Brook

[Terry]

You have had a crummy few days.

How are things going for you today?

[Brook]

Re: Brook




Thank you *so* much for the thoughts, Terry. It has really been a roller coaster ride around here for the last few days- and frankly, I could use some vent space, so pardon me for running with it here....

Today was a good day. The families that lost their homes are being moved into vacant apartments and my kids got to see a couple of their friends that they were really worried about. Just about the time I lose faith in humanity, I get lucky enough to see people pull together to help others in crisis and it restores my faith.

I didn't fall apart in front of my kids Wednesday night. They needed to know that everything was going to be fine and that no one got hurt. We also went over *everything* about what to do in case of fire again, and it was the first time ever the conversation was really hard. It wasn't a hypothetical situation for them anymore, but something that really hit close to home- in more ways than one. The worst part was when my 13 yr old asked me - tears in his eyes- "But mom, what if I can't get to the girls?? What if I can hear them but I can't get to them mom because there's fire between me and them?" I just hugged him hard, teared right up with him and told him to do his best, but if he couldn't get to them to get out and get help. I told my girls the same thing. It was awful, because like I said - this situation wasn't just a hypothetical one anymore. They really had been woken in the middle of the night and had to get out, then stand and watch the building they live be engulfed in enormous flames. Ugh ugh ugh.

Once they were safe and sound at Gramma's and I was on my way back to work?! Hello! Water-works! I just keep thanking God that dh was there. He wasn't going to be there - but he was. *sigh* And yep, I did smoke one cigarette Wednesday night when I got back to work. LOL

I haven't smoked since though - and I've been really good food wise too. Things have calmed back down in the last couple of days, and I'm feeling much more in control of life in general.

Thank you again for thinking of me, Terry. Ya made me all sniffly and stuff and I appreciate it more than you know.

BTW- Anyone/everyone out there - go over fire safety with your kids tomorrow. Don't do it like I did it Wednesday night at 1:30am driving them away from a burning building. Of course we'd gone over it all before, but DO IT AGAIN. Please.

Love & light
~Brook

[loser4life]

Re: Brook

WOW Brooke, sorry so much going on now for you. I can't imagine... I woke up in the middle of the night a few years back and my whole room was orange, I just got up yelling fire fire- ran out of my room and realized it was the house across the street burning- I couldn't believe we were the first ones to call for help and the house was completely engulfed(sp). It was soooo scary. I can't imagine it happening to my own home... It is a wonderful thing to see people pull together in hard times. I just wish that sometimes it would happen without something to be wrong or bad happen...

[Brook]

Re: Brook

:::wolf whistle::: Wow Rikki! Great picture!!

Thank you!

We got really lucky. Our apartment was completely unharmed, but 16 families lost their homes in our building. WAY too close for comfort. WAY too close.

[loser4life]

Re: Brook

Thanks Brook- You really look amazing! Your melting page has really inspired me to go at this the best I can!!! Now- If I would motivate myself to get some of those workout videos you have recommended!

[Brook]

Re: Brook

Thank you, Rikki!

And you had to know this was coming....heh heh.

What type of stuff do you enjoy doing? I can probaby point ya towards something you might like If ya wanna chat about it, feel free to PM me, and I'll pelt ya there and spare everyone else. hehehehehe


~Brook

[Finelly]

Re: Brook

Brook - we went thru that with the San Diego fires two years ago......glad you're ok!

[Terry]

Re: Brook

Brook,

Glad you are doing better.

Pretty scary stuff. Vent away! H*** if you had a PACK of cigarettes that night no one would have blamed you! (But its great that you had one and moved on. yay you!)

Fire has always been my one big fear. Not only at home but when they were spending the night at friends houses. All we really can do is train em well and hope they never have to deal with something like that. Yours did and I am sorry for that.

Makes you hug em a little harder doesnt it?

Take care

[kkat55]

Re: Brook

Hey Brook!

Just wanted to check in with you and see how you were doing.

Any new updates?

~Kat~

[Sarah1341]

Re: Brook

Brook - Hope all is well! What a scary thing to have gone through!! Kids feeling a little better?

[Brook]

Re: Brook

Hey you all. Been scarce the last few days and with good reason. It seems the drama is just going to continue to roll and roll right now.

Thank you *SO* much for the continued thoughts and support. I know I've said it before, but seriously - THANK YOU.

I'll post what's been going on right here, but I will re-post it separately with pictures and need to be able to label the post properly so that those who don't want to see won't. The pictures I'm going to post are pretty bad - gorey and bloody.

Saturday night my husband & I went out to the club. We've been regulars there for over 3 years now and I sorta feel like NORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRM when I go in. LOL Anyway, here's the statement I wrote out for the police :

Saturday, July 23, 2005 my husband, Duane W***** and I went to A********** Nightclub (located at ****************************). Right around bar closing time we left and went to the McDonalds right across the street.



We were riding my husband’s 2005 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle, and we were waiting in the drive-thru line for our order. There was a black Nissan Maxima with 2 men in front of us at the drive-thru window. My husband was revving the engine on his bike – teasing me – and I was talking to a woman sitting on a curb that I knew from AlleyGators. We were all giggling.



