Burning Car Defeats OCD Obsessions

 Today i found out that if you want to get rid of an ocd obsession really fast just watch your car burn...after you get yourself and your child out of it!

I dropped my daughter off at gymnastics and went to do my weekly erp at the used clothes store, just to keep it away.  I did that and afterwards went to another used clothes store nearby. This one looked ok from the entrance but then i noticed a back section.  Ignorning the floor change from carpet or tile to concrete i wandered into the back.  Big mistake because ocd just decided that NO FLOORING= MICE.  I tried to keep the thot away and left the store, after checking the floor and of course there were no mouse droppings anywhere to be seen.  I got to my car and drove away. I decided to fill up my almost empty car with gas before getting back to the gym. (That's important later on).  We were driving merrily down the highway and i was commenting to myself how neat it is that i can drive now, without always being afraid i'd hit someone etc.  As we were driving by the mall, i smelled something funny.  It went away, so i thot it was a nearby truck or car.  A few more min. off the highway and i smelled it again.  Also my break-foot was all the way to the floor and that was odd.  I thot i should check the car to make sure, but wasn't sure if that was just worry/ ocd brain or a real intuition.  We were driving by a grocery store and i turned in.  I parked under the lights at the back of  the store and got out to make a fool of myself by looking and  smelling under the back of the car.  Nothing.  Now just for the front.  It seemed ok- just some white stuff coming out the front.  I thot maybe the car was overheating (in nov????) or maybe a belt had burned off and it was residue.  To be sure, i went into the car and undid the hood thingie ( touching that is kind of an ocd no no but i did it with my foot). I opened it a bit and saw some flames at the back by the driver's side.  I closed it up hoping that would smother the flames.  I opened it a bit again and they were still there. 

I opened the back door and told my daughter to get out quick.  I couldn't get to her seat belt but she did and i pulled her out of her car seat.  Then i (quiet me who doesn't like to 'disturb' other people)  started yelling to ask if anyone had an extinguisher, my car was on fire.  Someone called 911 and some store guys came out with extinguishers and tried to put it out.  No luck.  I realized that i didn't see my daughter anywhere so started looking for her.  She was in the store front, with a lady i didn't know keeping her safe.  This was the same person who had called 911.  I tried to give her my home number so my husband could pick us up, but couldn't remember what my number was. 

Not too long after that Bruce showed up.  He had been driving by, looked at the fire and saw that it was a car like mine.  Coming into the lot he realized it  WAS our car.  So i didn't have to call him after all!

The firemen came and put out the fire.  They gave Katrina a little teddy bear and let her sit in the fire truck.  She was a bit traumatized by the whole thing!  The firemen took the stuff from inside the car (including the glove compartment and other areas i don't really touch unless i absolutely must) and trunk and put them all in a bin on the ground.  I took the bin and without worrying about any contamination, put it into Bruce's car.  Later i got out my purse, book bag, Katrina's school bag and stuff i got at Value Village and carried it all into the house.  No more worries about that second store i went into!!.  I was just glad things had gone as well as they did tonight.  The car didn't blow up, no one got hurt, no other cars got damaged.  Ocd worries gone. 

 Now, how do i get to therapy?