bloomer out of the early Aughts Indie movement. They have a whiff of The Strokes in them with a bit of the Jesus and Mary Chain wit. Their debut album, What did you Expect from the Vaccines? provided one of my favorites tunes of the Teens with ‘If you Wanna’. To me, their sound is at its best when it’s short and sharp. Their catchy rifts and phrases play perfect for my style of music and is quick to grip. Give ’em a download and enjoy.

I’d like to thank you for joining me today, as we continue on this journey. If you have anything you’d like to say or have questions, please post and ask. Follow me on WordPress and spread the word. Thank you all and remember, my friends; Take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.