rain, fire and smoke

It has rained with barely a stop since yesterday morning. Plus the occasional high wind, to make life more interesting!

It was really cold yesterday, too, so I curled up on my sofa with movies, knitting, kitties, enjoying a log in the fireplace. When the storm really kicked up, I noticed a funny sort of smoke smell, but figured it was the firelog I used (it's a brand that usually smells not so great in the end, but it was my very last log). So, off to my bedroom to study.

Then the storm kicked in full gear! Howling winds! Lashing rain! Worried kitties! I wanted to see if everything was still intact in my back yard. Imagine my shock when I walked into a smoke filled living room! My heart still stops when I think about it!

In the midst of this huge storm, I'm flinging open my back sliding glass door to get smoke out. Running into the back room to wrest fans from storage to blow smoke out. Scooping the smoking chunk of firelog into an old baking pan and running with it outside, where I was immediately drenched from head to toe, and squishing it into an ash pulp in a puddle of rain. Burying the other smoking chards in the ashes in my fireplace. Also coughing through out this (cuz it's smoky!), praying my smoke alarm doesn't go off (which it didn't -- what gives? need to check the batteries!), then the horrorified realization that all of my scarves are in the living room!

Oh boy.

So, now I'm scooping up scarves and yarn from my futon and rushing them to my back bedroom/storeroom, which was blessedly smoke free. In squishing wet socks, dripping pajamas, drenched hair. I need to add my inventory to my house insurance.

So, next day, still a little smoky smelling, but smoke's gone (I'm sure I'll be cleaning walls next weekend). Scarves are A-OK (whew!). Girls are OK. I'm OK. Yay.

Today is going to be my "do my take home exam in one day" day. Ugh. But that's the gig, when you're employed in a fulltime professional career, a fulltime grad school program, and your own fulltime business. With fulltime kitties. I think I need to take a few vacation days each month!