WEBVTT - Special Coverage Continues from Los Angeles 0:00:02.720 --> 0:00:03.360 Hey, that folks. 0:00:03.400 --> 0:00:05.840 In this episode, you are going to hear from several people. 0:00:06.680 --> 0:00:10.160 You're going to hear their stories of trying to escape, 0:00:10.720 --> 0:00:16.000 survive the fires that are still continuing to wreak havoc 0:00:16.360 --> 0:00:19.080 in southern California, in particular the Los Angeles area, which 0:00:19.120 --> 0:00:21.520 is where Robock and I are right now. 0:00:21.520 --> 0:00:23.840 Welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. 0:00:24.200 --> 0:00:24.520 Robes. 0:00:24.560 --> 0:00:28.400 It's much different covering the story from Afar than to 0:00:29.040 --> 0:00:31.120 come here and get on the ground. And it's one 0:00:31.120 --> 0:00:33.800 thing to see it, which changed our perspective a little bit. 0:00:34.360 --> 0:00:36.280 But then once you start talking to people and the 0:00:36.280 --> 0:00:38.000 next person, and the next person and the next person, 0:00:38.000 --> 0:00:42.280 it changes your perspective again about this disaster that we've 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:43.800 been witnessing for a week now. 0:00:43.760 --> 0:00:47.479 Yes, and a disaster that is still continuing because the 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:51.560 threat of new fires. The winds are still raging here 0:00:51.600 --> 0:00:54.639 in Los Angeles and will be for a large part 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:57.520 of this week, and it's a threat that kind of 0:00:57.560 --> 0:01:00.240 always hangs over the head of folks who live in 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:02.320 this area. So to see it all come almost in 0:01:02.640 --> 0:01:06.520 a perfect horrific way, where the winds were just right 0:01:07.120 --> 0:01:09.080 or wrong, no matter how you look at it, and 0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:11.680 the humidity was low enough. There hasn't been rain here 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:16.880 in months, so this was just a tragedy where everything 0:01:16.920 --> 0:01:19.200 had to kind of fall into place for it to 0:01:19.240 --> 0:01:22.200 be what it is. And so to hear how folks 0:01:22.520 --> 0:01:28.000 not only survived this but are continuing to survive and 0:01:28.400 --> 0:01:33.319 vowing to rebuild, vowing to live and rebuild these beautiful 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:37.440 communities that are along the one of the most gorgeous 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:41.360 stretches in this country, along the Pacific Coast Highway. And 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:44.760 to see the resilience, it's inspiring and it's remarkable, and 0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:46.800 yet you know, the threat is still there. 0:01:47.319 --> 0:01:48.480 So many these stories we're hearing. 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:51.800 Somebody had to drop everything and rush to their kids' 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:54.560 school and get the kid out. Another person had to 0:01:54.960 --> 0:01:56.880 only had a few minutes to grab a bag and 0:01:56.880 --> 0:01:59.160 get out of the house. Another person had to abandon 0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:02.000 their car as are driving down the street and get 0:02:02.000 --> 0:02:04.400 out and run. And then we talked to somebody also 0:02:04.600 --> 0:02:08.239 who was just on a hike, was just on a hike, 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:10.440 thought it was a lovely beautiful morning for a hike, 0:02:10.480 --> 0:02:12.760 and the next thing you know, she is scrambling trying 0:02:12.800 --> 0:02:15.080 to get to her kids and trying to get out 0:02:15.120 --> 0:02:18.320 of the neighborhood as just a diversity in the experience, 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:21.280 but a commonality, like I said, to all of those experiences. 0:02:21.320 --> 0:02:23.840 So you are going to hear from in this episode. Now, 0:02:23.880 --> 0:02:26.040 several other people that we talked to, including that woman 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:29.239 I'm talking about who was on a hike and Robes, 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:32.560 we had a hard time understanding it was that nice 0:02:33.040 --> 0:02:36.600 that you were not worried about anything that Tuesday morning 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:38.960 that she went for a hike, and then the next thing, 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:40.919 you know, within half hour, didn't she say. 