Rude awakenings

[Guest]

As I've shared previously in different threads, I was startled awake on the morning of July 26. My alarm went off as usual at 6am, but 2 minutes later ... BOOOOOOMMMMMM ... SNAP/CRACKLE ... HISSSSSSS.

Then, dead silence.

I sat bolt upright in bed ... realizing everything electric (or so I thought) was off. I scampered out of my room headed up the steps, instinctively turning on the stairway light .... and, wowa, ... light. So, I turned back into my room ... and flipped some of the circuit breakers and the entire house had power again.

Next door neighbor heard it, too. We believe it was a lightning strike. My VCR is no more [replaced with one an Uncle gave me], my stereo receiver is toast [replaced by a new one I have since purchased], and a heated blanket and a heated mattress cover will need to be replaced before winter sets in. Ironically, the stereo receiver and VCR were plugged into 2 different surge protectors, both of which "saved" other electronics (including a TV). I have since purchased a few new surge protectors as well.

My computer, which was on at the time, is fine ... no damage done. My alarm clock AM/FM radio, which, obviously, was also on ... and NOT plugged into a surge protector ... is also fine. Go figure.


So ... what kind of "rude awakenings" have you had?



Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker
WRMNshowcase.lego.HO.model.MCs.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Come along and share the good times while we can" ... Lynn Anderson ... 'Rose Garden'

 

[aussie girl]

About three weeks ago hubby woke me at about 2am and told me there was a fire outside. He had already called the fire brigade, a neighbours brush fence had been set alight. after throwing on a dressing gown we went over and woke the people who's house it was and hubby grabbed the garden hose to try and stop it spreading. Thankfully the fire brigade arrived before any houses were in danger. They told us it was the fourth such fire that night, so we think a kid or kids might be doing it for kicks. Three nights later they had a second go at the remaining part of the fence and last tuesday a car in the street was set alight. Its quite scary to think some one in our usually quite little area is doing this for fun .....Mary

 

[Dennis S]

First some context: We live in a very remote mountain area. I have seen a total of nine mountain lions over the last four years. (And consider myself lucky to have seen so many). Before we finished our house, we would spend vacation time on the property in a small little cabin we put up, which is now Barb's quilting cabin. A bear got into the cabin, ate some of our food and left. Another time a bear tried to claw away the cover to our hot tub. So...you can imagine how I snapped awake in the early dawn hours after our dogs started barking They sleep in the shop, about 30 yards from our bedroom-and don't bark without a good reason. As I woke up, I realized something big, with padded feet was walking across our deck. The dogs had done their job, and it was time for me to do mine.

We are remote enough that we have to handle our own problems. There is no one to call who could respond in less than 90 minutes. That is the reason for the .45 semi-automatic pistol, & the pump 12 gauge shotgun, both within arm's reach of my pillow. I quickly chambered a round in the .45 and cautiously approached the window on our deck, moving towards the window closest to whatever was walking out there at three in the morning. That pistol, with a chambered round is a dangerous piece of equipment. The twitch of a finger fires a lethal bullet.

I approached the window carefully, trying to stay out of the vision of whatever was on the deck, and disciplining myself not to fire unless absolutely necessary. I straightened up a little trying to see, and became visible myself. As soon as I became visible, a large, golden furred animal tried to leap through our screen. In the fraction of an instant before I fired I realized it was not a mountain lion, but the 150 pound Golden Retriever that belongs to a neighbor about a mile away. He had run off, was apparently lost, and desperate (for whatever reason) to get into a house.

I set the gun in a safe place, wanting to be completely calm before ejecting the chambered round. We let the dog in, I ejected the round, and put the pistol back where it belongs. Sleep was was no longer possible for me, but my canine "adversary" was out like a light. I am so unbelievably glad I didn't shoot--but I can't help wondering-if it had been a lion, did I leave myself enough time to fire a defensive shot? This was a very unusual set of circumstances, and I don't expect I will ever have to find out for sure.

Anyway, that was the "rudest" awakening I ever had.

 

[geebee]

One Tuesday morning, a few years ago, I was still living in Los Angeles. I woke up from a very sound sleep with a crushing pain in my chest. I sat upright and tried to assess the situation. I found myself panicked so decided to get up and walk around until I decided what to do. Chris was back here in Ohio. After a minute or so, the pain went away as quickly as it had arrived and I was just falling back asleep when the phone rang. It was Chris calling to tell me to turn on the TV. In Los Angeles, the time was just about 5:55 AM on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Chris and I were talking on the phone as we watched the second plane hit the WTC. I was telling him about the chest pain that had awakened me and we realized that I woke up with the pain at the precise moment the first plane hit the WTC.

