Burn, Baby, Burn

I always bring a book with me wherever we go. It never fails, even when Kenny says, "No, we are just going to go there and straight back," we end up stopping by a client's house. I made him promise no work today. My reunion is tonight. The girls are out of town. NO WORK. But his crew is working. And they needed a ladder. And, well, they were working at his stepdad's house. I rode with him, so I could score some Starbucks and see Craig. I forgot my book.

But don't worry. When he got a call that required him to go "just to one place" I was entertained. Cause the fire department out here? They are idiots.

Apparently some trash caught on fire. Well, not on fire so much, as smoking. Ever so slightly. At the car wash. With plenty of water readily available. But, the employees at the carwash did what any smart person would do. Call the fire department, wait five minutes for them to show up, and stare and the smoldering bag, while doing absolutely nothing.

No less than five firemen jump out of the engine with sirens still blaring. They circle the bag. The tallest one nudges the bag with the toe of his boot. They look from one to the other. There is only one way to handle this situation. Obviously. A high powered stream of water.

Hose aimed, three men pump water onto the small bag, ripping the plastic to shreds, sending trash in all directions and into the grass. As any professional fireman would do, they all begin giggling. That is until one of them notices that what was once a well-contained, small, smoldering fire, is now a grass fire, spreading quickly. They pull a second hose from the engine, and come at the grass fire from two ends. It is out quickly, but the damage is done. The landscaping is toast. Yet, there is still smoke coming from somewhere. They turn circles. The bend down looking around the vacuums. They check the grass again. Hey. They are firemen. Not detectives. Finally one of them looks up. The awning is on fire. Actual fire. Within seconds it is out, but not before a gaping hole is left. Water drips from the awning. Puddles form in the parking lot. But the fire is out.

You know. The fire that the fire department caused playing with their hose. And seriously? Who thought that giving a bunch of men a big truck, an ax, and a hose to play with and calling it a job was a good idea?