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:43.520 She abandoned her car. She was abandoning her car and 0:02:43.600 --> 0:02:47.680 running for her life. And we're going to begin with 0:02:47.720 --> 0:02:50.320 this woman because she was remarkable. Her name is Marissa, 0:02:50.360 --> 0:02:53.800 and not only did she survive this, get her kids 0:02:54.440 --> 0:02:58.280 and was able to get to safety. Now she's taking 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:02.560 this time and she's helped others. She has two restaurants 0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:08.040 that have survived so far the fires. And Rissa, hats 0:03:08.080 --> 0:03:12.359 off to you. You've got three children and you are 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:16.560 juggling being a mom, being a fire survivor and victim 0:03:16.560 --> 0:03:20.200 all at once, and then also giving back to your community. 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:22.880 What are the days like? What have what have the 0:03:22.960 --> 0:03:25.160 days been like since this all took place? 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:32.000 The days are long, the nights are longer. I was 0:03:32.040 --> 0:03:35.280 able to sleep last night, which was nice, But then 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:37.720 you wake up to what you're going to open up 0:03:37.720 --> 0:03:40.440 at your phone and wonder if you know our house 0:03:40.480 --> 0:03:41.480 is still going to be there or not. 0:03:41.760 --> 0:03:44.880 So it's hard. 0:03:46.400 --> 0:03:46.920 It's hard. 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:49.440 What is what is the I'm not sure how you 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:51.120 answer it when people say how you do it? And 0:03:51.240 --> 0:03:53.200 sometimes we just kind of Sometimes we just go up 0:03:53.200 --> 0:03:55.880 fine and keep going. What if you're given an honest 0:03:55.920 --> 0:03:58.880 answer and honest assessment of how you're doing? What is 0:03:58.920 --> 0:04:01.080 the answer to that question you doing? 0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:06.440 It depends when I'm asked, because sometimes I am not well. 0:04:06.760 --> 0:04:12.480 Sometimes I'm sobbing and crying and devastated and hopeless, and 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:18.320 other times I am invigorated and galvanized and hopeful and 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:21.800 feeling like we can do this. 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:24.200 How have we caught you in this moment? How you doing? 0:04:29.880 --> 0:04:33.840 I'm thankful that my house is still standing, that Matt's 0:04:33.839 --> 0:04:37.560 house is still standing, that my family, my parents live 0:04:37.600 --> 0:04:39.920 down in Laguna, my brother is in town from New York, 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:44.640 that that we have family around us, and that's really 0:04:44.720 --> 0:04:49.080 all that matters, you know, Like it's just a house, 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:54.800 it is our home. If that burns, we have our 0:04:54.839 --> 0:04:56.320 family and that's really what matters. 0:04:56.680 --> 0:04:58.599 Yeah, and for people, you know, I know that we've 0:04:58.600 --> 0:05:00.600 been saying it, but it's and of hard to get 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:03.799 your head around the fact that you say, my home 0:05:03.880 --> 0:05:06.440 is still standing. Now I look at my phone and 0:05:06.960 --> 0:05:11.400 you know, am anticipating potentially bad news because the threat 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:14.400 isn't over yet. What is that? Like, Yes, your house 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:17.680 is okay right now, but to know that it might 0:05:17.720 --> 0:05:20.840 not be in an hour or in a day, that's 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:25.800 got to be a crazy mind gain that you're having to, Like, 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:29.160 how much brain power do you even allow to let 0:05:29.200 --> 0:05:32.000 your mind wander? What if could this happen? And how 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:36.040 do you mentally handle it or even compartmentalize that. 0:05:37.040 --> 0:05:43.359 Yeah, it's really challenging to metabolize that. My friend reminded 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:47.680 me yesterday to breathe, which is useful sometimes you need that. 0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:51.360 She like gave me this box breath where you breathe 0:05:51.360 --> 0:05:54.359 in for three seconds, hold it for three seconds, breathe 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:55.600 out for three seconds. 0:05:56.279 --> 0:05:57.080 That helps. 0:05:57.920 --> 0:06:00.839 There's this old saying I think it's can be our 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:04.640 sol guitar. I'm saying it wrong, like to solve by walking. 0:06:04.800 --> 0:06:08.040 So we're doing a lot of walking and thinking and 0:06:08.120 --> 0:06:12.960 talking we know we can figure it out whatever happens. 