What a reporter does at 5 a.m.

It was 4:47 a.m. A Thursday. After a restful night, I awakened to begin my usual morning routine before heading to work. There was the obligatory trip to the bathroom, then I was off to the kitchen to gather kitty treats so my cats do not kill me before 5 a.m., each day. One the cats were happy and disappeared to wherever they go after I give them food, I headed into the basement to ride my bicycle to nowhere. I ride anywhere from eight to ten miles each morning as I practice my French via Duolingo on my cell phone.

On this still dark Thursday morning, I opened up the program and began cycling as I waiting for it to load. My brain usually isn’t fully functioning yet, and it’s probably stupid to make it practice French at such an ungodly hour, but it’s when I have the time.

Then, my phone rang.

My cell phone screen read “Maunette” and listed her telephone number. This particular week was my turn to be on scanner duty. At the Star-Herald, each reporter is assigned a week to cover breaking news. My week is always the fourth week of each mont. If something happens and Maunette, our digital news editor, hears it, she’s going to call.

I looked at my phone and sighed. I stared at it for at least three seconds before I put my finger over the “answer call” button and swiped to pick up the line. I never said hello.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I said.

“No,” was her reply.

“Where is it?” I asked. I got off my bicycle and began the journey from the basement to my bedroom on the second floor.

“It’s a house fire in Morrill,” she said.

My brain was trying to listen to the details she was relaying to me. Three fire departments were called out to the scene. It sounded pretty bad. I was looking in the top drawer of my dresser.

“I think I’m going to need a bra,” I said. I pointed at my bras as if Maunette could magically see them through the phone. “I’m going to need socks too.

Maunette shifted from relaying information about the fire to what I should wear.

“It’s cold outside,” she said. “You’re going to need your jacket.”

“Okay, but I’m wearing jeans.”

I left the house less than three minutes later. I had bed head. I hadn’t brushed my teeth. I still had on the blue Fallout t-shirt I had slept in.

The quickest way to Morril from my house is along 42nd Street. The only problem is 42nd Street is closed off near my house because they are upgrading the road. I had to travel about the long way around to get on the highway to Morrill.

There aren’t many people on the road just before 5 a.m. My USB drive of music just happened to be on H3Ctic’s Unbreakable. I cranked up the sound and put the song on repeat to wake me up. Then, I put the pedal to the metal and sped the whole way to Morrill.

Once I reached Morrill, I looked for Madison Avenue. Oh, great. There’s construction here, too. I drove to the next block and followed the Mitchell Fire Department’s fire chief up to the scene.

The journey form my house to the fire should have taken nineteen minutes. I made it in less time than that.

“I did 80 mph all the way here,” I texted Maunette.

“You did not tell me that,” was her reply.

There weren’t any flames coming out of the house. I sighed. I don’t wish anyone ill will, but a house fire should have fire, and flames. Thankfully, for the occupants of the home, it was a small fire that was contained in the attic. There was, however a lot of smoke damage inside. I missed the smoke as well.

I texted Maunette, “No flames.” She was bummed as well.

I took a quick photo with my phone and sent it to Maunette so she could get something brief online.

“At least you got to see the sun rise,” she said. Except I hadn’t. I was too busy trying to get good photos in the dark to realize the sun had come up.

Then I proceeded to walk as close to the scene as I could get.

The Morrill Rural Fire Department and the Mitchell Fire Department did something I don’t think I have seen before. They gathered some tarpaulins and took them into the house. Firefighters then gathered up debris and helped clean up the area to try and minimize any damage to the people’s home. I thought it was a nice touch to kind of minimize whatever trauma the folks who lived inside would have experienced.

After taking many photos and gathering the details of the fire, I drove back to Scottsbluff. Yes, at 80 mph.

I tried to respond to a text from Maunette for more details, but it’s near impossible to make sense why you are speeding down a highway and still aren’t sure if you’re fully awake.

On the way back, I saw a bald eagle in a nest. For those who are unfamiliar with the bird, they hate me. Everyone I know has good photos of the bald eagles that live in Scotts Bluff County. They have even taken me out to get photos, but the birds see me coming and fly away. I’m pretty sure every bald eagle within a 100-mile radius knows what I look like. I’m pretty sure they get together on weekends to laugh about me failing to ever take their picture.

I should have stopped, but I just wanted to get back to Scottsbluff and get a shower.

I walked back through my front door at 6:33 a.m., sat down at my computer began typing up the story. When I was finished, I emailed the story to Maunette and told her I would crop the photos and put cutlines on them when I got into the office. It was 6:47 a.m.

I took a shower, ate my oatmeal, drank my hot Darjeeling tea, and still made it to work at 7:53 a.m., about three minutes later than usual.

Each year, members of Soroptimist International of Scotts Bluff County make 600 May baskets for area retirement communities. They made two extra this year. One for me and one for Paul. This was my 2 p.m., interview near the end of a very long day at work.

I logged in to my work computer. As I waited for everything to load, I silently began wishing for 5 p.m., when I could return home and end my day. The life of a reporter, however, is never over. There were interviews to be had. I had an exclusive at 10 a.m., and another interview at 2 p.m.

After pounding on the keyboard all day, I logged off at 4:33 p.m., and went home. Paul had a cup of hot Darjeeling tea waiting for me.