It Was Only Your Head

So a thing happened while racing.  The racecar has had a gremlin that presents itself as a cough.

Now this seems rather benign, but when it happens a little thing called fire happens.  Compare it to like a Bunsen burner flame that is usually easily extinguished.

Usually you just smother it with a rag and move on with your life. It's not fun and it's not something we enjoy obviously. Because: fire.

Except for this weekend we had a bit more then a Bunsen burner flame.

When I heard it cough, I lifted the hood to smother it. But we had an actual fire.

And as sometimes happens, when you give a fire oxygen; it tends to WHOOSH. That is until whatever fuel source is being provided burns out.
In this case fuel. And fumes.  So WHOOOSH.

I lowered the hood and turned away but it washed past me all the same.  I have expected my glasses to be warped but nope.  And I always make the joke about having "safety" glasses and in this instance, it was true.

So once the flashover stopped I smothered the flame and closed the hood. I had to close two fasteners so the car could move. Of course my hands were shaking a little bit so this wasn't easy task. Kevin motioned to just calm down, not a big deal.

Well, not a big deal to him because he didn't see what just happened because the hood was blocking his view. This is for the better.

He got out of the car and was reassuring, yet frustrated that there was a fire. He said something and I gestured to my hand, which had gotten a flash burn. "My hand hurts. Just a minute."

I started  to explain what happened when he took a good look at me.

This is where he exclaims "Your hair is on fire!" Then corrects himself to say somewhat less jarringly "Your hair is BURNT."   And now he melts down a little.  I told him that it was just my hair and my hand. I was fine and not freaked out.  This is a little bit of a lie but this is what you do when someone is starting to melt down.  

I mean: fire, fire in the racecar, and then wife on fire. It's a lot to take in.

I got my brush and started to work it through my hair. Along my right temple was singed in some places and straight up burnt in others.  Did you know that hair frizzes when it's burnt?  Yeah, it's not a good look.  My bangs were singed on one side and burnt on the other. And the ends of my hair were singed.  This is all I can see in a tiny makeup mirror because there aren't mirrors at the track. 

Again, not a good look. Not a good smell For Real though.  So I'm running a brush through my hair and watching it fall to the ground and come out on the brush.  I'm trying not to freak out and Kevin turned away.  I told him to just walk away until I get it all figured out.

More than what I wanted came out on the brush and my clothing.  I was kind of anticipating the worse until I got cleaned up enough to go sit in the truck and really take a look.  Then I pulled it back and just forgot about it.

Late that night I double conditioned my hair at the hotel then soaked it again in the morning.  We came home the next night and seeing it in an actual mirror, it's not great.  It's not terrible and could be so much worse. I didn't have energy for my hair at midnight but the next morning I treated it again.  I believe there is not much that can be done but time.

I can probably google it.  Then I was thinking about what a phone call that would be to the stylist. "So, I caught fire and..."

All in all, it's not that bad.  It's not noticeable, unless you really look.  It looks like I'm having a bad hair day, really.  I am super lucky.  My index finger is a little tender but everything else is unscathed.  Well, that's not true.  My eyelashes on one eye are...melted?  I don't know how to explain it.  They're there but they're like blunted.  Burnt, I guess is the word I need to use here.

I DON'T KNOW HOW I got out with just cosmetic damages but thank you to whatever racecar deity that was watching.  Even my favorite sweatshirt was unscathed.  If that had been burnt, then I would have been pissed.  

Now I have this to lord over Kevin for the rest of our lives. "Remember when I caught on fire for you?"  I did mention it once and he said "Wait, no. It was ONLY your head."  I have to admit that I laughed out loud.  

Because if you don't laugh, then what's the point?  It's only hair.  

And more importantly: racecar was unscathed. And yes, gremlin was booted from the car so it's not happening again.  Despite the hair, we had a successful weekend and that's more important in the long run.  It was only my head.

(Swistle: BREATHE. BREATHE.  It's FINE.  It won't happen again. BREATHE)