Few people know this but my greatest fear is fire.
Once when I was a wee little girl...I read a goosebumps book about a girl who didn't know she had died in a fire. She had started the fire on accident and then went to sleep. She wandered around doing normal things for days not knowing she was dead. Anyway I can't remember more than that but I do remember that it sparked a huge fear of fire in me.
Then when I was in high school, I accidently set a lamp shade on fire in my room. I put it out and and threw away the lamp. It wasn't in flames, just burned a hole in the shade. It was a long time until I bought another lamp...
Then last week fires were breaking out all over the place near Houston, in Magnolia and Waller Counties, about 30 minutes from where I work. I heard on the radio that the Fire Dept was going around those areas and giving people 10 minutes to get their stuff and evacuate. I had a dream Thursday morning, that the Fire Dept came to me at work and gave me 10 minutes to evacuate with all the kids. My first thought was good think D has E this week so the kids actually all fit in my car. My second thought was I can't do this. I am terrified of fire.
So I brought the kids to the park. Stupid thing really, there was quite a bit of smoke and haze. Came home put N to bed. I was getting ready for lesson time and I heard BANG BANG BANG....DING DONG DING DONG. I thought "Good crap, what in the world???" I open the door and there is the Fire Chief in all his glory.
And I panicked. "We have to evacuate" Oh no...my dream is a reality.
Actually it was worse.
The fireman said, "We got a call that your fire alarm was going off and smoke coming out of your house?"
I just stared at him.
"Your neighbor was walking by and noticed it."
Me: "We just got home and the alarm wasn't going off, I didn't smell or see anything, but I will do a walk through of the house.
Fireman: "Okay Ma'm we have gotten a few false calls today b/c the increase in smoke in the area."
Oh crap. Now I was worried. I should of asked him to do the walk through, but he would of been loud and clunky. And I had a baby sleeping. So I nervously walked through the house.
It was all good. False alarm.
Thank goodness.
Then I saw this today:
http://blog.chron.com/newswatch/2011/09/fire-breaks-out-near-george-bush-park/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter