May 30, Postscript - Massachusetts

Fire Dirt

Meant to mention this in tonight's post but it is deserving of its own. One of the reasons it has taken me so long to unpack is that EVERYTHING has fire dirt on it and must be cleaned.

Even the things in the back of the apartment that were in the closet. Nothing came out unscathed. Fire dirt is gritty, it is smelly, and leaves a film on things.

I have had to wash every single dish, every piece of silverware, every glass. All of my clothes.

Much was ruined, but the most important things were saved: lives. Me, my neighbors, and all the pets. I do not think firemen get enough credit for what they do.

And I can still rant about the fire dirt :) It really is awful. It smells months after the fact! When I open a box I automatically step back as I know its contents will make me cough.

So there is that. (And why it is taking me so long to unpack these darn boxes!)