A Tale of Two Fires

What a DAY it's been.

Yesterday, the girls were out playing when I got home from work and they had a stuffed animal outside playing like they were camping and had gathered small sticks from the yard to make a little 'campfire'. Oh, it was cute. I promised Joelle that tonight we'd start her little campfire tonight.

Today, at work, Doreen calls and asks me to stop by the store and pick up a bag of marshmallows. She's set the tent up outside for the girls to play in - which they did most of the day with blankets, books, pillows and toys! :) So, I pick up some marshmallows to toast over the campfire.

After arriving at home, we decide to gas up both vehicles completely because of the damage that hurricane Rita may do and the damage to our budget when the gas execs decide to 'gouge' the country for their profit. Yesterday I put gas in one of Iggy's two tanks and paid, $2.49. Today I filled the 2nd tank and the van and paid $2.74. A quarters difference in 24 hours - ouch! (The first station I tried going to was out of regular and super, all they had left was premium. WOW!)

I get home again and decide to snooze for a few minutes - the girls meanwhile go out and gather more 'sticks' for the campfire.

Just before supper - Doreen's reading some study materials, I'm copying pics from a SD Card to the computer and the phone rings. I can't hear the words, but I hear my mother-in-law, clearly upset. Then Doreen gets that exact frame of mood. What's up???

My in-laws garage had just burned to the ground. They had picked up a Monte Carlo they had owned and they had work done on it in a shop, parked it in the garage - jumped in their little Ford Ranger and went shopping for light fixtures for the garage they are having built down here in Chattanooga. They buy some, then stop for supper and head home. Sandra saw the 'smoke' from quite a distance as they headed home... and as they got closer realized it was in the vicinity of their place... then realized it was their neighborhood, then turned on their road, up the hill and realized it was their (unattached to the house) garage. When they got there, they saw 3 or 4 fire engines and a BUNCH of people around.

The house has minimal damage, except for the siding near the garage completely melted and dripping to the ground, the back door has some damage, 4 windows are cracked because of the heat and the house could double for a meat smoke house right now. One of the firemen did mention that had they been about 4 or 5 minutes later, probably not much could have been done for the house. When they arrived on the scene originally - the first thing they did was to hose the house down to keep it from burning, then put the other fire out.

I guess the garage has only one post still standing. It's completely gone, except for the 'char' and the lumps for the frame of the Monte Carlo, and the remains of the air compressor, power washer, sharpening wheel, a couple of ladders, a couple of containers with power tools, a set of car ramps, all the equipment from the back of the FedEx Truck (Larry had been working on the floor and everything was in the garage) and 3 tool boxes. Wow, that is just awful. Doreen and I have just been sick about it.

The thing is - they can't touch any of it until an Insurance Adjuster or two comes out for a visit. Yuck!!!

By the way - nobody can pinpoint the exact cause yet. I kinda think it was the car, but 'who is to be knowing.' Maybe the adjusters can.

Anyway - Amazing - everything can be gone in just a few minutes.

That's the bad side of fire.

Tonight we ate outside (in 90 degree weather) at our little campfire - that we moved waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy back from the house and really enjoyed the evening - all things considered. We roasted some marshmallows and just relaxed.

That's the good side of fire.

So that's my tale of two fires today! :)

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PS:

It's amazing the roller coaster that life puts you one;
UP - We got an AWESOME deal on some new furniture...
Down - Our car engine goes kaploowie...
UP - We got an awesome opportunity just ahead of us...
Down - DHL loses a very important package. It's supposed to be in Kansas and turns up in Lousiana.
UP - Larry & Sandra Get the Monte Carlo Fixed
UP - Larry & Sandra figure out a way to finance the complete job to finish the garage here - immediately.
Down, Down - Their garage burns to the ground.

I think I'm getting sick... :)

Hope you have an UP weekend! :)