It is that time of year again when everyone gathers together with friends or family for that special evening. They all come expecting certain things to happen and certain people to be there. We call these things traditions. And even though they happen at other times of the year as well, there seems to be an extensive amount that happen during this holiday time of Christmas and New Years.
As people who are hardwired to like routines and like things to be a certain way, we tend to love traditions. We love the familiarity of them and love the fact that we can predict what will happen at each event. We also love to reminisce about each event and what happened at the last one at the current one. And as funny as it sounds we love to get together with the same people and do the same thing year after year. We are people of routine. So, naturally, traditions are something that we love.
Over the last little while i was thinking about my family/friend traditions and i was trying to decide which ones were my favorite. I was also trying to decide what traditions i would like to do away with and what ones i would like to start either with my friends or with my own family one day.
The traditions that i love are the Whiting Family party with the egg sausage casserole, scones with honey butter, and fruit salad to eat. At this event we also have orange juice and hot chocolate to drink with marshmallows in it. All of the Whiting family gathers together and we eat food, then we play the white elephant game where it is always funny to see what people end up with (my family brings some highly entertaining things) and then we usually have some sort of family program. It is always a blast and even though we add one or two people to our group each year, we always do the same thing.
The next tradition that i like would be the Walker Family party. This party is held at my grandparents house and everyone gathers there. At this event we have chicken wings, garlic bread, salad, and shrimp for dinner. After dinner we all gather in the living room (where we all sit on top of each other and all over the floor to fit). This would be where we have our family program. We used to all dress up as the parts of the bible story for the birth of Christ. But since we have gotten older we know take turns reading different parts and singing songs. After the program we have the gift exchange from the grandparents. They always get the girls the same thing and the boys the same thing. We each have to wait until everyone has their gift before you can open it. Then we all open them at once to see what we got. From there we proceed to take the annual picture. For this picture all of the girls put on whatever they got and line up by age. Then the boys will do the same thing. I have this picture from almost every year of my life. It is fun to line them all up and see how we all have grown.
My other favorite tradition for this time of year is the annual party with my friends. Each year we get together and go to dinner. Then we usually hang out at someones house and watch Elf while drinking hot chocolate and laughing over old times. Sometimes we go to Temple Square as well. But that all depends on how cold it is and whether it is snowing or not.
Some of my other favorite traditions that go on throughout the year would be the family vacation to Bear Lake, friend trip to St. George, Friend trip to Lake Powell, Thanksgiving dinners, week at Snowbird, and especially birthday parties and dinners. All of them are fun and all of them happen every year.
There are other traditions that go on in my life and some of them i would not mind getting rid of while there are others that i would like to start. Each of us have our own traditions in our lives. Each of us have things that we like to do every year and we expect to do them every year.
So here is my question for you, answer if you would like to. My question is what are your favorite traditions? What are the things that you like to do every year?
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
A 'What Happened' Moment
Do you ever have one of those moments where you are not quite sure what is going on or what just happened, but you know that it is not good? One of those moments where you really have to think about what just went on and try to figure out what you are supposed to do next in a matter of seconds?....Well i have. I have had those moments throughout my life and they are always an adventure to try to figure out. My latest adventure just happened last Thursday.
The day started off with me going to the elementary school. I technically did not have to go, but i sort of volunteered myself to show up and teach. My site teacher had asked me to teach a dance lesson to our students. she even got this great idea to do it with our second grade buddies. and me being the weirdo that i am agreed to do this. It didn't really hit me that i had just agreed to teach dance and movement to sixty student's, who are all 11 and younger, on my own. I even got this grand idea to teach them movement through language arts and have them make up a dance to the book Twas the Night Before Christmas. I seriously think that i may have been insane when i agreed to this. Anyway, When i got there on Thursday we had a lesson on caring for others. Then it was my turn. Overall the whole lesson went really well. It was a bit shaky at the beginning, but the ending product was pretty good. I am not saying that i would do it again with all of them, but i would do it again with some of them.
After dance we had sign language, grammar notes, and then off to lunch. We then had our class party of holidays around the world. Right after school was out i had to run because i had my last math class that evening. I really needed to go because i had to turn in my portfolio and we were doing our final projects in class that night. I quickly left the school and drove home to get my stuff. Then i ran out the door and was off to the U. I looked and the clock and was relieved to see that i had more then enough time to get there. Then it happened.
