Wednesday, May 28, 2008

A Little Too Exciting Day

It turned out that showing my white skin was no problem at the pool. We ended up going to the subdivision pool because the other friend had something come up. It was great—not too hot, our kids played well together and we were the only people there, so I wasn’t shy about being the opposite of tan.

Around noon it started to rain and we were gathering up our things to go, when my friend L said, “We may have a problem. I think my key to the gate is in my car.”

You see, when we came in, the gates were open for the lawn guys and we just walked in without having to use her key. When the lawn guys left, the gate locked behind them. So there we were, the only people there, locked inside a very high metal fence.

We briefly tried to climb over the fence, but there was no way. She’d left her broken cell phone at home, and mine was in my car.

And it started to rain harder.

We gathered the kids under the clubhouse roof and tried to use the pay phone. It wouldn’t take change or let us make a collect call. Then L called 911, which did go through, but the lady didn’t want to send anyone because she said it wasn’t a real emergency. To us, it certainly felt real, because we didn’t know what else to do. We moms were staying calm, but in a weird, frozen-faced way, so that our five-year-olds knew something was up and were starting to get scared and cry. L called the dispatcher back and she sent the fire department out. All we needed was for someone to open her car (she had her car keys) and get the gate keys. Which was accomplished in about 1 minute. The firefighters were very nice and did not even make fun of us when we thanked them and apologized for making them rescue us.

On the plus side, Mr. Blue was excited about getting to see a real, albeit small, fire truck. Our relief was so great we decided to go through the drive-through at McDonald’s and go to L’s house to eat.

And now I need to go take a shower because I smell like sunscreen and sweat and a crisis averted.

67 comments:

  1. That is a little too exciting of a day! I'm so glad everyone got out ok and the firemen were kind about it!

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  2. I'm wondering just how a crisis averted smells...just kidding! Although it was relatively tame as far as emergencies go, I feel for you. Just what do you do? Just what would I do? I think I'd be one of the ones on the verge of tears and the kids would have to talk sense into me. Glad all ended well!

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  3. Just for the record: a crisis averted stinks. Because apparently my sweat smells worse when I'm nervous.

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  4. Your few hours event is too much excitement for some people, whom I know...glad you survived.

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  5. Oh MY!! I bet that was scary! Hey, were the firemen cute at least??

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  6. Things like that always happen to me... I so know that feeling of "I am freaking out inside, but frozen-faced smile on the outside."

    Nothing quite like being rescued...

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  7. ahh the excitement of the fire truck, doesn't matter how big or small. And excuse Mrs. operator when YOU are stuck behind a tall fence with kids and not so tan, you may think it is an emergency.
    Sheesh

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  8. Glad everything turned out okay, at least you'll have a funny story to tell after the whole drama of the day wears off!

    Congrats on being the main SITSta today!!

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  9. I hope the firemen were hot. That would make the rescue more exciting. Maybe I'll try it out. Just for kicks.
    HUGS,
    kat

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  10. Yeah, that's a little too much excitement - on the other hand, its nice to get to see firemen (or as I like to call them, Heros) up close and in person ;)

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  11. Well that's a story you can dine out on for sure! Glad it all turned out well in the end. Bless the fire brigade, eh :)

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  12. FUN! I used to pin the extra key to the inside of my bathing suit just for that reason. Glad you made it through and love the way you celebrated it!

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  13. Oh my goodness! At least you had L there for company - with my luck, this kind of thing would happen and it would be nobody but me and my kiddo! I'd likely be trying to stuff her skinny behind through the bars or something...

    Now that I've checked out the featured posts, I'm gonna go browsing around the rest of your blog, as I'm liking it here!

    Cheers!

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  14. sounds like something that would happen to me!

    Happy SITS day!

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  15. Glad to hear it ended well! I can just imagine myself in that situation. I absolutely HATE panic sweat and I imagine I would have been drenched with it. Ugh.

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  16. That sounds like something that would happen to my kids and I! Glad that little got to see a fire truck!

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  17. wow! i'll bet your kiddos talked about that for days! it's one of those events that was probably not funny at the time, but you can laugh about now :)

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  18. Glad it all worked out. Congrats on your win! Have a great weekend!

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  19. Glad it all turned out ok! I would have tried to climb the fence and ripped my clothes or something embarrassing like that.

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  20. Crazy! That sounds like something that would happen to me.

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  21. Was the firefighter cute? Like one of those on the calender? I would have been mortified, because I bet I'm whiter than you.....

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  22. Man. Glad I'm not the only one weird things happen to!

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  23. I bet that felt like forever waiting in the rain. I'm glad you got rescued!

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  24. Okay so I live on base. We have CO detectors upstairs when mine started beeping very LOUDLY. It was annoying so my friend and I called the Fire Departments nonemergency number (at 1am. They couldn't over the phone figure out why it was beeping. Said it MIGHT be the batteries and I should change them. Um okay but I can't reach it and we don't have a ladder but your still not sure thats IT. So they said we'll send someone over. Okay Thanks. 5 mins later I have a FULL CREW of fireman standing in my hall and stairway (being quiet because my kids were in bed). MAN they were HOT. I asked they were all bored? Should of taken a picture. How many fireman does it take to change a battery?

    Happy SITS Day!

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  25. Oh my goodness, that is totally something I would do. I'm sure yours wasn't their strangest call. My dad was a firefighter as I was growing up. I remember dispatch paging an ambulance ride because a woman had stubbed her toe and insisted on being taken to the hospital via ambulance!! That had to cost a dime or two.

