A LITTLE PAUSE IN THE ACTION...

TAKING A BREAK
The old cauldron is going on a little much needed post-election hiatus, to clear some cobwebs and gather firewood so we can keep it bubbling during the next few months. Any comments submitted here will eventually get posted, but not with the promptness you expect... Be patient.

THANKS TO MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
Before I bank the fire and put the cauldron on simmer I want to take a moment to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. We live in an almost perfect place, surrounded by many, many wonderful neighbors and other friends in a city full of willing volunteers that work hard to make it an even better place. For all of them I am very thankful.THANKS TO THE CITY STAFF
Thanks, also, to the City of Costa Mesa staff. That hard working bunch of real professionals do their jobs with skill and integrity, regardless the roadblocks a few boneheaded council members (and council members elect) throw up in front of them. Their efforts, especially in the face of the adversity that faces us all these days, is much appreciated. I'm thankful to them for their efforts on our behalf.

SPECIAL THANKS TO CANDIDATES


A special thanks to those nine intrepid people who ran for City Council seats this year. As I've said before, this was a very unique group and I'm grateful to each of them for taking the time to try to make a difference in our city. To those who didn't win a seat this time around, I hope they will continue to stay involved.

REMEMBERING MY FRIEND
As some of you know, 5 years ago I was finishing the first week of what turned out to be a six week vigil at the bedside of my best friend for 57 years - since we were both 5 years old. I've written about his accident on a lonely desert road several times in the past, but will mention it again tonight. My friend, Larry Moore, was a retired LAPD officer, who spent half of his career as a motorcycle officer, so for him to crash his own personal motorcycle was completely unexpected.


LUCK AND SKILL SAVED HIS LIFE
Fortuitous arrival of tourists who were lost and their quick action flagging down a railroad work crew, who called the right people and had him flown to Las Vegas to the best trauma unit in the western United States, resulted in my friend receiving the best possible care and treatment of his injuries - all of which were substantial.

MAKING THE TOUGHEST CALL
At the end a blood clot that couldn't be treated finally broke loose and took his life. As I stood in the doorway of the hospital room watching his attending physician direct a team of specialists as they tried to bring him back again and again, memories of our lives together flashed before my eyes. Finally, when it was clear that we couldn't bring him back, I had to make the call to have them stop trying - the saddest, most difficult thing I've ever had to do.

THIS IS THE TIME TO SAY "THANKS"
So, my Thanksgiving wish to each of you is to use the spirit of this holiday to rekindle relationships that may have gone stale. Tell those you love just how you feel. Give thanks for each of them.

***
CURRENT ELECTION RESULTS
The most recent election results are posted below... nothing changed except the total votes counted. The relative positions of the candidates remain the same. According to the Registrar of Voters site, there remain just over 55,000 votes county-wide to be tallied, most of which are provisional ballots. You can view those numbers HERE. You may also view the individual races, including the Costa Mesa results HERE.

YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN NOW
It's likely that the vote count will be completed before the end of the month, so you're on your own keeping up with it now.
HAVE A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING... THAT'S AN ORDER!