So I didn't go to Madras, Oregon with my housemates to get a front row seat at for the Solar eclipse this week. I'm not much for crowds and besides, I've already seen the sun blotted out and the sky go black. The only difference this time is that other people could see it too. I opted to stay home instead and have a retreat of sorts, a week of solitude and peace, buzzing along happily from one project to the next. I would be happy watching the eclipse on NASA's live feed, and keeping an eye on the chickens to see if they freaked out. (They didn't. For the curious, they didn't roost either. They just sort of went along being chickens.)
As the moment of totality neared, I started smelling smoke. Maybe it was from the ions caused by the eclipse or something, who knew. Before my housemates had left I'd promised not to go downstairs if I was cooking, so I was upstairs while making lunch, which was to involve a piece of Dave's killer seed bread and maybe some tomatoes. I was on the computer watching the countdown when smoke started filling the room. I walked into the kitchen. Smoke spilled out the sides of the toaster oven. And inside the toaster oven, there was a beautiful blue fire, burning in a square shape along the sides and top of the toast. Now, I knew the fire was already getting some oxygen, and that I didn't want to give it a lot more oxygen by opening the toaster oven door. I knew this and had this thought consciously even as I reached forward to open the toaster oven door. Instantly the flames moved to the front of the toast, ready to leap out of the oven. I burrowed in the closest cabinet and came up with flour. My thought was to smother the flames which, while not large, already licked the top edge of the toaster where there were pieces of bread going stale for bread crumbs. And above that, the paper towels, hanging on the bottom edge of a wooden cabinet. Was there also a fire extinguisher? Yes! Right next to the toaster oven. Did it occur to me to use it? No. I started flinging double handfuls of flour into the fire as the sky grew darker, an impassioned witch casting a habitat preservation spell. It wasn't entirely doing the trick, so I dumped an entire two pounds of flour into the toaster oven. That did it. Fire smothered, in one of the dumbest ways possible. Kids, do not try this at home. Flour can explode if heated too quickly, and flour dust is flammable. I was lucky it went out so quickly. And now that I've unplugged (smart thing #1) and cleaned the toaster oven (smart thing #2), I'm going to let it completely dry overnight tonight (smart thing #3) to test if it works, after clearing more counter space (smart thing #4) and reviewing how the fire extinguisher works (smart thing #5). With any luck, the toaster will work fine. It seems however, that the timer is broken, as the dial was stuck right where I left it. Anyway: Buy Nothing Money-Saving Tip for the Day: Don't set the house on fire.
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ArchivesAuthorVirginia Lore enjoys living life as an experiment and frequently steps out of her comfort zone -- when she's not hiding out in her room with the covers over her head that is. You may email her: [email protected] |