"The refine-ry blew up"

So , after a crazy day of vet visits (all's well with beau--he kept all his teeth and we await bloodwork results tomorrow) and an almost dentist visit. And I say almost b/c I had my friend watch the kids, went to the dentist at said appt time.....waited, and waited......45 minutes later after appt time dentist still nowhere near getting to me. I decided to reschedule ( a little angry but there was a dental emergency) and not leave my friend with 4 kids during the witching hour...that would just be cruel.
Now, after we ate dinner together, kids played well, everyone starting to get cranky...it's time to go. Power goes out.....another friend calls and says do you have power? , we don't have power either. I say, "I'm not home". Now , I am panicking.....dogs in the house, hate smoke alarms going off , any kind of clocks , phones beeping. I better get home before there is a disaster in my house (p.s. no disaster just shower curtains rustled, shampoo spewed all over the bathtub which is the new favorite place for one certain white dog and his black/tan compnion to "hide in" when there is any such beeping in my home)
As we are departing friend's house a stranger comes by and says and I quote (in my best redneck voice) "there is an explosion at the refine-ry , people are dead, could be days before we all get power back".
Now I am a grown adult with a graduate degree and know better than to listen to rumors.....BUT at the thought being stuck with two children by myself in a house with no power for 2-3 days I panicked, looked at my friend and said "see ya later, goign to find a generator". And thus begins the frantic calling of friends about where to get ice, generators, as we are driving around town telling where power seems to be on /off, etc. And as I am sprinting into Home Depot dragging my children behind me listening to the rumor mill swirl around me of the various scenarios of why we dont' have power.............THE POWER COMES BACK ON IN HOME DEPOT!!!!
My friend comes aroudn the corner as I am looking at the newly lit generators dragging her two kids too. We in turn call another friend who says , we have power, Kmart has power, Jack in the Box has power. Well, there you go. All that hullabaloo for nothing.....all because the refine-ry blew up . I am not making fun b/c accidents do happen and that would have been terrible but the way everyone was going crazy (moi included) is a little comical. I have been laughing at myself all night and how we all started dialing like crazy to get the word --power or not ? --how long?--what happened? Since I have small children that is pertinent information I do get it, but I really should not have jumped the gun and it was reminiscent of days in the south when a tornado goes by, or after a hurricane and all the hoopla surrounding that and how everyone calls to see what everyone else is doing. Part of it is curiosity I know. But the other part is to check on the ones you love and care about to make sure they are okay.
On a different note, G decided today that not only was she a master at walking with our Diego push toy she wanted to master jumping off the PB kids chair while pushing Diego....AND DID IT....Jumped right down while pushing that little thing. Fearless I tell ya. We are counting down the days. It's killing me and I am a nervous wreck!!!