Fire safety 101

I love living in the mountains especially my neighborhood! Not only is it beautiful we have some of the smartest people living here!




For instance as mountain folks we are all very wise when it comes to dealing with fire. Because we live in an especially fire hazardous area, one needs to take special precautions.



Therefore burning trash heaps in windy weather like today would be a no-no.

So it was with some concern when I noticed smoke and ash billowing into my yard and house this afternoon. Especially when I noticed that said smoke was coming from the house directly behind us!

Naturally I assumed their house was burning down, due to some unfortunate kitchen conflagration, or something similar in nature.

When I heard the fireman shout "Fire!" and Bad!" I knew things were serious.


OH! Those poor people I thought! How horrible to have your house burn down. I hope everyone is OK.


I decided to walk up the hill and see how things were going. I only made it halfway.

Their house wasn't on fire after all.

No. It was their yard. Why?

Because they burned their F&^%$#@ trash on a windy day!

I mean, I know it couldn't possibly be their fault, because as smart fire cautious people, they would know better than do something as stupid as that.



No, there is only one plausible explanation...

Obviously their trash spontaneously Combusted!! Imagine our poor neighbors being afflicted with this strange phenomenon for the 3rd time since we moved here. How unlucky!

I love my neighborhood!

Watch out for the squirrels..

Today I found a great website called Not Always Right. It's basically stories from various employees who have had a run in with the crazies.

As someone who has worked with clients for a very long time I totally appreciated this site. In some cases as we all know customers/clients can, and often do = stupid.

Whether or not this is sheer dumbness (in which case I suspect it's just a matter of time before social Darwinism catches up to them), or just a brain fart at that particular moment, we will never know, but it sure makes for some good reading. Because you know, stupidity can be hilarious at times.

Anyhoo, this got me to thinking about all the client interactions I have had over the years, and though I've encountered many folks of the lower IQ persuasion, there is one story in particular that stands out. Not because it was particularly stupid, although I guess that depends on how you look at it, but because of the sheer absurdity not to mention paranoia of this person.

I must also mention that I work at an animal hospital and as a technician I often have the job of answering client questions on the phone.

It goes like this:

Me: Thank you for calling _____________ this is Michele speaking, how can I help you?

Client: Um... Yeah... I was walking my dog in the park and I looked up at a tree, and a squirrel dropped an acorn in my eye.

Me: Uh huh...(Waiting for him to get to the part that relates to his dog)

Client: Well am I going to get rabies?

Me: (totally flabbergasted) Huh? Rabies? How so?

Client: Well, the squirrel dropped it into my eye. Will I get rabies?

Me: You want to know if you will get rabies from an acorn?

Client: The squirrel had it in his mouth, don't they carry rabies?

Me: I suppose they can, but it would be pretty unlikely especially in our area. We don't see rabies cases anymore, except maybe in bats.

Client: I was just wondering because if he had rabies, and he had the acorn in his mouth, before he dropped in on my eye, then I could get it too right?

Me: Let me ask you a question.

Client: Ok

(At this point I'm really trying hard not to laugh, and stay serious, especially since my co-workers around me have since stopped working and have been listening to the conversation with rapt interest).

Me: Sir, when the acorn hit you, were your eyes open?

Client? Ummm...I think so.

Me: Think about it, If something is falling at your face towards your eye, wouldn't you close your eyes as a natural instinct?

Client: Thoughtful silence.

At this point the call pretty much ended, with him, hopefully happy in the knowledge that he would indeed be rabies free.

I actually felt sort of sorry for him. You could tell he was really worried, and if I think about it real hard, I have to admit, I can sort of, kinda, see where his logic was coming from.

To date at least as far as I can remember, this has to be the most absurd question I have ever received. There are more absurd ones, asked to other employees, but that might be a topic for another post...

In the meantime watch out for these guys ,



And whatever you do, don't look up into trees with your eyes open..