Fire!

It’s late and I’m tired, but I just can’t pass up the opportunity to blog about this particular day.

It started with an incredibly busy day at work; meetings scheduled nonstop all morning (starting at 9:00), followed by an afternoon full of little jobs. Productive, but as I slung my bag over my shoulder at 5:00 I felt like I’d definitely earned my day’s pay.

At least I’d been able to get out during lunch for a Chinese meal, followed by a trip to a local store to pick up some more Gundam War cards. Now to just find someone I can play it with. <sigh>

As I drove home, I stopped in at Suncoast to see if they have in volume 2 of Gundam SEED Destiny, which came out a week and a half ago. They still don’t. So, that’ll be the end of my involvement with that store; I’ll get my anime online. I picked up the latest issue of Newtype, at least, plus a volume of Full Metal Panic and a collection of early (mostly silent) sci-fi films (Metropolis, etc.).

As I got into the car to drive home, I noticed that the sky had clouded over with disturbingly dark clouds. Sure enough, as I neared my home it started to pour, and when I pulled up to my house I realized I’d left my umbrella at work. So. I stayed in the car and read Newtype as the rain abated, then scurried inside with my stuff.

Ate dinner, worked for an hour on my secret programming project, and had a lovely talk with Mandy. It began to rain heavily again, and the storm must have passed right through town. Lightning struck very near me; it was like the footstep of God. I heard the wail of a distant siren, and as I put the ingredients into the bread machine for bread tomorrow, I thought of the poor person whose house must’ve caught on fire.

As I headed upstairs, the sirens got louder. And louder. Very loud. Sounded like they were coming down the street. I pulled the curtain aside, and sure enough: A fire truck was coming right down the street, close to the house across the street that’s on fire ohmygosh.

So, of course, I ran for the camera. Though at least as I ran, I realized I should go out and help, then countered that the fire department was pulling up to the house right now, so there was already plenty of assistance. I grabbed my camera and ran to the door to discover 1) it was still raining heavily, and 2) the folks inside the house were now standing idly outside, hands in their pockets. Nobody was in danger.

So I took a few pictures. This was the best, which gives you some idea of their overall quality, or lack thereof:

[Neighbor House Fire]

The fire was out within fifteen minutes. I just sat on the cold tile of my entrance way, the door open, looking out at the blaze engulfing a neighbor’s roof. It made the worries of my day seem much less…worrisome, as I heard the glass explode.

Was it petty of me to be annoyed at the loud rumbling of the fire trucks as they idled on the street, as I lay in bed trying to go to sleep?

Comments:

Cantnever Not petty, normal. But I imagine you were grateful for your day after all.

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