Miracle! Literally

I haven't been able to post for a couple of days because my family has been "displaced." The house explosion that took place on the southwest side of town early Wednesday morning happened across the street from where I live. Here's a picture my wife took from our living room.

The da Silva family is doing fine. I went to the house to get the Suburban on Thursday morning and was told we were ok to go home. When we got back from the hotel, however, we were told that they were getting high natural gas concentrations around the foundation (nothing in the house, though) again. So it was back to the hotel.

Minnesota Energy has put us up at the Holiday Inn South, so we are fine as far as lodging is concerned. Our kids are having a blast with the neighbor kids from across the street who are also staying there. They have been enjoying the pool and have had a wonderful time over all.

God is awesome! He spared the lives of the neighbors whose house blew up and kept everybody else safe. Rob, the homeowner, Liz, his fiancée and Alex, the renter were treated in our living room. Miraculously, they only had bruises, relatively minor cuts and scratches. We were also privileged to become somewhat of a staging area and temporary shelter for some of our other neighbors. I was about to make breakfast (cheese omelettes) for everyone before we were told that part of the neighborhood had to be evacuated.

The latest update we have is that we may not be able to return to the house until Sunday. They are taking natural gas readings hourly and won't give us the go ahead to go back until the readings are consistently low. We are ok for now and hope to go back to our routine sooner rather than later.

There are so many people to thank. Rochester's first responders (Gold Cross, PD and FD) were at the scene within minutes. They were methodical, professional, efficient courteous and reassuring. The Red Cross and Zumbro Lutheran Church took very good care of my family while we waited for word on whether we could go back home. Friends called on us, perfect strangers comforted us. The folks Minnesota Energy have been keeping us informed on the progress of their work and treating us with care. The staff of the Holiday Inn South have been extremely helpful and accomodating.

Rochester is a great community. I have been concerned that our recent growth spurt would suppress some of the Midwestern generous, caring nature that distinguishes us from the coasts. So many people in this community don't seem to appreciate the simple things that make us special. They are constantly complaining about not having enough to do in town. It's always, there are no restaurants, there is no cultural life, whine, whine, whine.

I like being "fly-over country." Let them keep their vernisages and escargot. Give me Nascar and lutefisk anyday. Ok, maybe not lutefisk.