House Projects Update

So, before all this snow arrived and somewhere close to a month ago, I decided to be the early bird one Saturday. I woke up with the sun an began my sidewalk crack-sealing project outside, while the twins slept. I bought this compound that consisted of tar and other chemicals that smelled like a newly paved road. You were supposed to melt it on an campstove and pour it in the cracks. Just my luck the campstove ran out of fuel so I brought the pail inside and put it on the kitchen gas stove. Then I went outside and in my sleepy stupor I stayed outside too long. I got occupied with the stuff I was working on.

Suddenly, it dawned on me that the strange noise I was hearing was the fire-alarm inside my house. I ran inside. The house was full of smoke and the fire alarms were wailing away. Coughing, I ran to the stove turned it off and began opening windows. The can on the stove was still on fire. I didn't quite know what to do to extinguish the fire, so I just grabbed the can with a hot pad and threw it out the open window, where it landed in a brush-pile and started it on fire. The alarms continued to wail as I ran around coughing and setting up in-and-outs for air movement. Then my babies began to wake up and wail. The door to their bedroom was closed so they weren't breathing the fumes like I was. I went in to hold them and soothe them and get out of the smoke. Eventually, the fire-alarms quieted and the smoke cleared but the stench remained.

To this day, the soot remains. I've not had time to attack it and I've been trying to finish the last project. However, as I considered the horrendous soot that first week. It was everywhere! I resign myself to call the insurance company for assistance in the damage clean-up. It's taken a month for everyone to do their numbers but finally, I think this week will be the week the cleaners come out and clean everything. I just have to pull all the stuff out.

I guess this goes to show how stretched I've become. These kinds of accidents don't happen to well rested people. I guess nearly burning down my house has become a blessing in disguise. I've needed the help for quite some time. Now, I'm getting it in a way I hadn't expected.