THE CLOUDS NEAR BUELLTON

The drive down to LA was a pleasure cruise compared to the nightmare of the return to the Bay Area. First of all there were mudslides and freeway closures all over the place, so instead of taking the normally speedy Highway 5 (there were radio reports of mud blocking half the 405 at Sylmar all morning long), I was stuck taking the meandering 101.

I thought, well, it might take a little longer, but at least the traffic will be flowing and I can cruise by Buellton and some of the sights of Sideways. What an idiot I am.

Just north of Oxnard, the traffic came to a complete standstill and it took me more than 3 hours to make it Santa Barbara, a drive that normally runs about half that long. At least it wasn't raining, which was a pleasant change. As I crawled along the coast at about 5 MPH, I had some nice scenery to keep me occupied.

But just after I stopped for dinner at In N' Out in Santa Maria, the heavens let loose. It was kind of freakish rain you mostly see in the tropics. The freeway was flooded. My wipers were overwhelmed. I gave up making it home at a reasonable hour and settled in for the long haul.

In all, it took more than 8 hours of white-knuckling in hellish conditions and when I finally did open my apartment door and was greeted my ornery separation anxiety ridden cats, I was exhausted.