Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Fate has a funny sense of humor....

It wasn't that long ago that we'd moved into these crummy apartments in Salem (September 17th actually, one month ago today) and I was complaining about how small and dirty it was...the carpets were filthy. We'd only moved in because we'd had to be up here so quickly for a new job I was taking and had had no luck in finding something we liked the three or four times we'd come up looking. I ended up renting the apartment sight unseen over the phone. I'll never do that again! Fate as it turns out had a joke to play on us ....

Last Tuesday morning at about 9:30 am I received a frantic call from my wife saying that the apartment complex was on fire. I raced home as quickly as was legally possible.

What I saw as I drove over the hill to the complex is something I will never forget, a great big plume of gray smoke billowing up into the sky. Luckily, Michelle got out of the apartment in one piece (though she did forget her shoes). We spent the better part of the rest of the day standing in the parking lot waiting for some word on the damage. The fire started in the apartment directly above ours, though we didn't, as it turns out, sustain any fire damage, the water and smoke damage was pretty high.

It's been a week since the incident, we were incredibly fortunate to have some great friends here in town who have put us up while we've spent time moving our belongings out of the apartment and finding a new place to live. We've now found a great new place, (NOT AN APARTMENT!) and are getting ready to move in. We cannot WAIT!!

I've attached some various links to some news and other websites concerning the fire. Some even have video, check them out.

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3 comments:

Mary said...

I was so sorry to hear about the apartment fire. I hope you and the new wife are well on your way back to recovering from that. I know it would be devistating! Take care of yourself!

Vern Mercado said...

wow! what a tough time you and your family must be going through right now. you could use a spoonful of "SFG" right about now.
keep your chin up.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about your apartment, that's terrible. I can't imagine coming home to find my place on fire. Well, I almost did thanks to my landlord. She called me at work one morning frantic as she begged me to go home while she was at work cause' she thought she left the fire on the stove. Well, she thought right, but instead of rushing home since i'm 45 minutes away I made her call the fire department and they broke her front door. They found the stove on with a small pot of water, the pot was already black and the white stove was starting to turn yellow. Can you imagine? When I got home, I could smell the smoke three blocks away that's how strong it was. Ok, i'm rambling, but i'm sure things will get better for you and your wife.