Under My Umbrella

ella ella ella ella eh eh eh under my umbrella ella ella eh eh eh eh eh

Those would be the moving lyrics I'm currently listening to. I'm not a fan of Rhianna, but at any given time you can almost guarantee that my inner monologue is humming along and counting the ella's.

So last night as I'm watching fantastic Thursday night TV and the fire alarm in my building goes off. It's gone off a lot recently because they've been "testing" it. But that's during the day, and this was during My Name Is Earl... My first thought involves my hand slapping my forehead, because I keep putting tenant's insurance off even though I live in an older building with lot's of old people, pot smoking students, and people out on day programs...

I figured it wouldn't hurt to just go out in case the place really is on fire. So hoping it wasn't and leaving my cats to sweat out the rest of the alarm under my bed, I went outside and joined the huddled masses that call my building home.

My first thought was that I didn't know a single soul out there, except for Brian with whom I've only exchanged one liners about the weather (we're now moving into such dingers as, "well at least it isn't snowing! Followed by the inhaled "yeah"). So not knowing anyone, and discovering that I probably didn't want to know anyone, I found a comfy spot out of the way of the speeding fire trucks.

Four firemen hopped out of the truck and were seen running up a couple flights of stairs. And then walking up a couple flights of stairs. And then stopping, shrugging, and stumbling down the flights of stairs to the foyer. I'm sure their hoses would have reached the rest of the way if need be.

Meanwhile, somebody in a uniform said we could go back up, though apparantly I was the only one who heard, but it's ok because I got to spread the news to all of my neighbours as I tried to get through the crowd towards the door. I'm going to assume that it's because crisis and I are regular acquaintances that evacuating my building didn't seem like a big deal... because the people around me looked a little shell shocked. Then again given the ages, they were probably fast asleep in their beds.

So there was no fire (though I did miss most of My Name is Earl), somebody just pulled the alarm for kicks and giggles. Hopefully it wasn't to test response time for the next time when they really set the place on fire...

Anyway, the whole point and moral of the story is that it's kind of sad that I don't know anyone in my building. It's stereotypical and not surprising, but it'd still be nice to have someone to chat with during an evacuation.

Happy Mother's Day mothers. In the midst of the noodle necklaces and picture frames, just know that some day your young adult children will think a long distance phone call is gift enough.