All cooped up

I've been looking through my online posts and pictures and realized I have an obsession with the old Smucker’s Jelly slogan, “Taste the freshness!” Actually, I don’t know if it ever was the slogan, since they always use “With a name like Smucker’s, it has to be good.” I think I picked it up from the MST3K episode where Joel and the ‘bots eviscerated “It Conquered the World.” It’s when Lee Van Cleef’s character burns out the alien’s eye with a blowtorch; as ooze runs from the socket, Joel says, “Smucker’s jellies. Taste the freshness.” MST3K quotes are always useful.

Good news: I can run today if I want. It would be the first time since Sunday, when the fires began. AIRNow, the government’s air quality watch-dog group and my new best friend, has upgraded the air forecast for costal communities in Los Angeles and Orange Counties to “USG” (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). The current level of fine particulate matter in the air — PM2.5, which represents smoke and smog particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers — is only unhealthy for small children, the elderly, and those with chronic heart and lung problems.

The Quiet Man has been cleared to participate in “prolonged or heavy exertion.” Of course, the air is still unhealthy by normal standards, so I may keep my running routine on hold a little longer. According to the Los Angeles Times, “[t]he state's smog czar warned Wednesday that unhealthful conditions caused by smoke from wildfires are likely to persist throughout much of Southern California until next week.”

Wonderful.

Inland LA/OC is different. AIRNow lists the PM2.5 particulate matter as “U” (Unhealthy). Walking around campus reminds me of news footage I’ve seen of Beijing. A handful of people are walking around with their mouths and noses covered. They’re using masks, bandanas, or the ends of their sweatshirt sleeves (yeah, the temperatures are in the 80s and people here are wearing sweatshirts — that’s SoCal for you). Maybe they are much more affected than I am. I guess all those years of painting hardened my lungs, which scares me a little. Some are complaining about headaches and others have trouble breathing. My throat and lungs are irritated, but other than that I feel fine.

I just can’t stand being cooped up like this.

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