A little Fire

The last fire truck pulling away.

I went to a friends house for dinner tonight and I was planning to write a fun post when I got home...but something else happened. I left my house at 6:15.  I got to my friends at 6:40. At 7ish, I kind of got distracted from the conversation I was in, and started thinking about whether or not I turned off the food I had been steaming on my stove top at home before I left.   Then, I replayed it in my head. I turned the stove off AND  put the pot on a different burner to cool. I was getting anxious, but I told myself not to be that way.  I KNOW I turned it off. I barely use a flat iron and when I do, I go back to the bathroom to check it SEVERAL times.  My parents were always so paranoid about fires. 

Anyway, I FINALLY Got the thought of the fire at my house out of my head. It took some heavy convincing in my mind to make the fire thoughts go away.

And At 7:22 PM, my phone rang it was my dad's cell phone. It was ood becuase my dad usually only uses a cell phone during the days. I had talked to my dad on his land line on the way to my friends about some pictures on line of me racing.   HE asked where I was and I told him, but he knew that. He said THERE WAS A FIRE AT MY HOUSE.

I started to panic..about Piri in the house and yes, about all our stuff! A fire is  a fear I have. I couldnt believe it. I even said the F word in front of Anika and a few of these girls I really dont know.  I dropped my fork I was eating with and picked up Anika to go. My friend J offered to keep Anika, but I had brought NO food (just my boobs) and only 2 nappies!  I ran out to the car and my dad called and it was a chimney fire. I was a little relieved that it wasn't something that was my fault! But, I was still scared.   My heart was racing and I was in that same mode that I was in when I went to the ER with Anika. Half shock, but half logical.  I didn't drive too crazy most of the way home.  I called a neighbor up the street. I luckily had his number in my phone. I asked him to go to my house and call me so I Could give him the combo code to get in Andrew's truck from the keypad. And in his truck was the garage door opener. The spare keys would be no good because the doors are dead bolted.  I go though the garage in and out. 
I could hear my neighbor talking to a fireman about how I was close. When I got close to my driveway I saw all the fire trucks. Four. One was in my driveway. There was a cop arriving about the same time as me and he was pretty much stopped in the road. I figured he was parking there to block all the other traffic. His lights were on, but I wasn't thinking and I just went around him...like half in the ditch, off the other side of the road- NO traffic was coming the other way because the cop car and fire truck had the road blocked up ahead.  I was also pulling up next to a fire truck..but one that wasn't moving but started to move as I was pulling up next to it, so when I saw this Tuck moving, I stopped and just got out of my car.I realized I may be getting in that truck's way.  ANika was sleeping so I contemplated leaving her there...I turned for her, but the cop got out of his car and was telling me to come back. I had no idea what he was saying but I just yelled the baby is in the car sleeping.  I mean- Its a cop? He's safe to watch a baby sleep, right?  I got to my house, got in and got Piri. THERE was NO Fire on the inside of my house.  they checked the basement and stuff- and all set. SO, it was All in the chimney which was easier to put out...and then could mostly work from the outside, but there were a bunch of people inside at the fire too.  I got Piri and couldnt get to where her leashes where (Fire men in way) so I hooked her up out back  outside. They asked to get her out.  
When I got back outside I didnt have Piri...so the cops probably didnt know why I rushed into get her. I went to get Anika, and the one cop started yelling at me telling me I didn't follow orders and acted dangerously.  I was like ok.  THEN, Another cop came up and said he was the other cops supervisor and he really let into me. Telling me I put my daughters life in danger while trying to save my house and I said I was trying to save my dog!  ANd, he said something about citing me with reckless driving, etc.  And I mean, he was giving it to me and I just started crying. I was dealing with  a crisis. My mind wasn't thinking right. Don't emergency people get that? I understand what I did wasn't ideal, but couldn't he have waited a little while to give me a lecture?  WE LIVE very rural, so it wasnt the part about leaving Anika in the car...it was me pulling up next to them. He said he has 2 daughters and he wouldn't have put them in harm like I did, and now I'm just crying my eyes out writing that sentence because I hate to be accused of being a bad mom or not thinking about her safety. Of course he probably would have handled it better- HE IS TRAINED to handle emergencies  and highly emotional situations, right? I'M NOT! I was crying at him and kind of yelling at him. I said "I understand what you are saying, but do you really think yelling and reprimanding me this second is the opportune time?" Also I was holding Anika and she was already probably like wtf, and now this asshole is making me more wound up which she sensed, I'm sure. He also said he received several complaints about my driving (FROM THE firemen blocking my driveway and the cop-not from when i was ACTUALLY driving- just the people that were right at my driveway) I barely call driving 1 mph reckless...maybe trying to pass their parked cars?   It was like 1 mph and I just passed a stopped car and a stopped truck...I was pulling up on the side and out of the road! At least that is how i saw it, but maybe I wasn't seeing right. WHo knows.
Anika was mesmerized by the lights. My dad showed up and I guess the police told him they had to speak to me and he just said "She is excited"  bla. 

OK...happy ending. My house if fine. Need to get chimney fixed, but no big deal considering.  Piri is fine. ANika is fine. Andrew is on his way home. He was 4 hours away.

I'm just so thankful and Thank God it was nothing bad.