fire trucks and the promise of rain

I am such a creature of contradiction.  I have...like...3 personalities.  And they are always fighting.  I like order and plans; yet inevitably fly by the seat of my pants.  So, it was no shock that I burst out at the end of dinner Monday night, "Let's go get ice cream to celebrate the first day of school!!!"  Which, obviously was met with a chorus of, "YAYS" from the kids and a roll-if-the-eyes from Chad.  He is always having to reign in my shenanigan ideas.  But this idea was a good one.

So, I loaded the dishwasher and left the rest of the dishes scattered amongst the kitchen (gasp) and headed out the door.  we decided upon the ole' faithful DQ where we could get mini blizzards and dillibars.  We pulled over and licked them up like a dog at a bowl of water on a hot day.  We talked about the first day of school and did a little dreaming, laughing, and squabble control while we ate.  Then, we made our way home as the sun was setting over Texas.

When we walked in the back door, I smelled natural gas.  I told Chad and he thought he smelled it too.  I went into "Safety First" Mode, as I often do, and hurried the kids back into the car to take them to the neighbor's house down the street.  I pulled to the end of the driveway, as Chad (our hero) went inside to check all of our natural gas producing appliances.  When I got to the end of the driveway, explosion scenarios already depicted in my over reacting brain, I said, "OH NO!!!" and pulled back up the drive.  I told the kids to stay in the car and yelled for Chad.  "GET TROUT!!!"  He ran the pup out to me and I said, "Be careful" as we pulled away again.  Once we were safe in their driveway, I go out and watched for Chad to come down the driveway.  He did.  He said, "Are you sure that's what you smelled?"  I said, sort of annoyed, "Yes.  I know what natural gas smells like, and I'm sure."

So...we called the fire department.

They came alright.  Sirens a-blarin...and lights a-blazing.  Two firetrucks, one lighted pick up truck, and what seemed like 20 firemen...all decked out and ready to go in.

The neighbors all came out to see what was going on.  The lighted firetrucks drew out every kid in the neighborhood.  Are the lights and sirens necessary, I began to wonder as I started to feel a bit embarrassed.

The firemen went straight to business as Chad pulled the whole, "My "wife" smelled gas."  I opened my mouth to object...but realized the firemen didn't really care "who" smelled it.  They just needed to know where we smelled it.

I bit my lip for what seemed like forever as we watched the firemen, through all the front windows from across the street, search through our house with flashlights.  Now...that's a haunting feeling.  Because you know, good and well, that they have to do this in search of children, elderly, injured ones, and pets on a fairly regular basis.  Luckily, our little gas leak was not a threat to us.  We were all outside with the rest of the neighborhood...puppy and all.

And then it happened.  A fireman crossed the street and called us in the house.  Thankfully he waited until we were out of the neighbor's ear shot before he said, "We don't detect any gas in your house.  What did you cook for dinner, ma'am?"

After a short conversation with a LOT of apologies and eye rolling of Chad's and you-did-the-right-thing-by-calling-better-safe-than-sorrys from the fire chief...they headed out of our house.  At the door, I offered to come and clean their bathrooms at the firehouse and begged them to tell the neighbors that it was something "really bad."

They were great with all the neighborhood kids...and even let our kids get in the truck and try on their hats.  It was a small redeeming part of the fiasco.

Yesterday, some mom from around the corner, whom I had never met...rolled down her window and asked me if we were the one's whose house was on fire the other night.

I said, "No."

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This morning, the clouds rolled in.

I just love rainy days.  It promises relief for our grass, plants, flowers, and trees and leaves me in the mood to read books, play house, and do some procrastinated cleaning...all to the scent of a new, burning candle.

There is just something about a red radio flier against a gray sky that I love.

Sister friend is all about mis-matched clothes these days.  Even her jammies are funky.

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It's really coming down now.

Happy rainy Thursday, Everyone.