3:30am... What??

So our last night in the apartment wasn't exactly what you would call "a pleasant sendoff."

We were abruptly awakened by the loudest screeching noise imaginable aka the Fire Alarm. Most people would immediately throw on some clothes and exit the building. But as it were, this is Firewheel and we've already had about 4 fires and evacuations in the past year. All turning out to be no big deal. So we and the neighbors all slowly schlepped out of the apartment some ten minutes later mainly because we couldn't stand the sound.

An hour passes with the entire Garland Fire Brigade in the parking lot and no news. Not exactly the time to meet all your neighbors. Finally, a fireman comes along and says that we can all come back except those on the fourth floor which, of course, is our floor. Meanwhile, we overhear that someone had smashed a fire extinguisher in the hallway to put out something in their kitchen three buildings down. Wow.

But all was not lost-- we had a chance to talk with our neighbor Janet at 3:30 in the morning about the fact we were leaving that very morning. She's a nurse and was working all weekend and missed all of our moving extravaganza. We will miss you Janet.

Oh Parkside at Firewheel, you made it easier to leave. Tis bittersweet.