Gassed

Yesterday employees at a local junk yard were cutting open some old propane tanks. Unfortunately, at least one of them was not empty and they released a ginormous cloud of propane on the lower downtown area. My office is located within a couple blocks of this junk yard.

The cloud of propane descended upon us with the fervor of a group of 2nd graders on a box of Oreos. We didn't have a chance.

The gas poured into our building quickly and all of a sudden we all could smell the disgusting scent which is added to propane.

We quickly abandoned ship but it was really like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire as the gas cloud hung outside our building like a junkie near a needle exchange. Many of us were sickened by the smell and by breathing those fumes.

The fire department was called, but due to construction and a train blocking the tracks, they were delayed. Finally they arrived and located the source of the gas cloud.

When it was determined to be carelessness by the junk yard employees we filed back into the building. But it was still full of propane. I quickly got a headache and left work early.

I was sick all night long with a headache. Around 3 this morning, I was up trying not to puke. Bill tried to help by talking really loud and clicking the TV channels to the most noisy and visually jarring shows — because he's helpful like that. After choking on some vomit, I decided it was time to head back to bed where I slept with an ice pack on my head.

Good times.

I groggily got up and made my way to work, only to find our building still chock full o' propane gas. Luckily for me, my desk sits in an underventilated nook so I got to breath in gassy fumes all morning — more good times.

My hands and feet when numb and I tried to pass out a couple of times ... you know, just to keep the good times rolling, but the office eventually started to air out.

Now after having breathed in those volatile fumes for far too long, I began thinking about the sorry sacks o' poo that huff this stuff. Whatever high we may have gotten from this stuff was counteracted by an extraordinary headache and nausea. Why not just get your foot run over by a bus instead?