But I couldn't park on my own block due to the fire trucks. The fire department had the thing out before it did much damage, mostly an outside wall, and a few minutes later they were done being dashing with us and out front giving hats and badges to the neighbor kids.
Thing is, I'd originally gotten home a couple hours before. Susan was home and I hadn't had lunch and was starving and it smelled like the neighbors were starting a barbeque. They have a decent number of them, and it did seem to me it was smelling like coals a long time without there being any smell of meat. But I was tired and didn't take much notice, had to go pick up Nate after awhile.
When Nate and I got back we were almost to our house when I realized I couldn't make it down the block in the car. Nate asked what was going on and I said it was probably one of the elderly people on the block had a heart attack or something. Nate wanted to take a shower right away so he got out and walked while I turned the car around and parked a block away.
It was only when I got close that I saw a fireman walking down from our driveway, and the big truck was angled right at our house. There wasn't any visible smoke but my wife was home alone. We have smoke detectors and a smoke alarm inside, but I walked damn quick to the first fireman I saw, waved my keys and pointed at the house.
Well, I was told right away that the fire was out and no one was hurt. Apparently a neighbor had seen the smoke outside, called the fire department and knocked on our door in case anyone was home. Thank you, Eve. Thank you, Oakland Fire Station # 8.
Apparently the fire was started by a smoldering cigarette butt in a planter pot on our back deck. I told Susan, it would be safer if she drank instead of smoked.
Alex Chilton "Loose Shoes And Tight Pussy" 1999
3 hours ago
9 comments:
God damn. I'm glad it wasn't worse, and that none of you were hurt.
I can hardly wait to hear the full story on this. I'm currently imagining that the upcoming release of Swill 4 inspired a preemptive assault by the literary establishment.
damn!... & all i have to complain about is a cat bite...
i use to get mild anxiety attacks years ago before i had my son, while in the car, always when i was a block or so away from home. my mind would start to race and i would wonder if I'd turned off the stove before I'd left and wonder if the dog was safe in the kitchen. it was only when the house was in plain sight that my nerves would settle. This worrying went on for a while, Im glad it no longer haunts me. Anyway, glad to hear no one was hurt. hopefully the damage is minimal.
Wow, that's scary. Glad everyone's okay.
Bill is always saying I'll burn the house down one day, because I forget to turn the burners off within 30 seconds of when I'm done with them. But so far, so good.
And anyway, he follows me around turning things off. There are some advantages to living with OCD, I guess.
Thanks, all, for the concern. I knew you cared, but it never hurts to say something (in this sort of situation anyway).
Hey Ingrid, are you one of them sneaky RSS readers I don't know about? Nice of you to stop by, you're the Ingrid I know through Michael, right?
And of course, if we knew we were going to have a fire, we'd have had a housewarming party.
Thank you, I'll be here all week, cheers.
yeah, im the ingrid that sometimes leaves entirely stupid comments on youngmosstongue. what is an RSS reader? wait, i just looked it up....still havent a clue, so i guess im not one.
Ingrid,
So you just strolled into my burning house? Interesting time to drop in, but the house was clean. Oh, until those firefighters tracked their hose lines all across our clean carpet.
Rob, sorry I didn't see this early but obviously am glad too that things weren't worse. With five kids I half expect a similar scene every time I drive home.
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