The man in the drivers seat of the Maxima – a light skinned black man with short hair, wearing a black button down shirt and I think jeans – about 6 foot tall or so and around 25-30 years old, got out of the car and came back yelling at my husband and I. He yelled something like, “You got a fu***** problem?!” I responded to the man telling him something like, “Man, no one was talking to you – grab your food and let’s go!” He told me to shut up and let my husband talk. He got more belligerent and started to threaten my husband telling him he was going to “Beat you down”. My husband got off the motorcycle and the two of them stood nose to nose arguing back and forth. There was a man in a car behind us (I don’t know this man, but see him often at Alleygators). He got out of the car and stepped in-between Duane and the driver of the car. The two men separated and Duane got back on the motorcycle. The driver walked to the driver’s side door, said something to the passenger of his car, and then walked back around to the trunk of his car. He opened up the trunk and started to dig through a light tan colored tool bag. He stopped, pushed the trunk closed and walked back to the driver’s door again. He started shouting at us again – I’m not sure what he said, but he went back to the trunk again, dug in the tan tool bag and pulled out a light blue handled set of channel-locks (like a big wrench). He turned around and swung at my husband. He missed.



My husband got off the motorcycle and I saw the man swing the channel locks at Duane again and hit him. The next thing I saw was the two of them fighting by the McDonalds building, between the building and the car and motorcycle. I saw the passenger of the car get out. The passenger was a white man with short blonde hair (shaved down??). I’m not sure what he was wearing and I’d put him around 25ish years old as well. He came around the back of the car, yelling at Duane and his friend and was headed to jump in the fight. I was off the motorcycle by then – and I stepped in front of this man to stop him.



The passenger screamed at me to move and grabbed me by my shoulders and shoved me. I shoved the man back, and screamed at him to stay out of the fight. I said something like, “Your boy thinks he’s a big man with a set of channel locks, let him be a man and stay out of it!” The man shoved me into the motorcycle, then grabbed the motorcycle and tried to push it over. I shoved him away from the bike and the man swung at me to hit me. I ducked and shoved him away from me again. He came back at me again, swung at me and shoved me back. I stumbled back a bit and in that time he grabbed the motorcycle again in an attempt to knock it over. I shoved the man again, he swung at me, and I ducked, kicked him in the groin and punched him in the face. I screamed at him again and he started backing up. I didn’t hear the driver of the car yell, but saw the passenger look towards the driver and my husband, and they both started back towards their car to get in. I believe it was at this time I called 911 and gave the operator the license plate number, make and model of the car. I do not remember if I gave a description of the men at that time.



They got back in their car and sped away. I was still on the phone with 911 and my husband got back on the bike. We followed them down Bass Lake Road to 494 Northbound, to 694 easts Bound. I lost connection with the 911 operator somewhere along 494. While on 694E, I noticed that my left arm was wet. I looked down and discovered I was absolutely covered in my husband’s blood. I told him to turn off and we managed to get back to my apartment located at ***** **** *** * **** ********, ** *****. When we got to my place, I called 911 again and police and ambulance responded.



Brook *. W*****

I've never been as afraid for my personal safety, or that of my husband's, in my entire life. It was easily the scariest thing (aside from my youngest child's health issues & my mom's) that's every happened to me. It was straight out of a freakin' movie.

Dh refused to let them do a CT scan, but I'm fairly certain his skull is cracked up on top. Odds are I'm going to have to find a place on his head that isn't stitched and bruised, thump him over that spot, and drag him back in tomorrow. He's been staying with me since Saturday night & will until I know he's going to be okay.

We went to the police station yesterday to give them our written statements and have them take more evidentary photos of Dh. They have NOT arrested this thug & his friend yet. There has been a detective assigned to the case, and you can all bet who's about to become a ROYAL pain in a certain detective's ***.

So yep. I'm a complete failure this week with smoking and eating, and I won't even begin to deny or justify. There is no denying it and I certainly can't justify it - but for now I'm on auto pilot and praying that things settle down to a dull roar. I'd give anything for the last couple of weeks to be erased and get a do-over, but somehow I just don't see that happening. Gahh.

I did go grocery shopping today though, and we have a good meal out for tonight, so that feels better.

I WILL conquer all this crap, I will..and when I do? Brook The Low-Carb-&-Exercise-Maven WILL BE BACK. Don't give up on me yet.

Love & Light.
~Brook

[loser4life]

Re: Brook

Holy Crap- What a bad time for you! Yikes, definetely sounds very scary! I can't even imagine. I hope things slow down for you soon...too much drama can drive a person nuts!!!!! I hope they find the idiots and they learn a lesson- probably won't but we can always hope so!

[Brook]

Re: Brook

Ugh. Thanks Rikki.

I posted the pics in Chit-Chat.

It's not even about a lesson, ya know? These freaks need to spend time in jail. It scares the **** out of me to think how easily he could have killed dh.

I need a drink. LMAO
Party at Brook's house!!

[goin2Bgood]

Re: Brook

H*** if you had a PACK of cigarettes that night no one would have blamed you! (But its great that you had one and moved on. yay you!)

If she would have had a pack I would have gotten medieval all over her arse since it's HER fault I quit smoking 1.5 years ago LOL

On a more serious note, I'm very sorry to hear about what happened. I can't imagine anything scarier or more heartbreaking than watching your home go up in flames

Edited to add: Jeez, I didn't even see the part about your DH until now. Holy cow girl. I take the medieval part back!

[lbrowne]

Re: Brook

(((((Brook))))

Sending good thoughts and several prayers, my friend. Remember that you can gain more strength with the situation and yourself if you get your eating in check than if you try to control it (or not) any other way. Pick your quote for the week to help get you through this. or several! Use a punching bag, or hit the pavement running, but don't punish your body from the inside out with crap it really doesn't deserve.
(oops! I meant that to be encouraging but it sounds more like a lecture!! sorry. )

Does DH have a concusion also, or did he escape that? Owyowow!!!

~ Linda

ps - May the detective find those guys quickly, for his own sanity! lol.