A Mid-Summer's Night Dream

At least I think it was...I am not quite sure. Last night at about 1am, about an hour after I finally dozed off, I was rudely awakened by a the high pitched scream of my fire pager. We were toned out to assist Friendswood FD on a structure fire at an apartment. I couldn't miss that one. I might get the chance to call Red Cross in the middle of the night, that's another story though. So I got up and fumbled around in the dark trying to get dressed and somehow I ended up in my car driving to the fire station. When I got there, the captain said it wasn't Friendswood that needed us, but League City. The dispatcher had gotten it wrong and he wasn't sure if LC really needed us anyway...so we stood around and waited and waited and waited. Finally Engine 125 rolled up and we hopped on board (just the two of us...captain and I) and headed to LC. We were told to standby at their Station 2. As we drove over there, I felt bleary eyed and a little out of it but it felt like I was in a dream. Once we got to the station, we all camped out on the driveway. We were all sprawled out, using the curb as a not so comfy pillow. Some were propped up against the front bumber of the fire truck. Nobody talked too much. I think everyone was too tired for conversation. However we were entertained by the cows mooing out in the pasture behind the fire station. They were so loud! It sounded like they were being harrassed by a not so friendly dog. Every once in a while we heard some chickens. And of course everything was being harmonized by crickets, cicedas, and frogs. Love those Texas bugs and critters! It wasn't very quiet out in the country at 2am. With the hollerin of the cows and bugs and the pavement as our 'couch/bed' nobody was able to catnap.

When we were finally released to go back home, the drive back seemed a little long. I was so groggy and a little nauseated from the bumpy ride. I couldn't help but laugh a little to myself about how wierd this whole situation was and how sometimes being a firefighter meant that we don't always do heroic things. Most of the time it's hurry up and wait, sometimes it's hurry up and 'never mind' and other times it's hurry up and then wait it out in the driveway of another fire department. It's all part of the job...a job I absolutely love.