0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:17.239 Is it stressful, Yes, it is incredibly scary. I'm also 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:21.360 thankful for every moment that our house is still standing. 0:06:21.920 --> 0:06:26.359 The majority of our friends have lost their homes, so 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:29.679 right now I'm not needing to deal with that extra 0:06:30.080 --> 0:06:35.080 huge step. Right now, it's just the worrying. But like 0:06:35.680 --> 0:06:36.720 I can handle worrying. 0:06:37.360 --> 0:06:39.360 You told me you have a and we heard there's 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:42.880 a lot. There are WhatsApp group chats and whatnot. If 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:44.880 somebody left behind in the neighborhood. That's checking on all 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:47.120 the houses for everybody. How often have you had to 0:06:47.160 --> 0:06:50.840 resist the urge to not message every fifteen thirty minutes 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:53.160 hour say how's the house, how's a house? Or or 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:54.880 are there constant updates you're getting? 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:58.520 There's updates every second, so and we're I'm not jumping in. 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:03.760 So the chat is for safety and it is it's 0:07:03.839 --> 0:07:07.719 only an emergency chat, which is we have neighbors on 0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:10.720 the ground who are spotters and they're looking for blazes 0:07:10.720 --> 0:07:13.880 to come up. They'll report back where there is a blaze. 0:07:14.520 --> 0:07:17.200 The neighbor who is running the chat will then send 0:07:17.680 --> 0:07:20.680 the boots on the ground. Whether it is a something 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:23.000 to clear the brush, which we have a brush clearer. 0:07:23.520 --> 0:07:26.040 We have the fire. The hydrant is in front of 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:27.920 my house, and so then they're putting it looking for 0:07:27.960 --> 0:07:30.720 the nearest hoses, and if we see the address come up, 0:07:31.000 --> 0:07:33.600 we let them know where our house's nearest hoses. And 0:07:33.640 --> 0:07:37.200 it is I mean, it's when I say a military operation. 0:07:37.360 --> 0:07:37.720 It is that. 0:07:38.120 --> 0:07:41.680 Wow, you have an active fire fighting situation. You've taken 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:44.280 up yourselves. It sounds like I assume maybe others are 0:07:44.320 --> 0:07:46.080 doing this, but this is the first time I have 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:48.760 heard to that extent. You all are fighting fires in 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:49.560 your ow neighborhood. 0:07:49.560 --> 0:07:54.720 Well, yes, I am not fighting the fire, but my 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:58.760 neighbors are. I mean, my neighbor's husband is there right now. 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:04.280 They're all there, and if they're not there, their families 0:08:04.320 --> 0:08:07.920 are on the outside. And it's a constant communication. So 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:09.920 am I jumping into the chat to ask for how 0:08:09.960 --> 0:08:13.600 my house is? Absolutely not. I will be told and 0:08:13.640 --> 0:08:15.480 I will see it, but I'm not jumping in. I'm 0:08:15.560 --> 0:08:20.120 just not watching it like it's such a blessing and 0:08:20.160 --> 0:08:23.000 also yes, a curse because I have eyes on the 0:08:23.000 --> 0:08:25.160 ground and just it's hard. 0:08:25.680 --> 0:08:29.360 You are jumping into action though you are helping people. 0:08:30.440 --> 0:08:32.000 A lot of food needs to be made, a lot 0:08:32.040 --> 0:08:33.840 of people are hungry, a lot of people are working 0:08:33.920 --> 0:08:37.800 tirelessly around the clock to do the real work, the 0:08:37.840 --> 0:08:40.440 hard work to try and protect not just people but 0:08:40.640 --> 0:08:44.600 properties and sadly from even looters. And there's so many 0:08:44.600 --> 0:08:48.079 people in this area who are giving all of their time, 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:50.440 and so you're giving back. Tell us a little bit 0:08:50.440 --> 0:08:51.559 about the work you're doing. 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:56.320 On Tuesday evening, I was driving down to Laguna with 0:08:56.400 --> 0:08:58.920 the kids and the dogs, and I think, like everyone 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:02.880 in the world, I was wondering what's for dinner, and 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:06.520 then I can't get to my kitchen. But we have 0:09:06.640 --> 0:09:11.440 kitchens in our restaurants and it was a little plug 0:09:11.440 --> 0:09:13.920 and play. We set up a program during the pandemic 0:09:14.080 --> 0:09:16.520 called You Give, We Cook, They Eat, where we delivered 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:20.120 food from our kitchens to first responders and frontline workers. 