There's a bookstore in my neighbourhood that vexes me. It vexes me because the name was chosen just to avoid taking down the sign of restaurant which previously occupied the space. It vexes me because previous to closing and looking abandoned for the past year it had staff who would be kind of high and talk you down in price on the books. It vexes me because they put "silence of the lambs" in the childrens section. It vexes me because I believe it is a sin to let books rot in a window against the glass, sun bleached at peppered with mold. I believe it is a sin to waste prime real estate or retail space.

God may agree. I went out to get some provisions for fabulous husband, and a workman who had been stripping the paint off the front of the store was in a panic. He'd used a blow torch to remove some paint, and accidentally set the building on fire. Inside, where he couldn't get to it but could watch as first a gradual surface blackening, then smoke, then flames crept up the pathetic excuse for a display. The 911 call was answered within 4 min, seriously great time. And fire trucks? Immediately surrounded by bright, beautiful, big, bold fire trucks. FIVE of them, with the wee vans that accompany them sometimes, all saucy like. Had to walk between and along side them just to get around. Mmmmmmmm fire trucks. Ahem...anyway, they were able to quell the blaze, knocking out the windows and prying out the bit of wood between the walls, and the ajacent medical clinic staff and patients were able to take refuge (with computers and equiptment) in a local restaurant, and the painter was still freaking out large when I finally dragged myself and the melting ice cream away. The south east corner has been damaged.

The good news - I got some footage. The bad news? No clue how to use vegas yet to edit it together. Le sigh. Another thing to get on top of, that.