The Okie Dokie Pokie
Here in Oklahoma, we are supposed to call Okie before we dig. Okie comes out and marks buried gas, electric, cable and sewer lines so nothing and nobody gets hurt.

That's the plan.

Of course, I've lived in my home for 7 years and have witnessed Okie make some big mistakes at least 3 times. 2 of them were in my back yard. Today, it was two houses away.

Its just another day, I suppose, when police cars and fire trucks surround my home to block traffic. (Indeed, I came home once to find my house surrounded by trucks (fire, city, telephone, gas, and police), my yard full of tents (it was raining and the worker's needed a place to get out of the rain) and my driveway dug up. I had it easy, all my neighbors to the east had no electricity, water or gas!) Today, however, as I was driving carpool, I was suprised to see the main thoroughfare two blocks away was closed down, too! Something big was going down.

I called my neighbor to ask if she knew anything, not realizing I would send her into a panic! Having visions of Columbine, she hung up, threw her youngest children in the car and drove to the school (which was right beside all the firetrucks) to check on her oldest son! I can only imagine the face of panic she might have been wearing when she arrived! Fortunately, it was but a gas line break and they weren't even evacuating, just keeping people away.

Whew.

So, the moral of the story is: don't trust Okie. Okie Doke?