Rough Day

Last Monday was a rough day in my little world.  This happened:

It all started at 7 am when I woke up and took a shower.  The lights had started flickering while I was in the shower and even turned off completely at one point.  I got out of the shower thinking not much of the lights flickering because it had happened before and the maintenance said it was just a loose wire and easy to fix.  I figured I would call the maintenance later that day and tell them it was happening again.

So I was starting to heat up my breakfast of leftover chinese food (yes, I eat whatever leftovers I have for breakfast) and the microwave wouldn't turn on.  I checked to make sure it was plugged in (it was) but it wouldn't work.  About this time is when the washing machine started 'popping' with a power surge.  I ran to my neighbors house to see if anyone was home and when I got back the washing machine had started to smoke and you could see flames coming out of the bottom.

I called 911 and was told not to try to put out the fire myself and to get everyone out of the building.  I ran upstairs and was banging on my neighbors doors to get them out and everyone was coming out in the pajamas.   I had tried to call the apartment maintenance, but the line was disconnected when you try to call the emergency maintenance.  Luckily, my neighbor across the way works in the apartment office and was able to get the manager from the office.  The manager asked if everyone had been notified to get out of the apartment and I told her I got everyone out and she asked about the other side of the building.  OOPS!  I didn't even think about them.  Technically they are my neighbors and attached to my apartment, but for some reason they didn't even enter my brain to get them out.  I felt really bad, but luckily no one was hurt.

Firetrucks (about 3) and ambulances (1 or 2) started arriving.  They opened the windows and smoke started pouring out.  Luckily some very cute fireman were able to contain the damage to only the laundry room of my apartment.  There is smoke damage on my stuff, but nothing was damaged beyond repair.  Well, besides my washing machine.

On the bright side, no one was hurt and I got to see some hot fireman at 7:30 am. :)    I am just lucky that I was awake and at home during it or I wouldn't have an apartment.  I was going to stay at my parents house the night before, but decided to go home that day instead.  God kept me safe!  The fireman said that in about 10 minutes everything would have been gone.  Crazy!!!

After they got the washing machine out, they had to cut out sheet rock that was too hot.


My apartment complex is paying for the washing machine, so I didn't have to make a claim on my renters insurance.  I had to wash my clothes many times to get the smoke smell out.  The apartment complex also send someone over to clean my apartment.  I thought they were just going to clean out the soot and stuff from the laundry room and kitchen, but they cleaned the bathroom too!  Score!!!!

The important thing was that God knew what was going to happen and kept everyone safe.  I can replace stuff, but you can't replace people.  One of my biggest fears when I had Jabba was that something like this would happen and I wouldn't be home to save him.  I can't say 'luckily' that he had already passed and I didn't need to worry about him too, because oh how I miss him, but he is safe from flames in Heaven.