Scary crazy night

Let me preface this by saying that DH left for a trip today... something ALWAYS happens when he leaves for a trip. Also this might be long so I'll apologize now.

I got home from work around 4:45 and came in the house, dropped the mail on the counter and then went to go get the stroller to pick the girls up from the sitter's house next door. It was raining earlier in the day so she didn't have the stroller, but by the time I got home the rain subsided. I opened the garage door and immediately tasted and smelled something BAD. I went to pull the stroller out of the garage and I looked up at the sky and saw a HUGE black cloud coming my way. I immediately ran into the car and drove the one driveway over to the neighbor's house. I grabbed the car seats and ran for her front door. There was soot everywhere and it burned my throat to breathe. I got inside and said "Something is not right outside." Sitter's DD's looked outside and got scared. Sitter looked outside and said "we have to get out of here NOW!" I don't know how we did it but between the two of us, we got the babies in their coats and carseats, grabbed food, diapers, formula for me in case I couldn't come home tonight, and got her 3 DD's and 1 friend all into our respective cars and headed away from the scary black smoke in under 3 minutes. I kid you not. In the time it took to get everyone and everything out to the car, the sky was BLACK and it was hard to see anything.

I called my parents as I drove to their house (about a half hour away). I told them I was on my way, to turn on the news and find out what the h**l was going on. My dad called me back 10 minutes later... big fire at the power plant near my house. DH was stuck at the airport (flight delayed because of weather) so I talked to him and he was freaked out but glad I was on my way out of there. I got to my parents' house and realized that the car, the girls' car seats, and I were all covered in black soot. Ick!

We stayed there for a couple hours watching the news. 10 fire departments were at the scene and the news said the fire was contained and there were no health threats. My dad and brother drove up to the house to check it out after we all ate dinner. They were either going to pack up my pnps or in the event that the house smelled horrible, stop at BRU and buy another pnp. When they got here (yes, I'm home now), the house was fine, other neighbors were home, there was no smell, and the big black cloud was gone. So I decided it was safe to come home. We got home about an hour ago and the girls went right to bed... and I'm here sitting on the couch with my laptop, eating cookies, waiting for DH to call to tell me his flight landed safely. I have a huge stress headache... I think I need to go to bed.

If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading. I just really needed to get that all out. -Leighann

 

It is funny that when DH is gone for a business trip something is bound to happen. It happens to me every time he leaves. Maybe tommorow will be a better day for you and your family.

 

Oh my goodness! How scary for you!

 

Oh my gosh Leighann! How scary!! I'm glad you are okay. :hug99:

 

Leighann, OMG! I'm SOO glad you had your neighbor...although if i counted correctly there were FIVE twinkies between the two of you!

Sheesh, awful. ANd how horrid that it always happens when DH is away. SOO glad everyone is ok. Have another cookie!

 

I hope you have a nice, peaceful, restful, uneventful night, and that DH got there safely. What a crazy day! Way to think on your feet!

Reyna

 

Wowwie Mowwie! What a scare. I thought it was gonna be a tornado or volcano or something (LOL I was reading your story in suspense as what was causing the giant black cloud!!) Glad you are all okay!

 

Jeez that is nuts!! Glad all is well though!

April

 

Wow! Glad you are okay...isn't it amazing how your adrenaline kicks in during an emergency situation?

 

wow, that is scary, but it sounds like your survival instincts kicked in HARD..glad everyone is fine.

 

OMG Leighann, that is awful! I am glad that it was not your house though and that you and the girls are ok. :hug99: I hope you are home soon and that the air clears quickly.

 

What a freak, scary night!!! I'm so glad you and the girls are ok!!! My goodness.... I hope that is the extent of the "excitement" you have to deal w/ until DH comes home! :hug99:

 

Thanks everyone. This morning everything looks normal except for some soot on the cars. The news last night said the fire was contained and not a health threat. Looking back I'm amazed at the well-oiled machine my neighbor and I were to get 4 kids and 2 babies to safety. Its amazing what adrenaline and the mommy-instinct will do. And I'm knocking on wood madly that this is the only excitement we have until DH comes home on Monday. Thanks again everyone,Leighann

 

QUOTE(7Ms @ Feb 14 2008, 04:29 AM) [snapback]621105[/snapback]
Wowwie Mowwie! What a scare. I thought it was gonna be a tornado or volcano or something (LOL I was reading your story in suspense as what was causing the giant black cloud!!) Glad you are all okay!

Hee, hee! Me too! Way to go momma getting everyone to safety! Glad it wasn't more serious and you are back home safely. And I agree with another pp, eat another cookie! LOL

 

Holy crap! I'm so glad that everything is ok ... I don't know about you, but in a post 9/11 world, my mine automatically goes to a bad place ... I'm sure you were thinking that as well when you were wondering what the heck was going on! I'm just glad that you and the girls and your home were ok ... ugh. Sounds like after all that what you needed was a stiff drink!

 

QUOTE(caba @ Feb 14 2008, 08:24 AM) [snapback]621346[/snapback]
Holy crap! I'm so glad that everything is ok ... I don't know about you, but in a post 9/11 world, my mine automatically goes to a bad place ... I'm sure you were thinking that as well when you were wondering what the heck was going on! I'm just glad that you and the girls and your home were ok ... ugh. Sounds like after all that what you needed was a stiff drink!


Yeah I didn't write that, but that is what I was thinking. Erica, I don't know about you in Jersey but for us on Long Island the day after 9/11 the wind blew the smoke and stuff out to us (60 miles east of ground zero) and you could taste it. It was the exact taste and smell that I experienced walking out to my garage yesterday. Very very scary. As for a stiff drink, all I had in house was baileys or bud light... neither worked for my nerves.. so I opted for cookies instead.

 

QUOTE
Its amazing what adrenaline and the mommy-instinct will do.


That's exactly what I was thinking! Glad you're ok!

 

Glad you are okay! PHEW!

 

oh my goodness how scary, glad it had a happy ending!

 

Glad you and everyone are alright. Something similar happened to me when I was home alone with the kids. People were doing renovation work 3 floors down and were using latex-based paint thinner and polyerethane. The smell blew up the heating vents and entered my apt. on the top floor. I also quiicky got the kids and got us all outside as the smell was very irritating. Anyway, it was a bad day, but hopefully they got better!!!!