0:09:21.679 --> 0:09:25.360 So the path was familiar for me, and so it 0:09:25.440 --> 0:09:28.520 really was like, Okay, here we are again, but this 0:09:28.640 --> 0:09:32.679 time it's displaced families that we can deliver food too. 0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:37.760 And people need to help, you know we are. We're 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:41.960 stuck on how to help, and so we have now 0:09:42.360 --> 0:09:45.960 galvanized drivers, people who will drive across town to bring 0:09:46.000 --> 0:09:49.160 a meal. We have people around the world who want 0:09:49.160 --> 0:09:53.240 to give, and our kitchen teams want to help, and 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:55.640 we have people who want to help pack food. I 0:09:55.720 --> 0:09:57.640 called my friends at all the hospitals that we used 0:09:57.640 --> 0:09:59.640 to deliver to during the pandemic. And it's things that 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:03.440 you don't think about, like they have patients who are 0:10:03.480 --> 0:10:05.880 ready to be discharged, who don't have a home to 0:10:05.960 --> 0:10:08.760 go to, and so they're going to a hotel, so 0:10:08.800 --> 0:10:12.280 we will deliver food to their hotels where they are. 0:10:13.080 --> 0:10:17.080 It's it's being run out of my kitchen table, really, 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:20.079 but it is a way that you know, food is community. 0:10:20.320 --> 0:10:21.080 That's all I know. 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:22.920 And I think in times like this where you don't 0:10:22.960 --> 0:10:24.720 know anything, you have to lean into what you know. 0:10:24.800 --> 0:10:27.560 You know you know how to tell stories, so here 0:10:27.600 --> 0:10:29.840 you are, you are sharing other people's stories. That's we 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:32.000 do the only thing that we know how to do 0:10:32.040 --> 0:10:33.400 when we don't know anything else. 0:10:33.760 --> 0:10:36.600 Has it been helpful for you? I mean, given all 0:10:36.640 --> 0:10:39.200 you're going through, kids, wondering if your house is going 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:41.840 to be your displaced, but you hear it all the 0:10:41.880 --> 0:10:44.400 time that when you're hurting, the best thing sometimes you 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:46.560 can do is help somebody else and that is what 0:10:46.679 --> 0:10:48.880 will help your pain. Has that been the case for 0:10:48.920 --> 0:10:50.040 you as you're suffering? 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:55.840 You are, absolutely, I mean altruism is how how you 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:59.480 can feel better. And also, my kids are out of 0:10:59.520 --> 0:11:02.079 school right now, you know, they're school burned down, and 0:11:02.200 --> 0:11:07.160 so if mommy can show them how teach them something, 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:10.280 whether it's giving back or helping their neighbor. You know, 0:11:10.280 --> 0:11:12.439 I's got a message. Three of my kids teachers. Their 0:11:12.440 --> 0:11:14.840 house is burnt down, so the kids are going to 0:11:14.840 --> 0:11:18.440 deliver food to their teachers. You know, it is we are. 0:11:18.679 --> 0:11:20.920 Los Angeles is a weird place. It's not like London 0:11:21.000 --> 0:11:24.000 or New York where that it has that palpable energy. 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:27.920 Los Angeles does not. We are a vast our landscape 0:11:28.000 --> 0:11:32.640 is wide, but now we are connected and stronger than ever, 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:35.520 and so we are just connecting the dots with each other. 0:11:36.160 --> 0:11:38.839 My goodness, Yeah, I mean that is real. I mean 0:11:38.840 --> 0:11:42.600 there are always silver linings in these types of moments, 0:11:42.600 --> 0:11:44.560 and community has got to be a huge part of it. 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:46.800 Are just feeling like you're a part of something. And 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:49.600 I've heard so many wonderful things about Palisades now, It's 0:11:49.679 --> 0:11:52.840 just it seems like a like a second family, almost 0:11:52.840 --> 0:11:55.240 like the people who you live by, because you're under 0:11:55.280 --> 0:11:58.160 a constant threat. I mean, this isn't some new thing. 