When one attends blog meets, one expects that *ahem* interesting things will be happening.  There will be stories for the ages.

And so it was with this blog meet which will likely be known by posterity as the "blog meet of the draher faher".

After arising at  6am on Friday, travel all day, an evening of revelry ending in the wee hours at around 3am.  A Saturday starting at 8:30am and ending around 1:30am... I was looking forward to sleeping until 8:30 Sunday morning when I planned to drag out of bed and head to Eric's for the Sunday morning breakfast.

Well, that was the plan until...

The fire alarm went off at 7am.  Let me see if I can remember a few things.  It won't be easy.  Morning is not my best time of day.  Being awakened by that horrendous noise is not my favorite way to wake up.

- I headed out immediately since I figured the FD would make us leave anyway (even if it was a false alarm) while they checked the building. All the people in the rooms around me were hanging out their doors saying "Wha????"  I tried not to look because some of them were... um... not clothed and I REALLY didn't want to see that.

- Most everyone went to the lobby first.  (did anyone ever do firedrills in school?) Still no smoke to be smelled there.  No evidence of hotel employees. No one knew what was going on.  The alarm was hideous.

- Headed to the front door area because of the alarm.  Was going to stand in that small entry area - inside where it was warmer, but away from the alarm a bit.  That's when smoke was evident - it smelled and we could see it from one side of the building.

- After getting outside I see someone moving their car and decide - that might be a good idea so my car isn't trapped by the FD if they are there for a long time.  Took to to McD's next door.  Where many of the hotel guests were heading for coffee and a warm place to sit.

- Standing outside with John (who left without putting on shoes or coat) Redneck, Kenny, and Sissy - Erica comes walking out.  She's on the phone.  She heads toward us then turns and walks the other way, my phone rings - she's calling me. 

- Sissy calls Bou and Mo - finds out they thought it was a false alarm and went back to bed.  Sissy tells them to get up and get out.

- Eventually the FD arrives - 1 truck 2 guys.  By this time white smelly smoke is really pouring out one side of the building through a large vent. 

- Redneck and John head back in for a few minutes through a side door.  John gets more clothes on and Redneck grabs a couple beers for them.  (breakfast of champions?)

- We find out that Denny is on the second floor and can't get down - no elevator - what moron thought it was a good idea to put handicapped rooms on the second floor?   Oddy and Zonker are sticking with him in case he needs to get out.  The FD is told but apparently only one of them knows.

- Jerry arrives and tells us, in the words of one of the staff, "It's a draher faher".  Who forgot to clean the lint filter???  Then Richmond and Jimbo finally show up along with Bou and Mo.  Everyone seems to be accounted for.

- Now all of us are outside except for the second floor contingent.  A second truck and 2 more guys arrive.  Pretty soon they're coming out the front door with what looks like burning linens, putting them on the ground and hosing them down.  I was ticked because I forgot to take my camera... a pic of all the people watching them hose off the linens would have been excellent fun.

- There were about 3 armloads of burning stuff pulled out then they told us we could go in and stay in the breakfast room.  COFFEE!!! (Yes, I have my hot chocolate bag in my purse! A chocolate-coffee and  all is not quite so bad.)

- Then they let us go up to the room while they finished cleaning up.  Apparently the "faher" is over.

Don't know if this is the case everywhere, but this FD left and the pile of smoking linens and stuff was still sitting by the front door.  What a lovely site:



Let's take a step back and look again:



Not much is it.  But what a lovely greeting for guests.  I suppose it would be too much trouble to actually move it to another part of the parking lot.

I went to look later, but the big vent where all the smoke was puffing out had no smoke damage that I could see:



The only good thing about being outside at that time... there's a pretty nice view across the street:



That's fog - not smoke from the fire. 

Now I know Tommy, Elisson, SWMBO, Eric, Fiona, and Dax are all very jealous that they didn't get to be in on the fun too.  But that's the breaks.  Come hang out with the cool kids next time and you too can be rudely interrupted from a nice sleep to go stand outside and watch a whole bunch of Stooges in action. 

It's fun - really.

Posted by: Teresa in Ultimate Blog Meets at 10:12 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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