To The Rescue
Come, friends, sit 'round and listen to a true story! A friend called at 4pm Thursday nite saying his car broke down about two and one-half miles from my home. He is in the Safeway parking lot and does need a ride home. A BMW no less is in trouble!! So I needed to go to the rescue, me and my Sentra! Before rushing pell-mell out of the house, and being careful to insure that my first home made pot of winter chili was protected from "over cooking", I approached the stove and thoughtfully pressed the little button that says off!
So merrily I go to the Safeway parking lot, me and my little $2,000 Nissan to see big brother BMW (at $70k a whack when new), a girl friend is called, shopping is finished, a tow truck arrives and the "B" is sadly and with little fanfare towed to the shop for a $700+ repair bill!
The owner and I, in my used two door car, retire to the Beamers home ( only it is not there) to have a few and assist with dinner preparation. I try to take my leave, but alas am persuaded to remain and have one more.
So as time passes, as it will do, I insist that I must bid adieu as I have much to do. With reluctance and a little snide comments or two, I wave good-bye and hurry home in my little well running 4 "banger" car!
As I step in through the door, I immediately sense that all is not quite right, it is not clear! There is an odor in the air and a sting to the eyes! "What", says I, "can the matter be", as I wave away the smoke and soot so that I may see what my brain refuses to compute! As I round the corner ( not a large one, only about 2 steps) to the kitchen area, I behold a most magnificent sight! Why no brighter a red glow to show the way did any raindeer have!
Awesome, dude, awesome! For there in bold display, on the burner not of chili, but one to the rear appeared a blacken glass coffee pot riding on a brilliant fiery red element! Wow! And then my eye took in the whole "wondrous" sight to see and in flash I knew what the matter to be. "Ah ha", says me to me, "why a most serious thing has occurred here while off rescuing a
broken "beamer"!"
In a moment of "problem" solving contemplation, it was obvious that the button for the chili had not been press-ed at all! But instead the do-hickey for the pot of almost empty brew had been activated to its most highest level of operation, while the chili pot burner had remained at status quo!
No flames did occur, but there was this nice big bubble bursting below the stove hood where inset meets wall. The surrounding cabinets, made of cheap pressed wood, were spared the ignoble plight of destruction by fire
......not even a blister to show for the fright ! But man, did that pot takes it evenge! Soot, soot! Tons and tons of fine powdery black plastic stuff swirled in the swift currents created by fans, open windows and doors. In every orifice, nook, cranny, ceiling, or place not tightly shut the "black" pox winked its shinning eye as if to say, "ah ha, you mere mortal thing, now lets see what you can do"!
This "pooter do-dad" did its thing to! A fright of some proportions, I must admit. For it appeared to have lost some files, and took off like 4 wheeler in a pond of mud! It seems to have recovered, the cause for its mysterious behavior unknown. It was covered with the "black delight" which turned to a sticky blight, and now must be bathe in something to make it right.
On the day just passed I spend in sheer delight breathing the "sooted plastic" along with the sweet smell of comet cleaner and 409 degreaser. My hands are raw, my back ajar, and still there are many parts awaiting to see the cleaning done on par.
So alas my friends, although it has taken some time to construct this note to you, my time for computing has been aborted, at least for the while. In the end, nothing horribly seriously done, just a lot of inconvenience and time lost to other enjoyable pursuits. But as someone else once said upon experiencing an event of some embarrassment, " I shall return"!
T. Condon Nov. 1996
T. Condon Nov. 1996
