Burn Baby Burn

This week has been perfect...well as far as the weather is concerned. It's been very Fall-like. The temperatures have hovered right around 60-65. I love it! Winter is my favorite season. I enjoy the bundling up and cold noses. Unfortunately, living in Texas I don't get too many bundling up type days. So, I truly enjoy the days of Fall when the temperatures dip low enough to require using the sheet, blanket, and the comforter. I love pulling out the jackets and long sleeved shirts. I love it all!

One thing I don't love...turning the central heating and air to heat for the first time in the season. Monday was the start of particularly low nightly temperatures. When I got home Monday, I set the thermostat to 65 and waited. Nothing. I figured it would dip low enough to come on before I went to bed. It didn't. This week has been one stressful one at work so I had many other things on my mind than the heat. I crawled into bed early (bundled up in pajama bottoms, t-shirt, and socks) and thankfully fell right to sleep. Imagine my shock to wake up about an hour later to the smoke alarm going off!

I must sleep deep because when I'm startled awake I feel shaky and my stomach hurts. Anyway, I immediately smelled the air (couldn't smell smoke) and reached around in the bedside nightstand drawer for my glasses. I got those on and I couldn't see anything that looked like fire, but I could certainly hear the smoke alarm. In my house I have one above the bedroom door and another one above the spare bedroom door at the opposite end of the house. The one above my door wasn't going off. So, I wondered into the living room. Nothing seemed out of place...nothing even smelled burnt. I hit the lights and grabbed a pillow off the couch. I went to wave it in front of the smoke detector and nearly took out everything on the top shelf of my bookcase. Finally, I was able to wave enough air in front of the dumb thing to get it to shut up.

I peeked in the spare bedroom, but everything seemed to be in place. Then it dawned on me...the air had kicked in. Sure, it is warm air coming up out of the floor, but enough to set off the smoke detector?! I thought about yanking the battery out but decided I'd rather be safe (and jarred right out of bed) than sorry. Thankfully, it didn't go off again. I guess it was just the first-of-the-season stinky air thing.

And speaking of smoke detectors and fire safety, the local fire department came out to do some demonstrations for the kids this week at school. It's Red Ribbon Week (you know...let's all be drug and alcohol free) and this year we're focusing on making good choices. The firemen bring a ladder truck and a fire trailer so the kids can practice exiting a house safely. The kids got a kick out of the whole experience. They especially loved getting to jump out the window to safety!

Well, while the kids enjoyed the fire trailer, the teachers enjoyed the firemen. Most of them were older guys, but there was one guy that was so hot! (That sounds so high school...lol!) Of course that started the joking about "Well, you can light me on fire anytime you want if he's what is coming to put me out!" and "If I'm on fire I stop, drop, and he rolls on top of me!". You know...completely inappropriate stuff for school! Believe me, it was the perfect mood lightening moment. Did I mention we're pretty stressed out at school?

Anyway, I'm enjoying this touch of Fall to the max because it probably won't be around long. If you live where there are four distinct seasons, please enjoy some of the Fall and Winter temperatures and weather for me!