[p]The day before yesterday there was major crazy flooding where I live. While trying to get home I came upon the scene of a flash flood that carried a woman away in her car. She was stranded in a river that used to be an underpass. Two idiots had tried to get out to reach her and gotten trapped themselves. I got out, directed traffic to turn around, ordered someone to block the road off with his car (people continued to drive down there despite the fact that there was literally no road), and kept people from going out to get the strandees. Then the rescue guys came. I hung out for 4 hours or so until they got the people. In the meantime, turns out we were right next to a flooded barn where the mounted police horses were, so we had to rescue them. Then there were these cats that were trying to cross the water, so I ended up having to chase and rescue them.[/p]
[p]Turns out I spent 4.5 hours in the driving rain, standing in water infused with horse manure. I have cuts and bruises all over my body, I'm sick (and probably infected), and I still, two days later, ache everywhere. I was, however, sort of offended when, after 4 hours of being there and effectively having been the first responder, the rescue crew guy looked at me and asked if I was a firefighter. I told him no, I was just "some guy." He then told me to give my name and number for "samaritan purposes." Here I am surrounded by nameless, generally faceless guys who do this for a living, and he pegged me as the guy who needed to get credit. He needed me for his report, so I gave him my name etc., but I'm still stinging over that.[/p]
[p]No horses, cows, cats, or people were significantly harmed in this particular incident. Unfortunately, I spoke with the rescue guy last night, and was told that there were some casualties. Galactic hero, not Omnipresent hero.[/p]
