Of Housefires, Business Miles and Rowdy Children

If it feels like I’ve been away for a while, then you’re obviously paying attention. Over the last few weeks I have been on the road a bunch for work, my laundry room burned down (well, kind of) and the kids have been dominating every non-incendiary, home-bound moment I’ve had. Since the week before last the laundry fire has pretty much dominated my attention. Despite the fact that fixing this problem has been and will continue to be a time-suck, there’s not too much to tell. Last Saturday I followed the smell of smoke from my bedroom to the laundry room, where I found our somewhat-aged-but-not-too-old dryer just starting to burn. Alarmed but unable to reach the inside of the burning dryer, I got the kids out of the house to the neighbor’s front porch, hit the power main, grabbed an extinguisher and called 911. By the time I got back to the dryer (felt like five seconds, probably two minutes) it was burning like a Khazak mattress. Here are some pics:

Thankfully the PD arrived before the house went up. Poor Sylvs was out and about, choosing the moment to come home when five fire engines were in front of our house. Poor woman freaked out. The kids were a mixed bag; Bubbs thought it was the coolest thing ever, but Binks could not stop crying. Poor little girl thought we were going to be poor and put out onto the street. I gave her hugs and told her everything was going to be taken care of. Which reminds me, if you guys can get USAA insurance, do it. Those guys are awesome and handled my claim quickly and with as little fuss as I expected.