To this day I do not know what the pain was. It never returned except as connected to the memory of that morning. I guess George Lucas would call it a connection to the "Force" and I felt the intense disruption of the force the morning of 9-11. I do have regular psychic-type episodes so I believe there was a connection.

 

[Ross]

First I must fall asleep to have a rude awakening.

 

[Cooker]

Can?t think of one ??Am I that boring??

 

[Guest]

First I must fall asleep to have a rude awakening.

LOL!

While that is true ... sleeping is NOT necessary for a rude awakening .



Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker
WRMNshowcase.lego.HO.model.MCs.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Keep this feelin' alive" ... Eric Carmen ... 'Make Me Lose Control'

 

[Granbonny]

When we moved into our house 9 years ago..we were told, that the local Black Bear used our back (3 acres) to find his way up here..to raid the local birdfeeders, ect. in the spring.. .Yup, saw him that spring and every Spring..but got used to him...Just would say, scat and he would slowly walk away.....Well, after I returned home from surgery...family set up a twin bed in Living room for me...for several weeks.The first night, that I went back to sleep in our bed..dog barked aroun 2 a.m...I woke hubby. and told him..I think someone is at door. He got out of bed and went to Living room to see the BEAR standing at our open door. ..and dog barking..he went off the porch....Hubby locked the door. Now, we live in a gated community..so have never had bolts, ect. Hubby just didn't give the doorknob that big push=in to lock at night. ..what if I had still been sleeping in there? the next day..I found muddy paws on the door glass, a piece of bear hair, hung on wood by door, ect. Called my neighbor and she said, at 4 a.m. he was walking down her deck carrying her metal garbage can full of birdseed. Hubby bragged..that it was his meatloaf that smelled so good and bear was coming in for supper. ..Yes, he was here again this spring...Heard him in back ..when I was getting in my car. left, neighbor said, he came out of his garage and there he stood.(compard the time) and about the same..Zeke never bothers anyone..Just looking for food. I donot put out birdseed during the spring/Summer..let him find his own food. Bonnie

 

[Dennis S]

Hey Bonnie--It sounds like we should get together & share notes.

 

[Guest]

Yikes Bonnie....


Soon after the high school I attended opened its doors for the first time, a deer charged through a plate glass window and raced around in the HS. A few people still talk about it to this day. he he



Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker
WRMNshowcase.lego.HO.model.MCs.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Someday slowly turns to never" ... Tanya Tucker ... 'Soon'

 

[WayneGM]

I finally remembered one (this was a toughie).........not as exciting as some of the ones already posted, but memorable.

One night, my wife woke me out of a deep sleep to give me heck about something she had just dreamt I did. Talk about a RUDE awakening! The dream was about a girl a dated a few times before we met that she didn't like very much. I hope what she dreamt was worth it

 

[Lisa in Katy]

On the animal front, I once had a dream that I was wearing a mink stole in the middle of the summer. It was stifling, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get it off. I finally came awake enough to realize that my cat had draped himself across my neck and was sleeping soundly!

A few nights ago, my husband woke me up at 3:30 a.m. to inform me that the two boys who were spending the night with my son were not in the house. He had caught them in the act of sneaking out and they took off running. After waking up my sleeping son to see if he knew anything, I e-mailed one mom (in England) to let her know that her son was gone, that I relinquished responsibility, and that he was no longer welcome at my house. The other parent (a father) has only a cell phone and didn't answer until 5 the next evening. They came back around 3 the next afternoon to get their stuff and didn't even seem very apologetic. At that point, having had only 3 hours of sleep, I reamed them both. I still don't know where they were for the 12 hour period, and I'm still mad about them screwing up my night! Ah, the joy of 15-year-olds!

 

[Guest]

One night, my wife woke me out of a deep sleep to give me heck about something she had just dreamt I did.

*chuckles*

See ... that's one good thing about being single ... don't have the gf waking up mad at you over a dream .



Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker
WRMNshowcase.lego.HO.model.MCs.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Sometimes it seems like this world's closing in on me" ... Bad English ... 'When I See You Smile'