The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
-Psalm 19:1

Do you know that God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash?
-Job 37:15



Thursday, November 29, 2007

Not how you want to be greeted at your house...

Let me just start by saying that everything is OK!! That said... it's storytime. I'm on my way to work this morning, anticipating my typically busy Thursday workload, with a meeting thrown in for good measure. So, minimal stress, but normal stress would be a fair way to describe it. Suddenly, my phone alerts me that a new voicemail has been left (apparently, the ring tone of the actual call wasn't loud enough to penetrate the blaring MercyMe.) So, I check my message... my alarm company... (panic)... fire alarm at my house... (more panic)... fire department dispatched. Can I meet them? (not breathing) At this point, I have already done a complete u-turn and am calling them back to let them know I am en route. I had so many visions going through my head. So, I started to pray... "Dear Lord... please... no." I called my office to update them. Then, I called my neighbor to ask the understatement of the year... the call goes something like this... "Hey neighbor. My alarm company just called me and said I had a fire alarm. Could you please tell me whether or not my house is on fire?" Neighbor: "Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh, I see a fire truck! Let me go out and talk to them. I don't see smoke, but I do smell something burning." (PANIC!) I told her I was on my way, still 5 minutes out. Still on the phone, I hear, "I have the owner on the phone. Any updates? She is on her way." They told her a neighbor heard the fire alarm and called. (I thanked both neighbors graciously upon arrival.) Of course, on the windy road that leads back home, I got stuck behind a truck with trailer traveling about 25-30mph in a 55 mph zone, and there wasn't enough clearing ahead to see if it was safe to pass... many experlatives later, I had my chance to pass and hauled tail to my house, where I saw the pic above upon arrival (the photo was taken after everything, just in case you were wondering)... I just want to say for the record that it is not a good feeling to pull up at your house and see a fire truck out front, even if you know they are there. So, I get out, greet the firefighters, get the update that everything is OK upon initial investigation through windows. We do a walk thru and determine the cause of the alarm was a malfunctioning smoke detector. It was at this point that I started to breathe again... I have placed a service call for the smoke detector and will have that fixed on Tuesday. I am thankful to God that I still have my house. What a morning!

It's a drizzly rainy day, btw. Temps aren't bad, but the overcast sky makes it seem colder. sigh.

Have a great day!
~Dewdrop

10 comments:

  1. Well....I guess I dont need to stop by while on duty with the ambulance then..;-)

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  2. Nope. Thankfully, the situation is under control.

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  3. What a relief! I would have paniced the same way. It does prove the old adage that 90+% of the things we worry about never happen. The difference here is when you were told they smelled something burning. I'm glad everything's ok.

    BTW, I liked the pine trees in the background. The Bradford Pears still have most of their leaves but most of ours are gone. Is that dead moss hanging from that tree over the firetruck?

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  4. Thanks, Mike. Quite the relief... She could have left out the part of smelling something burning... it was probably in her head.

    That is my westward view... pine trees, so I am not a fan. My Bradfords still have a considerable number of leaves, and not dead moss, but it is spanish moss, which looks like that year round. I believe the tree it has infested is dead though.

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  5. Glad everything was okay. I think when the neighbor said she thought she smelled smoke I would have lost it.

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  6. I can usually hold my head pretty well during high stress situations, but that one definitely tested me... I would say I held it together pretty well. The prayer helped.

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  7. I would have totally freaked out and probably half killed my self to get there. THANK GOD everything was okay! I was panicked just reading this blog! What a way to start a day...you didn't perchance get out of that dreaded meeting did you?

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  8. It was funny... on my way to work, I was thinking... well, I really have nothing to blog about today. I don't think I'll let that enter my mind again. My life is an adventure. You are right, THANK GOD everything turned out OK. I did not get out of the meeting, but it ended up being very brief, so no big deal.

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  9. Hahah, that's crazy. I am always paranoid my girlfriend's candles will start a fire in her apartment.

    Glad to hear you are alright.

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  10. Dick, All I could think about was my Christmas tree. It was an insane day for sure. I'm glad it turned out well, too. Thanks.

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