laylalex

It was the cabin one we got a back up for, but you're right, we should also get an extra one for the engine.

Great idea. We literally just got a spare air filter last weekend when I took the car in for a service. We changed the one in there and got a spare just in case. The DWP sucks. The Santa Ynez reservoir being emptied was necessary for repairs but it's been empty for a YEAR. And they never (apparently) let LAFD know it was still empty. I am very grateful to be close to two completely full reservoirs where I am but I had no idea they were full! Things are looking a little better where I am this morning. We're no where out of the woods yet, but the fire has not advanced and we haven't gotten any evacuation warning yet. So we're staying put and being watchful. I've never been so grateful to wake up in my own bed.

Hey, it's me! Thanks for posting that, TBone. It's been a crazy day, a crazy week. Briefly: Tuesday morning I was at work in West LA and my coworker told me to check out a plume of smoke. At lunchtime, it looked like this when we went out to take a couple pics: We didn't think much of it -- fires are normal around here, and while obviously dangerous they're not something that goes on for too long. But the Santa Ana winds are in this week, and were blowing crazy hard on Tuesday. We had forecast gusts up to 80-90 mph. And we haven't had any appreciable (and I mean over 0.1 in) rain since May, so this place is a tinderbox. The predictable happened, and this was the sky when we packed up and left around 4:30pm because we were all getting spooked: My usual 25 minute commute was nearly an hour, all those people leaving at the same time. And when I got home: no power. A tree had fallen, a victim of the Santa Anas, on a car a block away from our home, and it took down a power line. We had no power for six hours, but at least the fires were really far away. I get an email that the office has been evacuated and not to come in until further notice. Wednesday morning: working from home while the Palisades are getting turned into something my mother compared to looking like Dresden, and out in the east Altadena is disappearing. We have family friends who lost their home of decades, both artists and all their art and instruments and studios and equipment poof. Gone. They are safe, thank god. I have since learned a high school classmate and her husband lost everything. My own parents evacuated to my sister's in Studio City (now they're all in San Diego after tonight). And we had a small fire near us, but it was put down rapidly. Everyone becomes obsessed with the Watch Duty app, checking where fires are, how big, what's in control, links to announcements, etc. Thursday: still at home, but things seem... better? Then we get a random and incorrect blaring emergency alert on our phones telling us to get ready to evacuate, followed by another heart-stopping siren saying whoops, our bad, no emergency. Watch Duty has already told us this! (We love Watch Duty and no, they are not paying me to say that.) Calm night here, and I get an email from my boss saying the office will be open again tomorrow, we have an all hands meeting so be there if I can. Ah, normal life! And then... Early Friday morning: 4:50 am, to be more precise. Blaring emergency alert EVACUATE NOW! Alex is running around cursing about our go bags not being completely ready, and I'm checking Watch Duty (still not paying me, but they should!) and saying, um, honey, I think it's another false alarm. Which it is, but we can't get back to sleep. I get to work, we do an almost all hands meeting (one coworker has totally bugged out and left for Redondo Beach) and everything seems fine until... This afternoon, Friday, around 4:15pm: ANOTHER emergency alert. Except this one is real, I'm at work, and I still have to meet with my boss before I can go so I can brief him on a project before the weekend. I hang around for an hour, while Alex is texting me to come home ASAP, he's worried. I finally leave around 6pm, and when I get to the parking structure in my building there are huge flakes of ash blowing around like snow. I jump in the car and head up the 405, and at some point the air getting into the car is so bad I'm coughing. When I got home, the air was fresh and clear and I felt like everything was going to be okay. Well, it wasn't. News started pinging around on our group text with neighbors -- there's now an evacuation warning (i.e. get ready to go when we tell you) the other side of Ventura Blvd., a few blocks away. I look out the window and the sky is glowing red. It feels surreal, utterly unreal. I go completely numb, and then Alex and I are running around, not really speaking to each other, packing up toiletries and shoving sweaters in bags and what not. I felt anesthetized. I've never seen a fire like this here, ever. Encino doesn't get fires, which is one of the many reasons I felt safe moving here. (It's really just one of the best places that's actually in the City of LA.) We find a place to crash that has enough room and is far enough away from everything; so many of my friends have already evacuated so we're lucky to have a place to be with friends. But then, as we're getting the last things packed, and talking to seemingly everyone to tell them of our plans, I say: let's look at the news. I've been avoiding the news -- the images are traumatizing for me. Seeing places I love unrecognizable is like getting punched in the gut. But now I want to see the news. And what I hear is that the fire line is holding south of us, and the reservoir is full. Chinooks and other choppers are dumping thousands of gallons on the flare up less than a mile from us, firefighters from Orange and Riverside counties, and from Clark County in Nevada. So right now (1am) I'm going to sleep, with go bags ready, but I am hopeful. Winds are down, humidity is up to almost 30%. Santa Anas are in the forecast again tomorrow, so things may change again. Thanks for reading this brain dump! Keep us in your thoughts, I'll check in tomorrow.

It's a total mess. And I am 100% here for it! I am always ready to watch Florian in anything, he's such a weird guy, like a grumpy Eastern European grandpa in a male model's body.

I think she looks amazing -- so healthy! Shame about her eyebrows, but so many girls and women made the same mistake of overplucking in the late 90s/early 00s. I graduated high school in '03 and that was like the height of the pencil-thin look. I am forever grateful that I listened to my mother who told me to put the tweezers down.