I was driving on the freeway and was just passing the 5th south exit. I was singing along to some song on the radio when it sounded like a gun went off. It made me jump and the next thing I knew was that I had glass falling all over me. My first though was where is it coming from? I quickly glanced to my left and realized that the glass was falling form the drivers side window. It was completely shattered and galss was going every where. My next thought was What just happened? I was still trying to sort all of this out when i realized that my arm and face were stinging. I looked down and saw that my arm was bleeding in several places. I sort of wonder why since i was still trying to figure it all out.
It finally hit me that i should do something. but what? Here i was driving down the freeway with a shattered window, glass going everywhere, my arm bleeding and i knew i couldn't just stay on the road. I needed to do something about it. I concluded that i should get off of the freeway and park somewhere. Luckily, this all had happened in about a minute and i was just nearing the 2600 south exit in Bountiful. I quickly got off the exit. As i was doing so my brain started to connect what had happened. I knew that my window shattered and that i was bleeding. I also knew that i should park somewhere and call for help. Lucky for me there is a Denny's right off of this exit. I drove right over the the parking lot and pulled in. Then i called my mom.
She asked how i was doing and i answer "not so good". I then went on to explain what had just happened. She said she was going to call and see if she could get me help. While i waited for her to call me back i started to asses the damage done and try to figure out what to do. I still had glass falling and my arm was still bleeding. I knew that i did not have any napkins so i started to look for something that i could use to clean up the blood. When she called back she said that Ben was picking up Wendi and that she would go with them to come and save me. They were going to leave right then and should be there in about a half an hour. When i got off the phone with my mom i realized that i probably was not going to make it to class on time or at all and that i needed to call someone and let them know what was going on. Once i got that covered i needed to figure out what to do next.
I wondered if i should get out of the car or just stay where i was. Since i had glass all over me and it was still falling off i decided that it would be best if i didn't move to much. I was worried that if i tried to move around a lot that i would just end up cutting my self even more than i already was. I ended up finding a rag in the door and used it to wipe up some of the blood on my arm and to put pressure on the cuts that where still bleeding. I ended up sitting there for about a half an hour. When my mom, wendi, and ben got there. They quickly came to help me out. The first thing out of Wendi's mouth was are you ok? the second was "this is uch a blog moment". She then proceed to take pictures of what was going on. (you will have to ask her for them if you want to see them) It just made me laugh and i smiled and played along.
They got enough of the glass removed that i felt safe in getting out of the car. then we proceed to somewhat get the glass off of the seat and out of the window. At the same time i was trying to get all of the glass off of me. It was decided that my mom would take my car home and that Ben and Wendi would drive me over to the train station to get my moms car. from there i would be able to drive to class and get my stuff turned in. It is a good thing that my class was three hours long. It gave me plenty of time to get there. So, i cleaned myself up as best i could and put band aids on the cuts that wouldn't stop bleeding. I then put on my sweatshirt and got my backpack and headed off with Wendi and Ben.
By the end of it i had determined that a rock had hit the window and shattered it while i was driving. I was just thankful that it was not any worse then it was and that i was not terribly hurt. and yes, i did make it to class and get my things turned in. All in all is was a very entertaining adventure, and one that i would rather not repeat.
The day started off with me going to the elementary school. I technically did not have to go, but i sort of volunteered myself to show up and teach. My site teacher had asked me to teach a dance lesson to our students. she even got this great idea to do it with our second grade buddies. and me being the weirdo that i am agreed to do this. It didn't really hit me that i had just agreed to teach dance and movement to sixty student's, who are all 11 and younger, on my own. I even got this grand idea to teach them movement through language arts and have them make up a dance to the book Twas the Night Before Christmas. I seriously think that i may have been insane when i agreed to this. Anyway, When i got there on Thursday we had a lesson on caring for others. Then it was my turn. Overall the whole lesson went really well. It was a bit shaky at the beginning, but the ending product was pretty good. I am not saying that i would do it again with all of them, but i would do it again with some of them.
After dance we had sign language, grammar notes, and then off to lunch. We then had our class party of holidays around the world. Right after school was out i had to run because i had my last math class that evening. I really needed to go because i had to turn in my portfolio and we were doing our final projects in class that night. I quickly left the school and drove home to get my stuff. Then i ran out the door and was off to the U. I looked and the clock and was relieved to see that i had more then enough time to get there. Then it happened.
I was driving on the freeway and was just passing the 5th south exit. I was singing along to some song on the radio when it sounded like a gun went off. It made me jump and the next thing I knew was that I had glass falling all over me. My first though was where is it coming from? I quickly glanced to my left and realized that the glass was falling form the drivers side window. It was completely shattered and galss was going every where. My next thought was What just happened? I was still trying to sort all of this out when i realized that my arm and face were stinging. I looked down and saw that my arm was bleeding in several places. I sort of wonder why since i was still trying to figure it all out.
It finally hit me that i should do something. but what? Here i was driving down the freeway with a shattered window, glass going everywhere, my arm bleeding and i knew i couldn't just stay on the road. I needed to do something about it. I concluded that i should get off of the freeway and park somewhere. Luckily, this all had happened in about a minute and i was just nearing the 2600 south exit in Bountiful. I quickly got off the exit. As i was doing so my brain started to connect what had happened. I knew that my window shattered and that i was bleeding. I also knew that i should park somewhere and call for help. Lucky for me there is a Denny's right off of this exit. I drove right over the the parking lot and pulled in. Then i called my mom.
She asked how i was doing and i answer "not so good". I then went on to explain what had just happened. She said she was going to call and see if she could get me help. While i waited for her to call me back i started to asses the damage done and try to figure out what to do. I still had glass falling and my arm was still bleeding. I knew that i did not have any napkins so i started to look for something that i could use to clean up the blood. When she called back she said that Ben was picking up Wendi and that she would go with them to come and save me. They were going to leave right then and should be there in about a half an hour. When i got off the phone with my mom i realized that i probably was not going to make it to class on time or at all and that i needed to call someone and let them know what was going on. Once i got that covered i needed to figure out what to do next.
I wondered if i should get out of the car or just stay where i was. Since i had glass all over me and it was still falling off i decided that it would be best if i didn't move to much. I was worried that if i tried to move around a lot that i would just end up cutting my self even more than i already was. I ended up finding a rag in the door and used it to wipe up some of the blood on my arm and to put pressure on the cuts that where still bleeding. I ended up sitting there for about a half an hour. When my mom, wendi, and ben got there. They quickly came to help me out. The first thing out of Wendi's mouth was are you ok? the second was "this is uch a blog moment". She then proceed to take pictures of what was going on. (you will have to ask her for them if you want to see them) It just made me laugh and i smiled and played along.
They got enough of the glass removed that i felt safe in getting out of the car. then we proceed to somewhat get the glass off of the seat and out of the window. At the same time i was trying to get all of the glass off of me. It was decided that my mom would take my car home and that Ben and Wendi would drive me over to the train station to get my moms car. from there i would be able to drive to class and get my stuff turned in. It is a good thing that my class was three hours long. It gave me plenty of time to get there. So, i cleaned myself up as best i could and put band aids on the cuts that wouldn't stop bleeding. I then put on my sweatshirt and got my backpack and headed off with Wendi and Ben.
By the end of it i had determined that a rock had hit the window and shattered it while i was driving. I was just thankful that it was not any worse then it was and that i was not terribly hurt. and yes, i did make it to class and get my things turned in. All in all is was a very entertaining adventure, and one that i would rather not repeat.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
To Know That You Are Loved
I have to say that I love this time of year. I know that it gets crazy in the schools with all of the students on sugar and all excited for Christmas to come, but i love it anyway.
This last week at my school my fifth graders have been off the wall. Everyday it was a battle to try and get them to quiet down and do their work. They did pretty well on Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday i was just ready to let them play. So, i did. On Wednesday night we had Deck the Halls. My school puts it on every year. What happens is every grade makes some sort of art project and decorated the hallways with it. Then each grade also learns two Christmas songs. At Deck the halls all of the parents come to the school to watch their kids preform their songs and to walk the halls of art. My students were so excited to sing to there parents and to make their art work. So all we did on Wednesday was practice the songs and paint nutcrackers. It was a great day.
On Thursday we had a lesson on caring, Dance with our second grade buddies, sign language, and our class party of Holiday's around the world. I have to say that the dance part of the day was my favorite. I was the one who got to teach the lesson and was very excited to do so. And let me tell you, it is highly entertaining to teach 60 kids dance and movement at one time. In the end it was worth it thought.
First I had them warm up and get comfortable with moving around. The second graders weren't scared at all and just joined in. It took the fifth graders a little bit of time, but they eventually got into it. After the warm up we talked about using words to make movements. I had them show me movements for words such as sway and twist. Then I moved to night, Christmas, creature, and Santa. From there I had them gather on the floor and read them Twas The Night Before Christmas. From there we made up a dance to the first page of the book. then i split them up into six different groups. Each group received a part of the story and it was their job to come up with a dance to go with it. After they had all come up with their own part we ran through the story in order with each group dancing their part. Then we added the beginning that we had made all together and also created and ending. All of this was a little bit crazy and chaotic. But then we did the whole dance to music and it was amazing. When the music started the students all got in their beginning poses and where ready to start. Then they each did their part. The cool thing was that you could tell what the story was about. It was really neat to watch the story come to life and to see the students engaged in it. Even if you as the teacher are afraid of dance, i would try this with your students. They could amaze you with they can do.
Then on Friday we did absolutely nothing school oriented at all. In the morning we had an earthquake drill, then we finished reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, next we had the school sing along. After that we made and decorated 3D Christmas trees until lunch. After lunch we learned the hula and danced around the room.
The greatest part of the week though was finding out how loved i was by the students. Even though they were off the wall and annoying this week, with Brad yelling out "holy toletio" and Dave following me around the room asking for my help, and sara who never stops talking, it was also the week that made me love them the most. It amazed how much they cared about me and others in the school. I had some students decided on their own that they wanted to help some others out with Christmas. They choose to do the twelve days of Christmas for a student who needed it. They each collected the money on their own, bought the gifts and delivered them to the student at school each day. I had other students who brought gifts for everyone else in the class because they didn't want one person to be left out.
And then those cute little kids even brought me gifts. And even though i loved receiving the gifts, i have to say that i Loved the letters they wrote to me even more. Even though they were smudged with chocolate, wrinkled and filled with sloppy writing and misspelled words, it was their little "thank you", "your are the best", and "i love you" comments that made my day. Those notes and the students are what teaching is all about. And even though you spend hours more then you are paid for, and run around all the time thinking about your students and wondering if they are going to pass the tests that they need to, or if they are going to ever learn what you are trying to teach them, and no matter how many recesses you spend working out behavior problems with them, in the end it is all worth it because you know that you make a difference. And more then that you know that you are loved and that you can help them succeed. That is what makes teaching worth it.
This last week at my school my fifth graders have been off the wall. Everyday it was a battle to try and get them to quiet down and do their work. They did pretty well on Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday i was just ready to let them play. So, i did. On Wednesday night we had Deck the Halls. My school puts it on every year. What happens is every grade makes some sort of art project and decorated the hallways with it. Then each grade also learns two Christmas songs. At Deck the halls all of the parents come to the school to watch their kids preform their songs and to walk the halls of art. My students were so excited to sing to there parents and to make their art work. So all we did on Wednesday was practice the songs and paint nutcrackers. It was a great day.
On Thursday we had a lesson on caring, Dance with our second grade buddies, sign language, and our class party of Holiday's around the world. I have to say that the dance part of the day was my favorite. I was the one who got to teach the lesson and was very excited to do so. And let me tell you, it is highly entertaining to teach 60 kids dance and movement at one time. In the end it was worth it thought.
First I had them warm up and get comfortable with moving around. The second graders weren't scared at all and just joined in. It took the fifth graders a little bit of time, but they eventually got into it. After the warm up we talked about using words to make movements. I had them show me movements for words such as sway and twist. Then I moved to night, Christmas, creature, and Santa. From there I had them gather on the floor and read them Twas The Night Before Christmas. From there we made up a dance to the first page of the book. then i split them up into six different groups. Each group received a part of the story and it was their job to come up with a dance to go with it. After they had all come up with their own part we ran through the story in order with each group dancing their part. Then we added the beginning that we had made all together and also created and ending. All of this was a little bit crazy and chaotic. But then we did the whole dance to music and it was amazing. When the music started the students all got in their beginning poses and where ready to start. Then they each did their part. The cool thing was that you could tell what the story was about. It was really neat to watch the story come to life and to see the students engaged in it. Even if you as the teacher are afraid of dance, i would try this with your students. They could amaze you with they can do.
Then on Friday we did absolutely nothing school oriented at all. In the morning we had an earthquake drill, then we finished reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, next we had the school sing along. After that we made and decorated 3D Christmas trees until lunch. After lunch we learned the hula and danced around the room.
The greatest part of the week though was finding out how loved i was by the students. Even though they were off the wall and annoying this week, with Brad yelling out "holy toletio" and Dave following me around the room asking for my help, and sara who never stops talking, it was also the week that made me love them the most. It amazed how much they cared about me and others in the school. I had some students decided on their own that they wanted to help some others out with Christmas. They choose to do the twelve days of Christmas for a student who needed it. They each collected the money on their own, bought the gifts and delivered them to the student at school each day. I had other students who brought gifts for everyone else in the class because they didn't want one person to be left out.
And then those cute little kids even brought me gifts. And even though i loved receiving the gifts, i have to say that i Loved the letters they wrote to me even more. Even though they were smudged with chocolate, wrinkled and filled with sloppy writing and misspelled words, it was their little "thank you", "your are the best", and "i love you" comments that made my day. Those notes and the students are what teaching is all about. And even though you spend hours more then you are paid for, and run around all the time thinking about your students and wondering if they are going to pass the tests that they need to, or if they are going to ever learn what you are trying to teach them, and no matter how many recesses you spend working out behavior problems with them, in the end it is all worth it because you know that you make a difference. And more then that you know that you are loved and that you can help them succeed. That is what makes teaching worth it.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saying Goodbye
This last week we sent Elder Walker on his way. On Sunday he had his mission farewell talk and then we had an open house after wards. Then on Wednesday we took him down to the MTC. Both them were wonderful experiences and I am glad to have been a part of them.
Last Sunday morning we were all running around the house setting up the last minute things for the open house and making sure that we had everything ready to go. We knew that we would be having around 100 or so people in the house that afternoon and we wanted to make sure that they would all have a place to go. As we were getting before the meeting at one, people started coming over to the house. They wanted to make sure that we had what we needed and were just dropping off a little something extra. Everyone of them said something great about Chris and all that he has done for the ward. Everyone of them was happy to be a part of his life and the things that he was doing. It was great to hear and to know that so many people loved and supported my brother in all that he is doing with his life.
At the church family and friends arrived to listen to the words that Chris had to say. His talk went really well and the feeling of the spirit was strong and happy. He did a great job talking about sacrifice and keeping his cool throughout it. Afterwards we all headed over tot he house for some great food and even better company. The house was packed full with people who were there to show there love to Chris and to tell him goodbye. It was an amazing thing to watch all of the people that came to support my brother and our family. We are truly blessed and grateful to all of those who came. It meant a lot to us to have you there and it meant a lot to Chris to be able to see all of you before he left. So thank you for coming!
On Tuesday night Chris was set apart as a Missionary. The stake president and his counsels gave him some great words of advice about staying close to the savior and standing up for what he knows to be right. After he was set apart we went home and started to pack his bags. My mom was worried about all of the stuff fitting into the two suitcases and not being over weight. but being the amazing packer that she is, she was able to get the weight evenly distributed to the two cases. In the end each of them weighed about 45 pounds. And that is with the heavy winter coat and boots in them. Then on Wednesday we took Elder Walker down to the MTC.
I ended up going to class that morning to turn in some papers that were due, but I was able to get away and meet every one for lunch. We all meet at Applebee's at 11 to eat and spend time with Chris before we said goodbye. The food was great but the company was even better. I love spending time with my brother and it was great to eat with him for one last time.
After lunch we headed down to the MTC in Provo. We got down there just in time to take some pictures before we had to drop him off. We all gathered at the park across form the MTC and took our photos with him. Then we walked him across the street and into the MTC parking lot. That was as far as we were allowed to go. From there they had another missionary come over and get Chris. We all gave him our hugs and sent our good luck wishes with him. Then we stood and watched as the two elders went walking into the doors of the MTC. And that was goodbye.
I will miss my brother with all my heart. He is a great guy and an even better friend. But I know that he will do well in the mission field. He cares so much about people and loves to help them succeed. I know that he well love the people that he comes to met and teach throughout the next two years. He will be a great missionary and he will be able to bless the lives of many. And knowing that makes me happier than anything. I am proud to call Elder Walker my brother.
Last Sunday morning we were all running around the house setting up the last minute things for the open house and making sure that we had everything ready to go. We knew that we would be having around 100 or so people in the house that afternoon and we wanted to make sure that they would all have a place to go. As we were getting before the meeting at one, people started coming over to the house. They wanted to make sure that we had what we needed and were just dropping off a little something extra. Everyone of them said something great about Chris and all that he has done for the ward. Everyone of them was happy to be a part of his life and the things that he was doing. It was great to hear and to know that so many people loved and supported my brother in all that he is doing with his life.
At the church family and friends arrived to listen to the words that Chris had to say. His talk went really well and the feeling of the spirit was strong and happy. He did a great job talking about sacrifice and keeping his cool throughout it. Afterwards we all headed over tot he house for some great food and even better company. The house was packed full with people who were there to show there love to Chris and to tell him goodbye. It was an amazing thing to watch all of the people that came to support my brother and our family. We are truly blessed and grateful to all of those who came. It meant a lot to us to have you there and it meant a lot to Chris to be able to see all of you before he left. So thank you for coming!
On Tuesday night Chris was set apart as a Missionary. The stake president and his counsels gave him some great words of advice about staying close to the savior and standing up for what he knows to be right. After he was set apart we went home and started to pack his bags. My mom was worried about all of the stuff fitting into the two suitcases and not being over weight. but being the amazing packer that she is, she was able to get the weight evenly distributed to the two cases. In the end each of them weighed about 45 pounds. And that is with the heavy winter coat and boots in them. Then on Wednesday we took Elder Walker down to the MTC.
I ended up going to class that morning to turn in some papers that were due, but I was able to get away and meet every one for lunch. We all meet at Applebee's at 11 to eat and spend time with Chris before we said goodbye. The food was great but the company was even better. I love spending time with my brother and it was great to eat with him for one last time.
After lunch we headed down to the MTC in Provo. We got down there just in time to take some pictures before we had to drop him off. We all gathered at the park across form the MTC and took our photos with him. Then we walked him across the street and into the MTC parking lot. That was as far as we were allowed to go. From there they had another missionary come over and get Chris. We all gave him our hugs and sent our good luck wishes with him. Then we stood and watched as the two elders went walking into the doors of the MTC. And that was goodbye.
I will miss my brother with all my heart. He is a great guy and an even better friend. But I know that he will do well in the mission field. He cares so much about people and loves to help them succeed. I know that he well love the people that he comes to met and teach throughout the next two years. He will be a great missionary and he will be able to bless the lives of many. And knowing that makes me happier than anything. I am proud to call Elder Walker my brother.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Making Dinner
Si tonight i got home after a long day at the elementary school. I never realized how much drama ten year old's can have in their lives. Trust me, if you do not think that they can have a lot going on, you are wrong. Anyway, after i came home i just sat on the couch for awhile and watched T.V. At about 6 i figured that i should go and make myself dinner before i went to institute. I also figured that i could make enough for lunch tomorrow. That way i would not have to buy anything and i wouldn't starve while i was at school. The next thing to do was to decide what to make.
I wandered into the kitchen and after a look through the fridge and cupboards i settled on my fall back plan. spaghetti and chicken. easy and quick to make. I started to get the things out to make my meal. I proceed to turn on the oven and place a pan of water on the stove to heat up. i then went to sit on the couch and wait for the water to boil. I was watching T.V. and on the next commercial i looked over to check how things were coming along. I saw some steam rising and thought it was time to put the spaghetti in the pot. When i got to the oven i started to realize that the steam i was seeing was not steam at all. What it really was was smoke coming from the oven. This is the oh crap moment.
After a quick inspection of the stove top i knew that the smoke was not coming from the burner but from the inside. I couldn't think of what would be burning because i had not put anything into the oven yet. I pulled open the door and a huge burst of steam came pouring out. And it stunk! It smelt really bad. But i knew this smell. I had smelt it before. It was the same smell of plastic melting in the dishwasher. Know why would that smell be coming from the oven you ask?? Well that is what i wondered. Once the smoke cleared a little i was able to look inside and see what was burning. Expect that it was really burning. It was melting. And what is it that was melting you ask?? well, it was a kitchen tile. Yes, a kitchen tile. One of those linoleum kind that you can just pill off the paper and stick to the floor. now why this was in the oven, i do not know. But there it was. Sitting on the rack melting away and starting to drip down onto the bottom. for the life of me, i couldn't figure out what i was supposed to do next. So, i called for chris. He's smart, he could figure it out. So chris come running and after looking into the oven starts laughing his head off. I mean, who wouldn't. There is a tile melting in the oven. He ended up grabbing it with a towel and pulling it out. We took it out to the front porch so that it would no longer stink up the house.
So now the chicken was no longer an option. I figured that i could still have the spaghetti. the water wasn't boiling yet so i went back to the couch to wait for it to do so. Once i got to the next commercial i went to check on the water again figuring that it should be ready by now for the pasta. Well i got over there and the water was not ready. In fact it was not doing anything. No bubbles at all. not even a flicker of a bubble in the water. So i checked the burner. Not even hot. Not even warm. In fact, it was still cold. So i then checked the knobs to make sure that i had turned the right one on. I had. I proceed to check the other burners and it turns out that they were not working.
That is about the moment that i gave up on dinner. I figured that at this point it just wasn't worth it. so in the end, i had toast instead with a cookie on the side. I think from now on that will be my fall back plan for dinner.
I wandered into the kitchen and after a look through the fridge and cupboards i settled on my fall back plan. spaghetti and chicken. easy and quick to make. I started to get the things out to make my meal. I proceed to turn on the oven and place a pan of water on the stove to heat up. i then went to sit on the couch and wait for the water to boil. I was watching T.V. and on the next commercial i looked over to check how things were coming along. I saw some steam rising and thought it was time to put the spaghetti in the pot. When i got to the oven i started to realize that the steam i was seeing was not steam at all. What it really was was smoke coming from the oven. This is the oh crap moment.
After a quick inspection of the stove top i knew that the smoke was not coming from the burner but from the inside. I couldn't think of what would be burning because i had not put anything into the oven yet. I pulled open the door and a huge burst of steam came pouring out. And it stunk! It smelt really bad. But i knew this smell. I had smelt it before. It was the same smell of plastic melting in the dishwasher. Know why would that smell be coming from the oven you ask?? Well that is what i wondered. Once the smoke cleared a little i was able to look inside and see what was burning. Expect that it was really burning. It was melting. And what is it that was melting you ask?? well, it was a kitchen tile. Yes, a kitchen tile. One of those linoleum kind that you can just pill off the paper and stick to the floor. now why this was in the oven, i do not know. But there it was. Sitting on the rack melting away and starting to drip down onto the bottom. for the life of me, i couldn't figure out what i was supposed to do next. So, i called for chris. He's smart, he could figure it out. So chris come running and after looking into the oven starts laughing his head off. I mean, who wouldn't. There is a tile melting in the oven. He ended up grabbing it with a towel and pulling it out. We took it out to the front porch so that it would no longer stink up the house.
So now the chicken was no longer an option. I figured that i could still have the spaghetti. the water wasn't boiling yet so i went back to the couch to wait for it to do so. Once i got to the next commercial i went to check on the water again figuring that it should be ready by now for the pasta. Well i got over there and the water was not ready. In fact it was not doing anything. No bubbles at all. not even a flicker of a bubble in the water. So i checked the burner. Not even hot. Not even warm. In fact, it was still cold. So i then checked the knobs to make sure that i had turned the right one on. I had. I proceed to check the other burners and it turns out that they were not working.
That is about the moment that i gave up on dinner. I figured that at this point it just wasn't worth it. so in the end, i had toast instead with a cookie on the side. I think from now on that will be my fall back plan for dinner.
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