Ever since I got back from Seattle I've been trying to unbury myself from work, housework, and church work! I feel like I'm ready to face the world again and last night I faced it and my eyes were full of smoke!
Let me explain...
At about 10:30pm I kept hearing all these sirens go by, pretty close to my house. I was in the bathroom about to wash my face and since my bathroom window was open, I heard my neighbor say to her husband: "I wonder if it's the Bishop's house?" My heart sunk to my toes and the skin on my back went all prickly! I didn't even care that I was in my pajamas and I was underwireless in the support department. I ran outside and looked up my street. Sure enough, people were running in the direction of the many firetrucks and flashing lights.
SADLY, my first thought was "Oh crap, I hope the house isn't in my ward because I'm feeling a little stressed in my calling right now...." I KNOW, that is a TERRIBLE first thought, but it's the honest truth!!
I rushed up the street to see what was going on. Here is the scene:
See the road that the "fire line do not cross" tape parallels? THAT IS MY WARD BOUNDRY and the burning house was on the other side of the "line" so they are not in my ward. ***Big relief*** I'm terrible....
Since the entire neighborhood was out watching the scene I was able to piece together a little bit about the owner of the house. She is an elderly lady who is a terrible pack rat. In fact, she lives at her son's house most of the time because she can't move around in her house. The only reason she knew her house was on fire was because she saw it on the evening news and then came over to the scene! I'm not sure what started the fire, but the firemen couldn't even get into the front door because there was so much junk in there! They had an axe and were chopping down the door, finally gave up, and broke a window and climbed in that way. The only flames I saw were coming out of the swamp cooler on top of the roof. The smoke was everywhere, it never stopped pouring out of the house the entire time I was standing there, which was about an hour.
Sam saw this flood light raise up out of the firetruck. It was awesome because it lit up the entire house just like it was high noon. Sam drooled a little and said "Carrie, can we get one of those for our mini van?"
They got out the ladder and two firemen climbed onto the roof with a chainsaw and axe. They were cutting out chunks of the roof and working on the swamp cooler where the flames were...
Look how hot it was!! The ladder was totally melting, it was so SCARY!!
Okay, just kidding, my camera is acting retarded and does this to most of my pictures lately!
At about 11:45pm some news people came over to a few of us and asked us if we knew the owner. They were all poised to film us for the news. I remembered what I looked like, in my pj's and missing support, and honestly told them that I did not know the owner. Under my breath, as I was walking away, I muttered "and even if I did know her I wouldn't be caught DEAD on TV looking like this...." I guess I have no problem letting my whole neighborhood laugh at my appearance, but heaven forbid all the strangers out in TV land saw me....
Today I saw my Bishop and he said "it was nice to have a neighborhood social that wasn't a church function!" I understood completely what he said, but I don't want to be misunderstood here: I really do feel bad for the owner of that house. The smoke damage alone ruined anything she had. It was so bad that I had to go home and wash my hair because my afro had soaked up the fumes and was stinking up the house! I'm just glad the owner was already living with her son because it's going to be a long time before that house is fixed!
2 comments:
Don't worry Carrie I would most likely of said the same thing about them being in our ward. Were not perfect but at least we are trying....Right?
holy SMOKES literally! that's insane. i was dyin of laughter about your afro comment, too hilarious.
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