disaster strikes!

i complained about not having anything exciting to blog about not too long ago, and wouldn't you just know it that something really truly exciting happened?!
let me tell you the story. kick back, take it easy and just enjoy.
one day, a couple of my friends decide it would be fun to have a little deck party in honor of our friend erica's birthday. this sounds like it could be a good time, so i jump in on the plans and allow my deck to be the chosen site of aforementioned party. so, friday comes along, the day of, and we spend the day hiding ugly things like the half-broken lounger chair, the lawn mower, the ladder, etc, and putting out pretty things like jars with tea lights, tiki torches, random comfy chairs from the living room...
it's shaping up nicely, and soon the hour o' fun approaches. we decide to go ahead and light the tiki torches before the people arrive so as to spread about the fumes from the citronella fuel and get rid of some of the bugs that are lurking about... good idea right? so we go back to fruit chopping, dip stirring, etc, and i'm tuckered out so i take a little rest in my room upstairs. after about 30 minutes or so i come down, glancing out the little window on the way. as i casually glance, i notice there's an inordinate amount of smoke billowing from under the edge of the furnace shed that's attached to the side of the house by the deck. i pick up the pace a little and shoot a question to the chopping and stirring girls in the kitchen -- something about why there's so much smoke... they calmly say, 'oh the tiki torches are smoking, no big deal.' i trot outside, and find that there is one tiki torch in particular smoking more than it really ever should -- it had fallen over, exploding its fuel canister all over a handy little cd player/radio that was sitting on a log next to the wall of the furnace shed. not only is the stereo and log a blazing inferno, but there are flames shooting up the siding on the wall and the shingles of the shed are starting to go up in flames! i quickly realize i'm moments away from watching my entire house become an inferno, but do i use my quick wits and find a fire extinquisher?! do i even HAVE a fire extinquisher?! NO! i gape, frozen to the spot, staring at the bonfire, and the only word i can think is 'laura!!' don't ask me why i think laura can help me, she's in wisconsin for crying out loud, and i've never known her to have any particular fire skills, especially considering she just had a baby... but that doesn't stop me from standing stock still and yelling her name 3 or 4 times... when nothing comes from my cries for help, i figure out that something else is going to have to happen, so i run into the kitchen and attempt coherent sentences... the only words that come out are 'help!' 'fire!' 'big!!' 'smoke!!' drea keeps cutting fruit, calm as can be, and advises me to sprinkle salt on it (???) so i take the salt shaker out and give it a couple of shakes over the raging flames. there's no improvement so i run back inside and throw the trash out of the trash can and try to put it under the sink spigot -- it's slightly large to fit into the sink so i grab a handy pitcher of tea, dump the tea into the trash can and start filling it with water. i quickly realize it's taking way too long, the house is burning down!! so i dump what water i have into the trash can and run outside... meanwhile erica's found an old towel and is beating the flames with it, which seems to only make matters worse. i successfully dodge her flapping efforts and pour the water/tea combo over it all. miraculously, it does the trick. my house now has melted siding, burned shingles, and my stereo is a big puddle of melted plastic and tea, but we're saved!! to add the cherry on top, i open the furnace shed door to unplug the stereo, and sitting there on the floor is the full can of gas we'd stuck in there while hiding ugly things -- it was a mere wall's width away from the inferno!!!
about 10 minutes later the deck partyers arrive while my adrenaline is still pumping and that ends up being the most fun of all -- retelling the story with appropriate reenactments and hand gestures...
having two firefighter brothers has done nothing to prepare me for this kind of disaster -- i think i'm going to need some serious crisis planning next time i visit either of them! and possibly purchasing a fire extinguisher would be a good idea as well...

despite the chaotic start to the party, we did go on to have a very lovely time.

that's erica in the picture holding the stereo by the cord... i've also provided a comprehensive shot for you to get the visual -- notice small upstairs window and furnace shed... don't you just feel like you were there?! if you've made it through this entire story, give yourself a mental pat on the back :-)