5.7.06

Forget the Lobster Squad, call the fire brigade!


This is what comes of trying to be a little martha.

This morning I was on the phone to my mother, while tapping away at the computer. So far, so usual.
But I started to notice a weird smell, something burnt. I freaked out, thinking it was my computer, and me without backups (also usual).
My mother inmediately jumped into a cab, with my sister María. That´s how things are in this family. All for one, even if they know nothing about computers. Moral support is all.

By the time they arrived, I´d Remembered All.

Here´s the reconstruction of events. Play C.S.I. music in your head.

Earlier this morning, I´d opened the freezer to take out some bread for toasting. I´d then spotted some beef stock I´d had for over six months. I´d been reading that stock keeps for only a few months, so I decided to boil it up and see if it was ok, before refreezing it.

I buttered and salted my toast, brought it over to the computer, munched away while tap-tap-clicking again.

And one hour later the Smell came. I decided it had to be the computer. Well, what else? It was the only piece of equipment in use in the house. I fretted and fumed, and sniffed , thereby managing to get a lot of dust into my nostrils. It didn´t seem to be the computer, but what else could it be?
In the end, I decided to drink some water to take my mind off things.

Oh, the smoke! Barbecuers, you won´t know what liquid smoke is until you´ve seen the sight of a pan totally engulfed in the thickest, most burblingly angry fog.

I recieved my mother and sister at the head of the steps with the smoking pan, looking like someone out of the Addams Family. I will never live this down, obviously.

And what´s worse, I now have to go back to Ikea to buy a new one. It was a very old and favourite pan. O well.
Livia turned up for lunch, and we had pasta with Godfather sauce, and it was a lot of fun, and the pasta didn´t taste burnt, even if the kitchen still smells disgusting.

Here´s my lesson for today. Never mind about freezed stock not keeping for months. Go back to square one and write 500 times "I shall not leave the stove unnattended".

13 comentarios:

Anónimo dijo...

Oops! So does it still smell smoky?

Raquel dijo...

Ooooh! It´s a signal! the chance to get a Le Creuset grill pan!

Hey! don´t look at me like that ... Just thinking positive!

LE BLOG dijo...

Ooooooy qué emoción al ver mi nombre en tu blog! Estoy más emocionada -si cabe- que maría al ver el dibujo dedicado a ella. y además, no sólo me he reído cuando me lo has contado en vivo y en directo, si no que además me he vuelto a descojonar otra vez con el dibujito y lo que hay escrito!
Además además además.
Ah! Guru, totalmente de acuerdo against Jordi, es horterilla él, a la par que macarra. Hala!

lobstersquad dijo...

Gerald: you bet it smells smokey. It smells like the seventh circle of hell in there

Guru:I like the positive approach. And I need retail therapy, so I´ll probably get me a Le Creuset grill pan AND a crummy Ikea replacement for my old pan.

Leblog: qué menos, darlin´...

Raquel dijo...

(para Le blog) No diría yo tanto porque no tengo ¿el placer? de conocerle pero repetitivo y cansino, es un rato largo. Qué despelleje en dos segundos. Me encanta! (sonrisa maligna)

(para Lobstersquad) perdón por abusar de tu blog y montar este chat improvisado! Requetesorry!

Anónimo dijo...

Oh no! Thankfully things didn't get TOO out of hand - you still have a roof over your head!

...and a computer to type on - now don't forget to do a backup! :)

Anónimo dijo...

oh my, that's one of my biggest fears, i swear!
when i'm cooking a soup or stew or even baking something in the oven and i have to leave the apartment to get something at the corner bodega, i sweat the whole time i'm out just hoping my apartment hasn't burnt down yet!

I'm glad it all turned out okay!!

Anónimo dijo...

Oh dear, glad to hear you caught it and everything was fine. When you first said "little Martha" my first thought was my friend Martha, which was a very amusing image!

Deetsa dijo...

Oh my! I've had a few incidents of my own (fireball chicken and flambéed sugar come to mind)but I was only away a maximum of 5 minutes. The worst was setting my automatic shut-off kettle on fire by accidently turning on the stove element under it. Yeah... I can sympathize.

I'm glad you weren't hurt and there was no serious damage. I've heard so many horror stories around town related to similar things.

lobstersquad dijo...

Gilly, Ann, Tejal, Nerissa:thanks, it wasn´t so bad in the end, and I´m glad to report that the kitchen is back to normal after a whole night with the windows open.
I´ve never minded leaving stuff to simmer away. I´m having a crazy week, that´s all, too much work.

Anónimo dijo...

I cannot tell you how often I have done this. So I never think it's my computer, or the like, when I smell the smell. I just know I've done it again. Except one time, it was the dish washer. A plastic dish had fallen onto a heating element.Phew.

ThyCountess dijo...

Ha!..A friend of mine was cooking fried chicken and had a parcel delivery down at his appartment. He went downstairs without his appartment key. After half an hour, he then realise he was frying chicken. Well, to cut the story short, he burnt down his flat and all what is left of his belongings was what he wore that day. After that, it was a lesson learnt for us. Great dissaster.

Anónimo dijo...

Eso no es nada comparado con cuando ponía a hervir los biberones (antes de que se inventara el aparato electrico)y automaticamente el bebé y yó nos quedábamos (por fín) profundamente dormidas. No sabes lo que es despertarte con el olor de tetina quemada... Me ha pasado varias veces.

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