Tuesday, July 29, 2008

This morning has just been a train wreck.


Hahahaha!

Actually there is a real train wreck, and Barry went on the call with the NAF&R hazmat team at 6:00 a.m., before he had a chance to eat breakfast. It was a "bomb train," loaded with tankers of ethanol, which is now splashed over the wetlands up there.

The kids and I bought 4 loaves of bread, 4 pounds of cheese and 5 pounds of bologna and made a bunch of sandwiches to take up there, thinking that we had made tons of food, but they have a LOT of teams up there, most of whom have been there since the same time Barry has, and they are all hungry. And thirsty. I don't guess they had enough drinking water. So we left the case of bottled water that we had in the car with us, then I sent Miss B back with a 5-gallon pot of water and some cups. They will be there all day. They don't expect to reopen the highway for a week.

Funny thing about our drive up there: I took off in the Jeep loaded with sammiches, Master K in the shotgun seat, and a couple of minutes later Master K told me I really should slow down because I would get in trouble driving that fast, there would be cops all over the scene. I said it was fine, I needed to get this food there quick. So guess what happens a mile south of the scene? A Houston County deputy flags me down. I wasn't even thinking about speed, I was thinking about how close I could get to the scene, and I just hollered, "I got sandwiches for the guys! Do you want them or should I keep going?" He thought a moment and said, "Keep going. Only a little slower. Seventy-four miles an hour is a little fast."

Then as I was about to turn around and head home, Conrad the Police Chief pulled up and got out and ambled over (Conrad is a very accomplished ambler) and drawled, "Y'know, as fast as you were going, that Houston County deputy thought the least you coulda done was offer him a sandwich."

Addendum: Have I told you how proud I am of my husband? He's my hero! The heat index is around 100 degrees and they're all in hazmat gear. I hope they are all okay.

Update: Still out there, over 12 hours on scene. I hope somebody relieves him soon.

4 comments:

StitchinByTheLake said...

So sorry about the train wreck but I'll be saying a prayer for all involved. Blessings, marlene

Mrs. Mac said...

What a day! I hope by now Barry has gotten back home (11 PM west coast time) ... I'm sure they (the emergency workers) have been trained (no pun) ... for such hazards ... but it's another thing when they have to use their training for such an accident.

Maria Stahl said...

Thanks, both of you. He finally got home around 8:30 last night and I fed him and then he started working on the house!! That man...

Catherine said...

Happy to read your husband is safe. Good for you taking food and water there!