So I cheered up... and sure enough... things got worse.
I'm not going to whine about stress and panic attacks (at least not in this post), but I do keep working myself into a tither trying to "figure stuff out" and "make everything work". But when it all shakes down, I never seem to pick the right thing to worry about.
I've been distracted these last two days from my plans to get the new Studio open - by two new really big opportunities - which will have to go in another post. So - distraction upon distraction and I can't seem to focus, make any decisions, or get people to respond to me.
My daughter kept coming up to my studio to see if I would come watch tv with her and she started to lay in the guilt "Can't we do something interesting together?"
Eventually, we're relaxing on the couch, watching the Flash on TV (my mind is still doing research on my computer and trying to work stuff out...) and the bad guy, on TV, is releasing deadly gas into the police station... my Mom says "Do you guys smell something? Is something burning? The toaster? What is that?"
And then we are all running around sniffing... the basement, the attic, every single room... and suddenly my head is throbbing and I have to get out! Mom said she was having trouble breathing and she was going to call 911. My kid and I threw on our sneakers and went to take a walk and clear our heads.
The fresh air felt good, but I couldn't think straight. As we came around the first corner, we saw the lights of an ambulance go by. As we rounded the second corner we saw two fire trucks with the ambulance, and then a few more in front of my house:
It was really weird and disturbing to walk home past all our neighbors and the big, glowing trucks.
This was as close as they'd let us go:
They made me go to the ambulance to be checked because of the pain in my head. I remember thinking how strange that was. I've spent so much time in hospitals and yet this was the first time I'd been in an ambulance. Then they brought my mom in and things took their usual turn. She's a retired medical examiner and particularly chatty with firemen and police. By the time Lilah joined us (she was fine, just wondering what happened to us), we were all laughing hysterically.
They scoured the house and suggested I have all the electrical work and the heating system checked out... damnit... that's bad timing... (but I promised not to whine). They did find some very scary, melted lightbulbs, but I still have no idea what actually happened. My mom started to suggest some terrifying scenarios.
I preferred the hysterical laughter. I commented to Laurie, "If I'd known we'd be surrounded by 50 good looking firemen - I'd have taken a shower and put on some real clothes!"
OMG, I'm sure this is not how you expected your night to go. I hope they find the problem soon and that you stay safe -- and sane.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are all ok!
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I was home, recovering from some surgery. It was a nice day and I was browsing the internet at my desk which is right next to the front door which I had open for the fresh, spring air. Suddenly I was smelling something similar to burning rubber. I felt the wall behind the computer tower and next to the wall outlet and it was very warm. I shut down the computer, grabbed the dog (sorry cats, you aren't very cooperative to being rounded up and out safely), dialed 911 and ran out of the house. It was a mere minutes and firetrucks, police cars and EMS were roaring up my street. I explained what I had experienced, told them about the two cats still inside and they were running through my house. They found nothing. The wall was no longer warm. I live in an older home and they suggested getting the wiring checked. They left and I sat in the backyard shaking. My next door neighbor looked over and asked if I was alright, I explained what had happened. She said her son had commented on a very loud car roaring down our street with lots of exhaust fumes coming out just before I noticed the smell. (I had a vague memory of that car once she said that). The next day I got brave and turned the computer back on when I felt the wall, sure enough it was warm...because the CPU blower was blowing warm air from the computer onto the wall. I moved the tower a bit farther from the wall - it no longer gets warm. I still haven't had my wiring checked.
ReplyDeleteMOST IMPORTANT IS THAT YOU, LILAH AND YOUR MOM ARE SAFE. But, I know what you mean about that "old saying" as there are times when it keeps coming. Going thru the same thing right now, but laughing about these things is the best ways to cope.
ReplyDeletethat is frightening!!!! Hope you do get your house checked out!!! That is so scary! But glad all is well, so far!
ReplyDelete