0:11:58.240 --> 0:12:01.120 You all deal with fire danger and fire warnings and 0:12:01.600 --> 0:12:04.600 fire days all the time, and yet the worst possible 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:07.960 thing happened that maybe you weren't expecting it to your 0:12:08.080 --> 0:12:11.560 story of when it all happened. How quickly did you 0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:13.600 have to pack a bag? How quickly did you have 0:12:13.679 --> 0:12:15.880 to get out? What was that day like for you? 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:19.080 I mean, my backpack, here is what I had on 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:21.720 my back. I was hiking with the dogs up on 0:12:21.800 --> 0:12:27.319 Mandeville Canyon Tuesday morning with my girlfriend and two dogs. 0:12:27.400 --> 0:12:28.120 Are my dogs. 0:12:28.120 --> 0:12:30.920 And I looked over at the next ridge and I 0:12:30.960 --> 0:12:34.000 saw smoke and then flame, and I'm like, where is that? 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:35.560 Because you know, when you're hiking in these mountains, you 0:12:35.559 --> 0:12:37.800 don't really know where you are. And then I worked 0:12:37.800 --> 0:12:40.600 out where the ocean was, and I worked out, wait, 0:12:40.640 --> 0:12:41.960 that's behind my kid's school. 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:44.000 I didn't have service at the top of the. 0:12:44.000 --> 0:12:47.840 Mountain, so Annie and I ran down and I got 0:12:47.880 --> 0:12:51.040 a message to collect the kids from school. So I 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:54.080 raced over there with the dogs. Everyone was just piling kids. 0:12:54.240 --> 0:12:58.120 This school acted so efficiently. They did such an amazing job. 0:13:00.360 --> 0:13:03.080 Ended up then the traffic was truck a block evacuating. 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:04.560 So I ended up having to hop out of the 0:13:04.600 --> 0:13:11.079 car with the dogs and walk out, walked to another 0:13:11.080 --> 0:13:14.640 friend's house, borrowed his car, and then reconnected with. 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:16.960 My So, you abandoned your car on the side of 0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:17.320 the road. 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:20.280 Yeah, the smoke was coming and the fire was coming. 0:13:20.320 --> 0:13:22.480 I mean, the traffic was not good. 0:13:23.280 --> 0:13:24.640 Where's your car now? 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:30.160 No, So I got a message from a friend who 0:13:30.200 --> 0:13:32.719 works in the fire department and said, I think I've 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:36.240 seen your car. So the whole hillside there's like four 0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:39.520 houses that didn't burn, or five houses on this hillside 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:43.240 in Deep Palisades, and I had driven my car into 0:13:43.240 --> 0:13:44.800 one of the driveways and he said I think I 0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:45.520 see your car. 0:13:46.200 --> 0:13:48.240 And I was like, oh Jesus. 0:13:47.880 --> 0:13:51.720 So I yesterday was able to get a police escort 0:13:51.880 --> 0:13:55.760 and he drove me to my car and I'm now 0:13:55.760 --> 0:13:56.240 in my car. 0:13:56.360 --> 0:13:58.760 It's okay, wow, because we saw a lot of cars 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:02.040 that were not okay. It's a miracle. But it speaks 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:04.360 to the desperation to imagine, you know, I think any 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:06.400 of us that you're in your car and that's the 0:14:06.440 --> 0:14:10.040 fastest way out of anywhere in almost every other circumstance. 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:12.600 So the idea that you actually are so desperate and 0:14:12.640 --> 0:14:16.040 so concerned about what's happening that you abandon your car 0:14:16.360 --> 0:14:17.320 that speaks volumes. 0:14:17.440 --> 0:14:19.040 By the way, it didn't even dawn on me because 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:21.240 you're sitting there and you're sort of like, it's hard 0:14:21.280 --> 0:14:23.960 again to think about what's actually happening. A neighbor of 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:26.520 mine was riding his bike up and down the street 0:14:26.680 --> 0:14:29.120 and he said, Maris, is that you And I said, oh, hi, Todd, yeah, 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:30.600 and he goes, baby, you got to get out, and 0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:32.200 I'm like, what do you mean. He goes, I've I've 0:14:32.240 --> 0:14:34.520 ridden my bike to the top of the mountain. The 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:37.440 smoke and flame, they're coming fast. I see the traffic 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:39.840 down to sunset. You're not going to make it. You 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:41.760 need to get out. And then I almost just left 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:43.160 my car in the street, and he said, no, no, no, 0:14:43.160 --> 0:14:45.080 You've got to pull it into a driveway because then you're. 