Lucy and Ethel (Toxic Fumes)

One of my bestest best friends (who we will call roomie, since we roomed together in college) in the world and I got to spend our day together.  Like normal life was an adventure.  We like to compare our selves to Lucy and Ethel because drama seems to find us.  Unlike Lucy and Ethel we don't try to create drama.  We have never decided which one is Lucy and which one is Ethel.  I think this is because on some days she is Lucy and I am Ethel.  On other days I am Lucy and she is Ethel.

For example, there was the day that she comes barreling in our dorm room with two HUGE rubbermaid tubs of our laundry (that is right, she would take my laundry home to her house and do it for me in college.  She is amazingly kind.).  These two tubs are nearly taller than her 5 ft 4 in frame.  The door busts open and she says, "Here is our laundry."  "Roomie, did you carry those up by yourself?"  Our dorm room was on the third floor.  Roomie replie, "Don't worry it was not all that hard.  It was fine. Well, except for when I tripped and fell and our tubs came flying open and our underwear spilled in front of some guys.  At that point I was so embarrassed when they offered to help I just scooped it up my self as fast as I could."  See there she was Lucy.

However, the time she tried to teach me to wash a dish myself.  I am not good at this idea.  We had a place in our dorm room where we put the dirty dishes.  WE let them pile up and pile up and pile up.  It was gross. However, since she was always doing the dishes I just thought that she must have a reason to be keeping them dirty so I left them.  Finally after a few days she gave up and washed them.  I remember saying, "Oh you washed our dishes.  Where you doing a project with them?  Is that why they were dirty for so long?"  Roomie replies, "I was trying to get you to do them."  See there I was Lucy.  Someone was trying to teach me a lesson and I totally missed it.  

Or the time we lived in the dorm that had the broken fire alarm which went off all the freaking time.  Mostly, in the middle of the night...Which I slept through...unless roomie was home then she got me out of the building in the nick of time.  Me Lucy again.

I could go on and on.

Today was no exception.

Roomie and I met in Indy with our children and my spouse in tow.  We met at a park with a pool which was plan b.  Plan a was a flop.  We ate a picnic lunch and then headed to the pool.  That was fun but challenging.    Three children and three adults we could do man to man coverage and I was still concerned.  I don't know how the Duggards do it.    

The pool was a little overwhelming for our sons.  See it was a splash pad slash pool.  So water was spraying everywhere.  We are dragging our children through the pool as they are crying.  The water is too cold,  it is spraying to hard.  However, we are not letting up, they will have fun.

The lightening must have been terrible because I promise you this guy did not have a black eye in person.

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After lots of crying we decide to give them a break.  We sit down at our chairs and we have the kids warming up.  People start clearing the pool.  Parents are dropping the F bomb right and left about the chlorine and how they want their money back.  So we all start commentating about society, parents with the nerve to be that worked up about chlorine.  Then I see a life guard wearing rubber gloves.  I say,  "I bet a kid pooped in the pool. Now they have to clear the pool."  People are streaming out of the pool area now.  Life guards are yelling.  I say, "Let's wait until the dressing rooms calm down and then leave."  Main Man says, "No I think we have to leave."  At that point life gaurds appear wearing gas masks (no joke).  So I ask someone, "What is going on?"  They tell us that a chlorine pump has broken.  We have to evacuate.

This is when the excitement started.  Fire trucks start swarming the pool parking lot.  Now firemen are jumping off their trucks in full gear and rushing into the building.  At this point all three boys are just standing in amazement.  Roomie has taught her boys to thank God for the little things.  So her boys are saying, "Thank you God for fire trucks.  Thank you God for firemen like in my book."  "A fireman like in my book."  They are jumping up and down.  Little man is watching in amazement.  We are looking at each other, laughing like this has been totally blown out of proportion.  

Then the ambulance stream in the the parking lot.  Followed by the Hazmat truck. Then we notice the news trucks.  At this point the children are in heaven, us parents are thinking maybe we should be worried.  Other children are coughing and crying and being escorted to the triage area.  A couple children are throwing up.  Firemen won't enter the building with out their masks on their faces.  Parents are yelling about wanting their Fing money back.  

So at this point Roomie and I go and talked to a fireman.  "Should we get our kids checked out at triage before we leave?"  Nice fireman in full uniform, "Yes.  Just to be sure."  So here is some of the pics from the crazy triage moments.

(photo credit the Indy Star)

Phrases like, "How many kids can we put in an ambulance without seat belts.?"  "Which hospital can take the most kids?"  "Any child coughing or has a through irritant is going to the ER." are being a heard.  Great little man woke up with a cough.  I am not going to the ER for a cold he had 12 hours before we even got to the pool.  Children were crying.  Roomie and I looked at each other and said, "Who's Lucy today and Who's Ethel?"  "Only us."  

We got our children checked and cleared.  However, our cars are now blocked in by emergency vehicles.  So just like always we make the best of the situation and head to the park.  Played and played.  

Here is the thing I love.  My Roomie is level headed.  None of this really phased her.  She just rolled with the punches.  I love my roomie.  She is kind.  She is loving and caring.  She makes me love the Lord more.  She encourages me and makes me laugh.  Roomie has been in my life for years.  She is awesome.  I am going to miss her greatly when we move to AZ.  I am not concerened about our friendship though.  We have spent about 7/8ths of our friendship in a long distance relationship.  I pray for the day she will come to her senses and realize that IN is not a promise land and move closer to me.  Until that day comes I will treasure our 2 hour phone calls.

asleep before we left the parking lot.

 If you want more details on our day here is the news story:  http://www.indystar.com/article/20120621/NEWS/120621039/21-taken-hospitals-after-chemical-leak-into-Garfield-Park-pool

All in all exciting day.