While I Was Sleeping

Lying on the couch yesterday, unapologetically sleeping my life away, I became aware of more voices outside than usual and an unusual number of sirens coming down the street, sounding to stop in front of the complex or very close by.

Too lazy to get off the couch, go to the patio window or outside to check out the commotion, I attributed the voices to the resident I refer to as Nosey Neighbor -- coming out on her patio to see what the sirens were all about, chatting up whomever happened to be walking through the quad.

“Nosey” because she jumps up, comes out onto her patio, pretends to be tending her plants and eavesdrops whenever she sees any of us outside talking, queries me whenever she sees me bringing anything in/taking something out. For instance, when the hauler walked through the quad and headed for my unit to remove the cardio glider, there she appeared, watching his every move. I think she even said something to him; for sure, she later asked me what he was doing and, “Did you pay him to take that?” Then, when I was bringing in the new microwave, there she appeared again, commenting “Bringing in new stuff?”

I humor her, answer any and all queries, because I figure, with her vigilance, if anything ever happens to me, she’d be the one to notice and make a call.

At any rate, insofar as hearing an inordinate number of sirens on my lazy day, I chalked it up to this being a senior complex.

Having experienced the death of my immediate neighbor, and so many others I’ve come to know and others heard about, in the 4 and 3/4 years I’ve lived here, I’ve become so accustomed to the almost daily Fire and Rescue being here that I’ve become somewhat desensitized.

Color me surprised when I finally came to life about 6 o’clock in the evening, logged onto facebook, saw the above photo posted with a blurb about the area being "ablaze" and realized it’s the little mountain behind the complex, on fire for a second time in a two-week period.

THAT explains the all day sirens, sounding to stop in front or close by.

The June 14 fire on little mountain was high up and involved no structures, yet the smell of smoke filled the entire area -- inside the market even.

This time, the fire was lower -- in the residential area and though it took out homes, I smelled nothing.

About two years before I moved into the complex, a fire on little mountain resulted in evacuation of the complex AND the adult building next door.

It occurs to me that, inasmuch as Nurse Ratched cut off all the spigots so residents could not attach hoses and water their plants, that we’d be sitting ducks – unable to break out the hoses and attempt to save ourselves in a fire situation. So, heading to bed last night, I began planning in-my-head what to throw in the car and take with me as I headed out to a safe zone.

1.       Cell phone and charger.

2.      Purse, with driver’s license, credit cards.

3.      Important papers, such as social security card, title to car.

4.      Creative Memory photo albums

5.      Laptop

I have about 13 albums, in order of oldest ... to newer ... to newest.

The albums are heavy so, depending on how much time and energy I have, I’d work from oldest to newest in getting them down to the car, just in case I had to let newer, newest and laptop go.

Fireworks are illegal in this area, yet I've been hearing fireworks every night for weeks. That's probably how yesterday's fire started.

Desperate for coffee, because I didn't even get off the couch yesterday for coffee, I'm headed to Starbucks, driving past the site of yesterday's fire, saying a prayer for those affected.