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:46.560 Gonna stop everyone. 0:14:46.600 --> 0:14:48.800 I was like, yes, you're right, So I just pulled 0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:51.760 it into a random driveway that happened to be there, 0:14:51.920 --> 0:14:55.440 and it happened to be want house that survived. It's 0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:57.920 just a car, but it's nice to not have something 0:14:57.920 --> 0:14:58.640 else to deal with. 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:01.280 I'm trying to get the perspective of you. 0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:04.080 You felt comfortable enough that morning that you put a 0:15:04.160 --> 0:15:06.000 backpack on and you were going for. 0:15:05.840 --> 0:15:07.640 A hike to do a beautiful day. It was a 0:15:07.680 --> 0:15:08.440 beautiful But we. 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:10.480 Go from and how give me an idea of the 0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:13.440 timing between the time you think you're fine, I'm cool 0:15:13.480 --> 0:15:17.200 to take a hike you are scrambling and literally running 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:20.760 for your life because a fire is coming. What how 0:15:20.840 --> 0:15:24.160 much time is there? It's weird to go from everything's 0:15:24.160 --> 0:15:25.680 fine this morning to the point I'm going to hike 0:15:25.720 --> 0:15:27.400 to I got to run and get my kid. 0:15:27.440 --> 0:15:29.800 Yes, I mean it was even. I mean that was 0:15:31.040 --> 0:15:33.720 I went for the hike. I think it that was 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:35.400 two hours, but by the time I was top of 0:15:35.400 --> 0:15:39.120 the hike, it was half an hour. Wow, I mean 0:15:39.120 --> 0:15:43.800 it moved really fast, the winds. My girlfriend we got 0:15:43.840 --> 0:15:46.080 to that hike and she's like, lovely day, you've chosen 0:15:46.160 --> 0:15:48.680 for a hike, Maris, and the tumbleweeds were going. I'm like, God, 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:52.600 this is dry and hot and windy. It's the worst 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:53.480 winds we've ever had. 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:54.280 It's just off. 0:15:54.480 --> 0:16:00.400 Oh yeah, it's one of those unfortunate scary reminding that 0:16:00.440 --> 0:16:04.440 things can change in a moment, and all of a sudden, 0:16:05.080 --> 0:16:08.520 your experience is it's turned upside down, And then what 0:16:08.560 --> 0:16:09.480 do you do in that moment? 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:09.960 Right? 0:16:10.840 --> 0:16:14.880 It's it's hard to put yourself in that situation. What 0:16:14.960 --> 0:16:17.440 do you do? But you just act on instinct? Right, 0:16:17.480 --> 0:16:17.960 You're just. 0:16:18.080 --> 0:16:20.880 Yeah, you have we you know, we have a responsibility. 0:16:22.080 --> 0:16:26.440 Responsibility is the ability to respond. So how do we 0:16:26.520 --> 0:16:29.040 do that in the most thoughtful, quick way possible. It's 0:16:29.040 --> 0:16:32.000 hard to be thoughtful and slow and quick and reactive. 0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:36.120 At the same time, you sound like it sounds like 0:16:36.160 --> 0:16:38.640 it's a blessing. You all are surrounded right now. You 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:40.760 got family here. You just happen to have your brother 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:41.080 in town. 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:44.520 Who's them the extended Thank god, Uncle Ben. This was Chris. 0:16:44.720 --> 0:16:45.520 He's been good with the kids. 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:51.000 Yeah, that support. Where are you getting your I know 0:16:51.040 --> 0:16:53.040 you're surrounded, but I know you're trying to be strong 0:16:53.080 --> 0:16:55.479 for kids, You're trying to be strong for first responders. 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:58.560 You have employees, you have all these things. Where is 0:16:58.600 --> 0:17:02.720 your comfort? I guess who is your counsel these days? 0:17:02.800 --> 0:17:04.760 As you're being this to everybody else, who is that 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:05.280 thing for you? 0:17:05.359 --> 0:17:07.560 Right now. 0:17:07.600 --> 0:17:09.920 I mean, I live in California, so it's I'm a 0:17:10.000 --> 0:17:12.439 little bit woo woo. It's my higher spirit. You know, 0:17:14.640 --> 0:17:16.920 you drop in and you're like, you know, you carve 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:20.400 out the time for quiet, You carve out that time 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:24.760 for meditation and just to like connect with your senses. 