Yesterday morning I was in the kitchen mixing up a batch of scones for the girls' breakfast when I heard, "Bzzzt! Bzzzzzt! BZZZZZTTTT!" Looking down, I noted bright golden light flashing through the oven window and then several showers of absolutely gorgeous sparks cascading down the inside of the glass. I have to confess, I'd never heard an oven make that noise before, but it didn't sound like a particularly happy oven-noise, so I turned it off.
After 15 minutes or so, I opened the door a bit and peeked in. The top element was glowing bright red around one spot, and while I watched, it threw some more sparks off. I shut the door again. Obviously the poor thing was having some sort of breakdown and needed some privacy. It seemed unkind to intrude.
Three hours later I gingerly cracked open the door again. No sparks this time, and the glowing red spot had burned three quarters of the way around the curving length of the element. I wasn't surprised to find this morning that eventually the element burned itself in two before giving up the ghost.
The appliance repair and supply shop we use had to call their supplier to see if the replacement element could even be ordered. The stove is that old. It also looks like I'll have to do some wiring to get this thing fixed, since the element is soldered onto the wires instead of simply plugged into something. Maybe there'll be more sparks! Ooooh, pretty!
6 comments:
Next time I have a meltdown, I want *you* to be around. You'd just let me melt and pick up the pieces later -- so much safer and easier for everyone! :)
Okay, that was a mixed metaphor -- but you get the idea . . . I shouldn't try to write anything coherent in the morning . . .
Okay... there is something seriously wrong with me. If that had happened in our kitchen, I would have had the meltdown.
But no, you turn it into a piece of literary art... all the time remaining calm and inquisitive (with patience). I'm jealous.
Beth--I understood the metaphor, and it made me laugh. And, after all, who is coherent in the morning, anyway?
Michael--Literary art?! Oh, major brownie points for you this morning! Maybe I'll go sabotage the refrigerator today to see what I could get out of that.
Patiently tapping my foot waiting the the refrigerator crash. (snicker)
Ooh... try sound systems next. Lots of noise AND color.
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