I really needed a firefighter tonight. As in, I had flames, real flames.
Isn't it just the way that when you have just actually paid someone to clean your oven (which I am happy to say was not all that awful in the first place) - but, you have a perfectly clean oven, then turn your attention away for only a moment, and voila.....charcoal.
I really do love to cook, and I actually am a pretty decent cook. I do admit to having a bit of a problem with multi-tasking though.
Reading all kinds of materials recently, I happened to come across an article that said that multi-tasking was not all that great for your health. It is entirely likely that had Karin not noticed smoke when I mentioned that someone living near us was grilling, the story might have turned out differently.
Thankfully, I did recall one of Roger's most famous lessons and did not panic!
Roger's Lesson that I remembered: It takes three elements to have a fire - fuel, heat, oxygen. Remove one and the fire will go out.
I'm sure that is a firefighter lesson and one of the first things they ever learn - it sounds like science, right? That is why they put water on house fires - you can't really snuff out all of the oxygen!
I calmly turned off the heat and kept the oven door closed, and turned on the vent because my 36 year old oven has this teeny tiny split in the seal where smoke can escape. Not generally a problem, but it did escape tonight. Karin was a bit nervous about the flames. I waited. They went out.
Mistake - oh yes, there is always one. I opened the door and all of the smoke rolled into the room. I slammed the door really fast!
Dinner was not ruined. I have two ovens. But really, when taco shells fit on the oven rack, nicely nestled between the little metal things in the racks, who would really think that they might slip through the rails and fall on the heating element?
Thank goodness for sweet tea and sour cream!
And a second batch of taco shells!
These were not burned.
But my top oven - oh my!
If I am really clever and don't use it until the end of May, then someone else will be here to clean it for me.
I may not be able to wait that long, so I might have to do it myself. Oh, a chore I longed to forget how to tackle!
Roger's Lesson: When faced with a potential emergency situation, be calm. Take just a moment to think back on things you have learned and attack the problem logically and calmly. Most potential emergencies do not have to turn into total disasters.
OK, I did pretty well tonight. I never did panic. I handled the situation. I had to save face, after all, it would not have helped Karin to believe that I was safe living by myself if I went crazy! Gotta protect that independence!
But inside....ah, yes, on the inside I was screaming! OH NO ROGER! THERE IS A FIRE AND I NEED A FIREFIGHTER!
And he would have come quickly to my rescue, handled the situation, and then told me how to avoid that in the future.
Well....and he probably would be cleaning my oven tomorrow.
Eternal message? I'd say that it is definitely beneficial to spend eternity where there is no fire.
(and brimstone)
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