0:17:25.240 --> 0:17:28.480 And I try and do that a couple times a day, 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:31.240 and then it's very clear. 0:17:32.160 --> 0:17:35.000 Wow, that breath work. Wow, what's next? 0:17:35.040 --> 0:17:38.280 What do you do after this? Yeah, I'm going to 0:17:38.320 --> 0:17:40.320 see if I can bring some more food to my neighbors, 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:44.440 and then I will call some more hospitals and see 0:17:44.440 --> 0:17:47.359 if they'll receive I've got more people who want to 0:17:47.440 --> 0:17:50.479 drive for food for next week. And then I'll go 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:52.640 back and see the kids and jump in the pool 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:54.040 with them and have some family time. 0:17:55.119 --> 0:17:57.119 Wow, that's so funny, she said, what's next? 0:17:57.200 --> 0:18:00.560 And my first thought was make sure you can insurance 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:02.159 company or make sure you got this in line. I 0:18:02.240 --> 0:18:04.480 find the next place to stay. The first thing out 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:05.720 of your mouth was how you were about to help 0:18:05.720 --> 0:18:08.680 somebody else? Well, she asked, what's next? The first thing, 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:10.200 you don't even realize you smiling now. I you don't 0:18:10.200 --> 0:18:11.600 realize you did it. But the first thing out of 0:18:11.640 --> 0:18:13.520 your mouth. What's next is to go help this person, 0:18:13.640 --> 0:18:16.040 help this person, help this person, and then I'll go 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:17.520 through the family time. 0:18:17.600 --> 0:18:19.560 So, you know, I think Palisades is a different type 0:18:19.560 --> 0:18:25.359 of neighborhood. It's you know, it's where you When I 0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:27.720 go into my neighbor's house, I know where her mugs 0:18:27.720 --> 0:18:31.199 are kept, you know, I know where the powder room is. 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:34.560 I know where her kids swim trunks are in his 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:37.199 room if I'm grabbing, you know, putting them in the pool. Like, 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:41.760 it's a different This is the neighborhood of dreams, and 0:18:41.920 --> 0:18:44.840 so we will always still help each other even though 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:46.000 our neighborhood looks different. 0:18:46.440 --> 0:18:50.040 Well, I'm Marissa. I know that this neighborhood is very 0:18:50.080 --> 0:18:53.119 lucky to have you in it because you are you 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:55.600 are doing the work to make sure that your neighbors. 0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:58.840 You are being the consummate neighbor right, neighborly, and I 0:18:58.960 --> 0:19:01.320 just I think, thank you for sharing your story. And 0:19:02.040 --> 0:19:05.000 it's inspirational to see that you're getting out of your 0:19:05.000 --> 0:19:09.239 own grief and your own trauma and you're rolling up 0:19:09.240 --> 0:19:12.359 your sleeves and you're making you're rebuilding your neighborhood. One 0:19:12.400 --> 0:19:13.600 day at a time. We all are. 0:19:13.680 --> 0:19:15.920 I'm we're just doing what we know best. 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:18.720 And you don't use how people all over the country 0:19:18.720 --> 0:19:20.280 are trying to find ways to help. People have just 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:21.920 heard you talk about the work you're doing, like, oh, 0:19:21.920 --> 0:19:24.480 hell yeah, I'd sign up for that. Is there a 0:19:24.520 --> 0:19:26.879 way that can go about helping you in your effort? 0:19:27.080 --> 0:19:30.520 Yeah, I mean we you can text because we're just 0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:35.240 feeding people dinner, so you can text seventy seventy seventy. 0:19:35.359 --> 0:19:39.000 You can text dinner to seventy seventy seventy and that 0:19:39.160 --> 0:19:43.520 is our pledge dot two where we are giving meals 0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:46.960 ten dollars a meal. My neighbor just told me she's 0:19:47.000 --> 0:19:50.159 set up a fund. She lives in the canyon with me. 0:19:50.240 --> 0:19:54.000 It's called Uplifters Ranch. She makes T shirts and it's 0:19:54.080 --> 0:19:56.680 T shirts of like la that she's had, and all 0:19:56.720 --> 0:20:01.280 the proceeds will go to the fire department. So there's 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:04.160 ways to help, and also just squeeze your neighbor, hold 0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:06.120 your family. That helps. 0:20:06.720 --> 0:20:10.399