The winds, to be exact.  I’m sitting here watching my curtains being buffeted about, even though the winds have only just begun.

According to one of my (few) favorite columns in the OC Register, The Science Dude, we are going to have back to back wind events, first with some cooler winds Friday and Saturday, and then a lovely Santa Ana blowing in by Sunday.   Last October we had some crazy winds along with the Santiago Fire, and I just hope that this October we can remain relatively unscathed.

It always kills me when they announce the Santa Anas coming, becuase then it just seems like a heads-up to all the pyros out there to start planning.

Check out our sister site New Orleans Metblogs for first hand encounters leading up to and during Hurricane Gustav. While there are mandatory evacuations (Meaning if one stays, they are on their own) many people, including Metblogger Craig have chosen to stay, having been through this before. He and others will be updating when they can.

To echo the sentiment of Sean and LA Metblogs “We’re thinking of you all, stay safe!”

I simply cannot remember an August being so cool.  I mean, overcast until 10 in the morning?  That’s June weather!

Will the weather keep on feeling nice, or do you think there’s an Indian Summer around the corner that is going to make us beg for mercy?

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While you were liquefying in the record heat (102 degrees!!!), we went to the Orange County Zoo. Honestly I had no idea OC had two zoos.  Did you?  Don’t lie; you didn’t know either smarty pants.

The “zoo” is located inside the Irvine Regional Park, Orange County’s largest public park.  The zoo works as part of a trio of low-fee attractions sequestered in the far reaches of the city of Orange.  There is the Train ($4.00) and the tandem bikes/paddle boats ($14.00) and finally the Orange County Zoo ($2.00).  Oh and let’s not forget the $5.00 parking fee.  Still, a family of five can spend a pleasant hour or two at the zoo for mere ten dollars; you can’t even park at Disneyland for that amount of money.  What a bargain!

So, you know, it’s not the San Diego Zoo people, in fact it’s really quite small. Don’t set your expectations too high.  For our money, it was a pleasant diversion on a sunny afternoon.  We occupied our time studying the bears and mountain lions and foxes and porcupines.  Did I mention all the animals in the place have been rescued?  Well they have. Did I mention they have an Alpaca?  Well they do – and it’s the cutest frigging thing I have ever seen.

There is only one down side:  There is no bathroom in the Zoo proper.  You have to leave the zoo and go use the horror show park bathroom outside.  I would gladly pay a couple bucks more if they would put in some restroom facilities.  Just who are these zoo employees and exactly where is it that they poop?

Toilets aside, you should check it out. It’s good fun.  There web site is at: http://www.ocparks.com/oczoo/

Aaah yes, it’s cold and wet outside - the perfect time to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa. If you’re feeling more adventurous then head on out to a Theme Park! Short lines and sparsely populated walkways await you.

I know a lot of APs (Annual Passholders) like to drop in for an afternoon in the parks, but if you have the means this is an excellent time to make a day of it. Here are a few Dos and Don’ts for enjoying Orange County’s theme parks in the rain.

Do - be prepared for attraction closures. Rain usually means it’s the off-season and that means a lot of attractions could be closed for refurbishment. Outdoor experiences often close when it rains because let’s face it, no one really wants to ride Woodstock’s Air Mail in a torrential downpour. So try and handle it well when your fave is closed for improvements or due to inclement weather.

Don’t - fear the poncho. I know, I know, they are dorky but they are actually quite good at keeping a person and their clothing dry. Don’t wear sweatshirts sweatpants and certain fleece clothing because they are are excellent at absorbing water and then trapping it. Nothing spells fun like a wet butt that never seems to dry. If you still can’t abide the reusable poncho then at least wear (a drastically more expensive) rain slicker. You’re booty will thank you.

Do - wear appropriate shoes. Again, any shoe that’s not amphibias will soak up the water sloshing around in the bottom of a boat faster than you can say “Haley Joel Osment is a drunk“. Some friends of mine recommend Crocs, Converse or even Speedo band non-skid flip-flops if it’s not too cold. Don’t forget to bring an extra pair of socks because nothing ruins a day like a scorching case of swamp foot. Mmmm yummy.

Don’t - bring one of those giant golf umbrellas. In addition to annoying other park guests with your gargantuan umbrella that makes you look like an ass hat, it will also be very inconvenient to store while you ride an attraction. Excuse me sir but there is simply not room for you, your huge ego and that colossal umbrella in the ride vehicle! Unless you don’t plan to ride anything then do us all a favor and stick to one of those smaller collapsible micro-mini umbrellas.

More Dos and Don’ts after the jump.
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Wow, it’s wet and kinda nasty out there - it’s been raining pretty consistently here in eastern Santa Ana, but it was really coming down this morning in Orange and Villa Park. Watch out for slick roads, crazy drivers, and sliding hills (especially if you’re underneath one of those hillsides that burned last month). News, flash flood risk maps, and other info are available here. Stay safe out there!

I was out trying to escape the heat yesterday and ended up at Borders Books at the corder of 19th Street and Newport Blvd. in Costa Mesa. The “official” temperature in Costa Mesa was 92 degrees yesterday, but it felt even hotter than that. My plan was simple: have an iced tea, sit and read a bit. I wasn’t surprised that a number of people shared my idea. In fact, the place was full and seating was at a premium. One group even brought a deck of cards and played bridge. What surprised me however, was how cool management kept the store. Forget setting the thermostat to 78 degrees to save energy — I suspect the store was cooled to the low 70s. I spotted one one woman wearing a thin shawl, and a couple of other people wearing light sweaters. Saving energy, however, was not the goal — the goal was to lure people into the store. And on that front the strategy seemed to be working.

With the darn heat.

You know it’s bad when it isn’t even cool at the beach unless you are in the water up to your waist. And maybe not even then.

It is sort of sad when you look at your spouse and say, “Well, it’s supposed to cool down today. You know, only 90 degrees.”