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  26. Oh wow. Definitely too exciting. I've locked my keys in my car. Twice. And that has turned into some pretty amusing rescue stories. Including one at the Arch in St. Louis - where the port authority comes to rescue you...

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  27. I'm the worst about locking my keys or getting locked out or finding myself in a jam with small children. Ugh. Glad you made it out safely!

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  28. Sounds like the 911 operator could have been more helpful (I thought that got training for that) but glad that everything worked out in the end!

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  29. Of course it was an emergency - just not "their" emergency. I would've called too if that was my last hope! Whew! Glad you got out!

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  30. Not an emergency! Who gets to decide that. I think I would have complained on that one.

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  31. Yeah, that sounds like something that would happen to me...glad you made it out and the firemen were so nice!

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  32. Oh man! I call that a "hornet's nest" in my blog...freaking hysterical!

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  33. Oh my, that was excitement for the kids.

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  34. Oh my! Definitely exciting! I hate that...those pool keys that I always forget to grab!

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  35. A fire truck, how fun! That's one the kids will talk about when they're grown.

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  36. Why does this story conjure up the image of 'The Pirates of the Caribbean' ride at Disney. You know, when the pirates are reaching through the bars for the dog that's holding the keys in it's mouth. Whistling "here doggy" and holding out a bone. Except in it's place are two rain soaked moms with a passel of kids and a couple of hunky firefighters on the other side of the bars.
    :-)

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  37. I'm alittle interested in the firemen also :) Do tell, were they cute???

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  38. Loved your retelling of this one! Glad it worked out in the end!

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  39. I think I may have actually lost it. And just what did the dispatcher mean that it wasn't a real emergency. It certainly was. Our locals say that an emergency is a situation that you cannot handle on your own.

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  40. Wow. Makes me glad that our pool doesn't lock!

    I had an encounter with firefighters last year, and they were more than gracious, even though the fire was our fault!

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  41. So glad you called the dispatcher back- she must not have children..... besides, I am sure that the "rescuers" need some humorous rescuing besides all that they do.... you were doing them a favor- giving them some lighthearted work!

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  42. Well at least the dispatcher helped you out wen you called back!

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  43. How funny! Funny now, of course, but not then.

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  44. At least the firefighters were nice enough to help you out! I don't know they'd be that nice around here.

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  45. OMG! I would have died. And even though I was outside, I would have had claustrophobia. But thank goodness for the brave men and women firefighters--who rescue kitties and women and children locked inside a pool.

    One day we are going to find a blog with their version of this story! Wouldn't that be funny?

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  46. thank goodness for the firemen! ;)

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  47. If any of you who asked checked back in to find out: no, the firemen were not particularly hot, although they weren't bad looking. It would have been even more embarrassing if they had been hot!

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  48. This is classic! Those firemen had a good story to pass around when they got back. I've never been rescued before, but that seems like an ideal situation- no danger of death or injury, but you still get the firemen!

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  49. Wow, I was getting nervous for you for a second. I have no idea what else I would've done. Maybe just yell and scream for help till someone heard me and came to rescue me. At least the firemen were nice about it!

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  50. How embarrassing! Glad you made it out okay.

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  51. WOW Classic. Glad they sent someone to help. if it was me, though and no lightning/thunder I'd've let mine play in the rain. :)

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  52. Sounds like an exciting day for "just another day at the pool"!
    Love that you described yourself (and me) as opposite of tan!

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  53. Firemen are awesome. I've had a crush on almost any fireman since I was younger. The fact that they once rescued me from a flood (in which I was in absolutely no danger whatsoever) helped...

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  54. Funny story!

    Congrats on being featured :)

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  55. Oh no! I thought these things only happened to me. Although mine would have also included a poopy diaper with no change available.

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  56. That is really funny! I once called the fire dept becasue I sa flames coming out the window of a nearby balcony in my apt complex. After I called and I heard the sirens booming I realized that the "flames" were from a grill! I was so embarrassed I hid in my apartment and didn't answer the door for the firemen who came to let me know about the "emergency". I am even more embarrassed to think about how I reacted!! Jeez, I was only 18!

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  57. How embarrassing!! Your poor friend was probably horrified even more than you were.

    You've got to wonder at all the crazy things firefighters end up having to do. lol

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  58. That's actually happened to me before, but I was able to flag down a dog walker to lend a hand. Although she did try to ignore me for the first couple of minutes...

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  59. Your blog is too funny! You know, when your son is older he'll only remember that his wonderful mom arranged for a fireman to get them out of the pool area, and he won't recall anyone freaking out. Our pool gate locks from inside too, and I did the same darn thing at least 3 times during my 3rd trimester (not b/c the key was in the car, just b/c I lost my brain and left it at home)!

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  60. I am always just a little panicked that something freaky like that is going to happen to me with the wee ones. So glad SOMEone finally came to rescue you! With rain, it was probably unlikely that another swimmer was on his way....

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  61. I'm one of those people that kind of thing happens to. Hate it. Blessings, marlene

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  62. I can't believe the Dispatcher didn't really want to send anyone out? I would consider that an emergency even if a small one, especially when children are involved.. I mean how else would ya'll get out?

    Found you from SITS

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  63. That is really too funny. I've heard of locking your kids in a car but never locking yourself and kids in a pool!

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  64. Hilarious. Wow, I might be tempted to do this on purpose if I knew it would involve a firefighter rescue! ;)

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