Thursday, September 20, 2007

A couple of non-dull moments

The first non-dull thing that happened this week was that I accidentally started a fire.

It happened just before I was due to pick The Little Madam up from daycare, and I'd just put on some pasta in case she stayed awake long enough to have lunch at home. While it simmered away, I made myself comfortable with a book of Harlan Ellison short stories, a mass of cheap 'n' cheerful cushions and the reading light turned on full-bore. When I caught a whiff of something burning, I checked the pot on the stove - nope, this was one time I hadn't forgotten to put water in the saucepan.

Only when I headed back to my comfy reading spot, did I notice that one of the rays on the smiley-face sun cushion was stuck to the reading light bulb and was rapidly turning black. Worse, it was emitting a foul chemical odour.

I whipped the cushion away from the hot bulb, took it outside and snipped off the burning ray. It continued to burn and melt in the rain, sort of like how a chicken continues to run about even after it's been beheaded.

It was time to go pick up TLM, but once we got home I had to have the door and window open the rest of the day just to make the place habitable again.

The second non-dull thing
that happened this week is something that probably would've happened sooner or later, and perhaps it's surprising that it wasn't sooner.

I went out to get the washing in, you see; it was such a beautiful day and so calm that I didn't bother to leave a shoe at the edge of the doorway in case a gust of wind slammed the door on me. The thing about the back door is that it locks automatically. TLM was playing inside, and after I went outside she decided to play shut-the-door.

If any of my neighbours had been home at the time, they would have heard a frantic voice cry "No TLM...no...nononononono!", followed by a door slam and then, the sweet sound of childish laughter.

Fortunately I found someone who was home who let me use her phone to call the boy (who probably didn't mind much having to leave work an hour early to rescue me).

The good thing was that I didn't really know this neighbour, but by the time the boy got home we'd had a really nice chat.

7 comments:

Watson Woodworth said...

Your writing class is rubbing off.
I love the juxtoposition of the smoldering cushion and a lopped chicken!
The smell couldn't have been pleasant though.

Geekery said...

The Second non dull thing happend to my wife, the only difference being she had a run a block to the local service station to use a phone, and I had to 'rush' home through Auckland traffic to the rescue.... that and my wife could see bub playing with a knife.... ooops

Lumpyheadsmom said...

Wow. Non-dull indeed.

Violet said...

nigel: yeah I'm gonna have similes coming out of my ears like well-soaked wax ;-)

onscreen: ooh, much scarier by far!

lumpyheadsmom: and where would this blog be without such moments, eh?

Angela said...

Sounds like you had some great excitment!
Glad everything turned out for the best

Anonymous said...

If it was anything like the "fire" at your birthday one year, lots of firemen would have turned up in silver suits, eh? I guess not!! ;-)

Violet said...

desiree: unfortunately, no. Or it would have been re-classified as a downright exciting moment;-)