rough night...

So, I thought my house was going to blow up last night. Yes, it's true. I thought there was a natural gas leak, called the gas company, and eventually called 911. Four fire trucks showed up on my little street. It was insane! It was a bonding experience for my housemates (3 single ladies in their 20s & 30s) and I as we chatted and contemplated what was happening. It turned out to be no gas leak (despite the hideous odor that made me feel nauseated and light-headed) but rather a short in my boiler. Usually the safety won't allow the boiler to be on if there's no water in the system to heat. The safety shorted out and the boiler got so hot it melted a gauge. The end of it all was I had to stay in a motel last night (paid for by the landlord) since there was no heat. I stayed in the hotel on principle since the landlord hasn't fixed things she needs to--broken windows in my house and many other things in the housemates' apartments--and it's the law. It was quite a saga that's continuing. I'm sure I'll post about it again in a few days...