June 3 – “Fire”

After working for awhile on the things I think I'll have to be doing as interim headmaster, we headed out for Galveston.  The house was empty, but there was blue tape stretched across the front door.  That was a good sign.  The floor guys had finished staining the floor, and it looked really good.  Today was their day to put the first coat of sealer/varnish/whatever-you-call-it.  While we waited for them to get there, Chris watered the grass and flowers, and I cleaned some tools.  After awhile Chris remembered that we still had to buy graduation gifts for some kids we know in Arlington.  And since we are leaving tomorrow morning, we had to get them today.  Right now.  So we headed over to WalMart.  Chris is great when we go shopping like this.  She always hangs back and lets me "finish my list."  Sure enough, I headed for the back of the store to get some of that foam stuff that you use to close up holes around the house.  I was also looking for a tool that you stick into electrical outlets to see if they are live.  That being done, I turned to start on the gifts.  But not yet.  We had to look at some stuff first.  A slipcover.  A basket for the shower.  Now, we weren't going to buy any of this today, mind you.  We just had to look at it.  I don't understand women's shopping techniques.  Come on.  Make a list.  Go get it.  Go home.   We got a call from Nathan and April around lunch time.  They wanted to see the floors, so we went back to the house and met them.  While we were there, the owner of Omega came by on his way to a doctor's appointment.  He loved the house.  He said he had never really seen the inside.  Back when they were bringing by supplies, the inside was all outside on the street waiting for the claw to pick it up.  When he left we all went to McAlister's Deli for lunch.    After lunch we went back to the house and I thought we were going to work some more, but it was not to be.  Alas.  It started raining.  So we had to pick up and get everything under the deck.  With nothing more that we could do there we decided to head back to Omega Bay.   As we were leaving, Chris got a call from April.  Nathan had just called her to tell her he was on his way to work.  A general alarm had been called for a condominium that was engulfed in flames (Miravella).  Even though Nathan was off duty and helping a friend move some furniture, they both got called in to help fight this one.  In fact all off duty firefighters were called in.  Nathan ended up having to go back downtown to pick up another truck that they needed on site.  We could see the smoke billowing as we stood in the front yard of our house on Sycamore.  It was still visible as we took the exit to Omega Bay, and we could hear fire trucks still responding when we got back to Omega Bay.  Texas City, LaMarque, and Bayou Vista were being called in to cover the Galveston stations since every Galveston firefighter was at the fire.  April called back to tell us she had driven closer and was watching and taking pictures.  When Nathan called her to let her know he was on site of the fire, though, she said she had to go home.  It was no longer fun to watch, knowing he was there.   We have to pass by there on our way to church tonight, so we'll check it out again then.    Luke 3:16 says, "John (the Baptist) answered them all, 'I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'"   Father, keep all the guys safe at the fire.  Amen.