loud enough to wake the dead

I arrived at school this morning to find construction workers lounging in the grass by the parking lot, secretaries smoking at the bus stop across the street. Turns out the Olympia Fire Department was conducting an hour-long test of the fire alarm, without first bothering to inform the administration. I ran in to drop off my lunch, then scurried back to my car, ears plugged to muffle the deafening klaxon. Right now I'm blogging in the library-quiet computer lab at TESC.