The cat was well behaved. She didn't even put up a fight when I shoved her into her carrier (a first) but everything else was a shambles.
At one point I stood, holding the cat and nothing else, ready to evacuate, but slowly came to the realization that I might need something besides a cat, in my new, post-fire life.
Maybe the laptop? It's got actual work on it, which I might want to continue doing, when I begin this new life, but what I really wanted to take, was the big screen tv. It didn't even occur to me till after the alarm stopped ringing, that I hadn't even begun looking for my wallet, car keys, passport... Anyway, I wasted a lot of time standing around with no plan of action. Bad form.
Have resolved to make up an 'emergency kit' with all the important things in one fire-proof place, and to also equip the car with a "survival kit" of some type, too, just in case.
I'm also planning to hold at least one fire drill, to see how long it takes me to get out of this place in one piece before it burns to the ground. I think I can safely excuse the cat though. She's got her part down to a T.



