Sat Nov 08 2003 11:23:
I have finally heard from my old friend Dieter Merkle. I was worried when the wildfires entered his neighborhood and the news media said everyone had to be evacuated. His house burned clear to the ground. The fire was so hot that even the cement foundation slab was melted in places. He lost everything except what he grabbed to take with him. Hmmm. What would I grab if the house were on fire? I'm thinking scrapbooks, but we have too many of them now!