Chronicle of a night

[asheris]

0235	The most horrendous, high pitched shrieking sort of noise starts wailing through the building. After a moment or so, I realize it's the fire alarm. Peek out the door, no sign of smoke or anything. After stumbling around for a couple moments I pull on some jeans, shoes, and my winter coat, grab my cell, purse, and keys, and try to figure out how to handle my cats. Finally decide that all I can do just at the moment is open the doors to the balcony, so they have the ability to get outside/get fresh air in case there's something really happening. Grab my cane and hobble down the stairs to stand outside.
0244	One of the other tenants (standing next to me) calls 911 and is told they're aware of the situation and are already on the way.
0255	An unmarked police car arrives, no lights, and a uniformed officer goes to the people huddled by the main door to find out what's happening. Word is passed to the end door (where I'm at) that there's smoke on the north end of one of the floors. Some of us have started discussing the possibility of going into the garage and pulling our cars out; a few people do.
0259	The first of three fire trucks arives (the fire department is only about a mile away, straight down the road, and it takes almost 25 minutes to get here?!?); the small one first, followed a few minutes later by a ladder truck, and another a few minutes after that. Someone passes along the information that apparently someone had either put food in the oven and fallen asleep, or put in a frozen pizza without taking off the cellophane.
03:05	The alarms in the building are finally turned off, and many of us have ducked into the stairwell entryway to keep from freezing our butts off- or feet, as the case may be.
03:12	One of the firemen announces over a bullhorn that it's under control, and people on the second and third floors can return to their apartments. We thus figure that the fire was on the first floor somewhere. Haul myself back up the stairs, calm the cats, and crawl into bed.
03:35	The damned alarm starts up again. The cats are freaked, okay- so am I, and I'm staring at the alarm up on the wall trying to think whether it's worth hauling my butt out of bed again, or if it's just that the firemen opened a firedoor somewhere and the smoky air hit another smoke detector. The alarm stops after 3-4 minutes. Calm self and cats again.

Ugh.

I thought fire/smoke alarms usually beeped; the ongoing high-pitched shriek this one has is both deafening and disorienting. Yes, good thing, if it gets people out of the building in an emergency. I know.

My ears hurt, though. :P


Only reason I'm up right now is because they were advertising a 9am (CST) replay of the figure skating gala from last night. I'm less than thrilled to find that it's NOT the exhibition skate that they're showing - it's mostly a recap of the Americans, Canadians, and the gold medalist's long programs and a few of their exibition skates.

In addition to not seeing a lot of the performances I was hoping to see, it also means listening to Sandra Bezic whine and complain her way through any and all non-American performances again. Stuff a sock in it, bitch...

Ugh... I either need more sleep, or some coffee.


(I wonder if they'll show Alexi Yagundin's backstage quick change again... *evil grin*)