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Had enough excitement for one week?

Big Al

By Big Al
in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

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Big Al Collaborator

Big Al

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I can’t wait for this week to be over.

Tuesday night, my son was pogo-sticking in the garage when the thing went right out from under him, causing him to come crashing to the concrete floor, head first. I didn’t see it, but my wife heard it from inside the house; she ran out to the garage and he was lying motionless on the floor. She picked him up, and he put his hands over his face and started bawling. Thankfully, he didn’t break the skin, but there was a good-size bump on his head. We rushed him to a CareNow™ clinic, where the doctor told us we were fortunate that he hit his head on the thickest part of the skull (wait a second, he’s my flesh&blood; his whole HEAD is thick!!!), and thankfully by the next morning, the majority of the bump had gone down.

Then, last night, my wife & daughter decorated the living room with all sorts of Halloween stuff. My daughter made an elaborate setup on the mantle out of candles and coated-crepe-paper pumpkins. So, the kids and I were in the computer room, I was helping her with a project online, and I said, “Hey, do y’all smell smoke?” I walked into the living room and saw a small fire on the mantle. Ran into the kitchen to get a pitcher of water, told my daughter to get her brother and get outta the house. In the two seconds it took to fill the pitcher, the small fire started rocketing up the wall. It is only by the grace of God that my water bomb on the fire was a bullseye that doused it instantaneously. Smoke was everywhere, we opened the windows, called the fire department to make sure nothing inside the wall was combustible (it wasn’t, thank God). Once the smoke cleared, soot was everywhere, there’s a big black mark on the wall, and the mantle’s a disaster area. My wife came home from the store and about lost it: first her son bashes his head, then her house about burns down. Thankfully, the cleanup didn’t take too long, and we were actually able to sleep in the house last night. When we could get to sleep, that is. It took me a while to fall asleep. My son, who was so fascinated by the fire earlier, had trouble sleeping; I guess after the initial excitement, it dawned on him that the house nearly burned down. My daughter was probably the most affected: she blames herself completely for the fire.

Me? In both instances, I’m just thankful that it wasn’t any worse than it was; it could’ve been so much worse in both cases: in the former, my son could’ve had a serious head injury or worse, died; in the latter, the whole house could’ve burned. Yeah, Someone was watching over us; but I’ve had enough excitement for one week.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Jim Alfredson Enthusiast

Jim Alfredson

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Phew, Al. Glad everyone is all right.

One of my biggest fears is that a fire will start in this house. I've heard stories of the transformers blowing up in computer monitors (even if they are in "sleep" mode), so I always turn them off at night.

When I was a kid we lived in an old farm house in the country and one cold night my dad lit a fire in the fireplace like he had done a thousand times before but for some reason the upstairs room, where my three sisters slept, started on fire INSIDE THE WALL facing the chimney. It turned out the chimney was built wrong and it lit up the insulation.

The firetrucks came quickly and no one was hurt, but it scared the crap out of me. I remember having to stay at my grandma's house for a week while my dad and uncles fixed the damage. Obviously the fireplace was never used again after that.

Scary stuff.

Big Al Collaborator

Big Al

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You got THAT right! Right now, my son doesn’t want ANY candles in the house! I remember when I was his age, seeing a show with a house on fire. That scared me to death; can’t imagine what my boy’s going through: we never had a house fire when I was growing up!

Funny you mention the inside of the wall catching fire: I hadn’t planned on calling the Fire Dept. until my neighbor suggested I do; apparently a friend of hers did the same thing, not knowing the inside of the wall was still combustible. The fire re-lit itself overnight, destroying the house. The FD brought out this sensor that was able to determine the temperature of the ENTIRE wall. Now that was pretty fascinating! Amazing how far technology has come since we were kids!

Johnny E Newbie

Johnny E

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I was going to chime in on how bad my week has sucked so far, but.....

You deserve a break, Al.

Me too, work's been hell. But then I read this post and it shut me right the fuck up. It can only get better Al, hang in there. Look on the bright side though, only 18 more days until Bush is sent packing. :tup

Jim R Newbie

Jim R

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Wow... I'm glad everybody's okay, Al. I hope you get rid of the damn pogo stick (always hated those things). Or, you could keep it in the garage to swing at nasty birds (inside joke) ;) Oh, and I hope the house repairs won't involve YOU going up in the attic! (inside joke #2). ;);)

Now, as far as people losing sleep, go ahead and admit it... it's because you can't stop telling them about how you solved that track on Mike's blindfold test, right? :g

AfricaBrass Newbie

AfricaBrass

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I hope your week gets better Al!

That's some scary stuff. Fire especially. I'm glad you, your family, and your home are okay. I'm so afraid of fire that I won't burn candles in my house. I don't even like using the fireplace.

Maybe you should find a nice rock to crawl under for the rest of the week. ;)

Big Al Collaborator

Big Al

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Wow... I'm glad everybody's okay, Al. I hope you get rid of the damn pogo stick (always hated those things). Or, you could keep it in the garage to swing at nasty birds (inside joke) ;) Oh, and I hope the house repairs won't involve YOU going up in the attic! (inside joke #2). ;);)

Well, truth be told, I was actually showing the kid how to pogo in the attic, when I fell through the ceiling, bringing down a light fixture in the process, which set the mantle ablaze. My son laughed so hard he fell through the ceiling as well, and that's how he got the bump on his head. :wacko::g

(Many MANY inside chokes.... er, jokes there!)

Now, as far as people losing sleep, go ahead and admit it... it's because you can't stop telling them about how you solved that track on Mike's blindfold test, right?  :g

So you saw the time of my posts then? :g

Big Al Collaborator

Big Al

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In all seriousness, I truly appreciate y'alls concern for me & my family. It means a lot, knowing I can come in here & rant & know you cats are pullin' for us.

Thanks! :tup:wub:

Joe G Newbie

Joe G

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I'm sure glad that the worst case scenario didn't materialize for you and your family, Al.

Another generally crappy week for me - my wife has been in the hospital for the last two weeks with a blood infection, and it looks like she will be there for another week most likely.

I did have fun playing the gig tonight, however. :)

7/4 Newbie

7/4

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I'm sure glad that the worst case scenario didn't materialize for you and your family, Al.

Another generally crappy week for me - my wife has been in the hospital for the last two weeks with a blood infection, and it looks like she will be there for another week most likely.

I did have fun playing the gig tonight, however. :)

Wow. I hope she does better.

Al: I'm glad it worked out ok!

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