Back to the grind!

Everything is pretty much back to normal in the Brad and Alison household (normal, that is, in relative terms). Sure, the exterior of our house is still partially melted off, but you can't have it all!

More than 24 hours later, my emotions are still going a little wild. Brad slept downstairs last night to keep an eye on things (as directed by the fire department), but I still woke up in a panic at every little sound. I had the fan turned off so I didn't miss anything -- and believe me, a 1930s-era house makes a lot of freaky noises! I walked a couple of 2 a.m. laps around the house to make sure everything was safe and sound. We're definitely in the clear.

The only problem is, now I've got a whole new set of things to worry about in my already anxiety-packed life. Today I've been going around the house checking wires and mapping out escape routes, per Smoky the Bear or whoever the kids' fire safety mascot is these days. Tomorrow I'm replacing all the batteries in the smoke alarms whether they need it or not. I'm also keeping a flashlight by the bed, which is probably a good idea regardless.

While I'm not recommending that all of you become all freaky-paranoid like me, it can't hurt to brush up on your fire safety tips from time to time in case you're ever caught in a smoky situation. Stay safe out there, my friends!