Yay for the makeup experimenting! Boo for the sad panda look. Luckily there is a solution for this problem, and it's something I use nearly every day, since I am an eyeshadow/eyeliner/mascara fiend: eyeshadow primer. Total game changer. Great news is that you do NOT need to spend a lot of money to get a good one, although there are a lot of expensive ones out there. The one I like more than any other is by Milani: https://www.milanicosmetics.com/products/stay-put-eyeshadow-primer A little goes a loooooong way, so a squirt the size of a ball bearing will be enough for both lids. It not only grips eyeshadow, it also helps mascara stay in place because oftentimes, it's the oil on our lids causing things to get messy in our lashes. If your eyeshadow isn't moving, more than likely your mascara isn't either. There are a ton of eyeshadow primers out there, so it might be trial and error, but Milani is it for me. I used to love the Urban Decay one which is about 2.5x the price and while it is excellent, there are cheaper alternatives. Another option if you are skipping shadow but want to wear mascara, there is also mascara primer. There are MANY expensive options and some very good drugstore ones that work very, very well. This one from L'Oreal is solid: https://www.lorealparisusa.com/makeup/eye/mascara/voluminous-lash-primer A fancier option I rate is https://www.lancome-usa.com/makeup/eye-makeup/mascaras/cils-booster-xl-enhancing-lash-and-mascara-primer/990604.html (which now that I click on it, I want to buy myself!). Don't look to me for nail tips, I'm in your camp! My sister used to forcibly file my nails for me when I was younger because she said it was embarrassing. I do use an emery board to keep things in order, and I do NOT do long nails. Mine are all very short, and the only thing I use is this, because it is actually a nail strengthener, which I do need to use sometimes: https://us.amazon.com/modelones-Filler-Strengthener-Treatment-Damaged/dp/B0CNR9J3P5 When I remember!

Well, all the hard work paid off because I got a raise today! It's all going to finance my makeup addiction.

Excellent! Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner -- my workload has been recently and I am also working on a personal project that is sucking up all of my precious VJ time! I was going to recommend this cream: https://www.amazon.com/ACWELL-Balancing-Intensive-Anti-Wrinkle-Anti-aging/dp/B09B3CNL42 I have not used it myself, but when I was poking around I saw a bunch of solid reviews from beauty editors on its effectiveness for dark circles. If you are thinking about something drastic (lol) like tinted moisturizer with SPF for days you want a tiny bit of coverage just to even things out, I love the NARS Pure Radiant Skin with SPF30+. https://www.narscosmetics.com/USA/pure-radiant-tinted-moisturizer-spf-30/999NACPRTM001.html Use the color matching tool to find the right shade, but it's so light and buildable that if your first guess is wrong but close, you probably won't notice it. So gentle as well for sensitive skin.

USE THE SUNSCREEN! And don't keep it in the car, the heat and sunlight can damage its effectiveness. It can also explode if it gets too hot which... would be some clean up.

I will think about it, but the brand Dashinka just mentioned, Sulwhasoo, may have something for you. Korean skincare tends to be both more gentle and more effective than a lot of mainstream US brands. So I'll think about something that might have organic ingredients, for sensitive skin, and for the delicate eye area. Dark circles can be handled with creams, but also using cold compresses (think: cucumbers on the eyes -- they work!), or undereye patches (I love these). You're looking to moisturize AND bring down inflammation. Also consider using a gua sha tool with a nice, neutral oil like jojoba or rosehip. I love the Ordinary rose hip face oil for working with a gua sha and it is stupid cheap at about $11. A bottle will last you 6 months, easily, since you only need a tiny bit. If you've never used a gua sha before, it's a little weird at first but it really does work. You don't need to spend a ton on one either -- most people prefer jade or rose quartz. Rose quartz is supposed to be a little gentler but I think that's mostly hogwash. They're both stone! Keep it in the fridge for extra help with inflammation. I will report back with eye cream ideas but my parting thought -- SUNSCREEN! I am very boring about sunscreen, ask anyone who knows me, and nag people to remember to wear it. So if you aren't, do! It will also help with dark circles.

Kobe is the best, sweetest, most mature cast member in any of the various shows and seasons. He's kind, compassionate, respects his wife's parents, is a great and involved dad, and on and on... I like to think he helped Michael make the decision to leave and maybe got him that bus ticket. Angela is terrifying -- I found the screaming very, very triggering. The new season of Before the 90 Days is ... well, it is something!

Yes, my local Pavilions I go to multiple times a week is on there. It's a fantastic supermarket, with a massive Kosher section (including frozen and chiller aisles, not common outside of specifically Kosher supermarkets). For this reason it's a community resource, so I hope that stays in place for my neighbors.

Those nails aren't that long. My former co-worker's aunt owns a tire shop, and she always has gorgeous nails around that length. In general, I keep mine pretty short and buffed instead of nail polish, except for special occasions. I am so clumsy that nail polish gets chipped almost immediately on me. Pedicures are another matter -- that is something that I do spend a little on every 2 weeks or so. Of course few of us are performing manual labor with our feet......

We haven't really thought about applying, because our attitude has basically been: let's do one thing at a time, no rush. But the window opened earlier this month, I know that. He's currently in the UK dealing with a death in the family, so all of this is really on the back burner at the moment. I know he has continuous residence covered but we'll have to tot up all his trips abroad to make sure he's okay for physical presence. Almost 100% sure he is, but there have been a number of longish trips. Believe me, I would know if he was gone more than half the time because I'd have bought fewer groceries over the past 3 years!

Anyone had any updates recently? It'll be a year (!!!) tomorrow since we sent it off and while I know there are many people who have been waiting way longer... I'm ready for it to be over.