Welcome to Erma Bombeck's Kitchen.....

(Previously on Survivor), in Cassia's Kitchen: MULTI TASKING IS A MISNOMER; aka shop vacs are wonderful in I discussed conceding in the area of multitasking. Today, I throw in the towel. Not the Towel, mind you, just my Multi Tasking Towel!!!!! it is over rated, you know!

Here are two, count 'em, (2) devices which we had on hand in case of imminent demise. Post danger, I found out that they needed to be examined and re-activated, or re-compressend or, re-charged periodically. On a yearly basis. They are sitting by my front door, reminding me to actually stop and go and have them recharged.



Here is a picture of my computer technician guy, Tim: Is he, in this picture, fixing my fried computers, either one of them? No, he is putting out a fire, in Cassia's Kitchen. Thank God he was there!





Here is a picture of your all purposes household item. In a 5 pound bag size. Notice the little blue letters: HUNDREDS OF USES!!!! I keep this on hand for my fabulous bath bomb cupcakes. But today, I used it to put out a fire in Cassia's Kitchen.


Here's how it went down: We had been having tremendous technical difficulties in our business office for unknown reasons. I have had to call Tim out on more than one occasion when the IP address had been thrown offline and there were network conflicts which my ISP service could not figure it out, even when the trouble calls were escalated to Level 2 Technical Support.


On this particular day, Tim finally could make it out to our office where we had already 1) had my business laptop burn up last month, 2) our HP Photosmart all in one ceased to print, scan, copy and fax, and now 3) we had lost connectivity with the beloved world wide web.


We had already purchased a new Epson work force machine (me begging my husband to purchase me a laser printer for labeling purposes) (he saying, no, we are losing business by the day due to no FAXing capabilities, and laser printers had to be ordered online) and me conceding, heavy sighs all the way.


Our ISP announced to us that there was nothing more that they could do and we needed to go to Best Buy and get a new network adapter. This, however failed, so trusty Tim came to our rescue.


I was in the kitchen, just happily making my wholesale order #1; just a cookin', and a cuttin', and a singin' and having a generally joyous time! I had just put a small batch of soap base in the microwave and pressed 33... OR SO I THOUGHT........


(Do you ever do that? At the checkout counter when swiping your card? Do you ever so lightly push those 4 digit numbers and they don't take right away so you push again and then the clerk has to clear the transaction and you start all over? Riiiiiight.....that was just what happened. )


I must have pushed 3:33 as I sometimes do, and did not notice. Tim comes in to the kitchen, and announces he is ready to give me stats on the fix........ I go into the office and sit here while he draws charts and graphs, and IP addresses and DUNS gateway addresses, and start/run/cmd/ipscan/........ad infinitum.


It must have been approximately 3.3something minutes later when my daughter and her best friend Gabriela run soaking wet into the kitchen through the back door. Screaming bloody, I Mean Bloody Curdling Friday the 13th Murder!!!!!!!!! Tim and I run into the kitchen, in an alert phase adrenal reaction ready to fight off a:



water mocassin in my kitchen, or one of my puppies inside the mouth of one or something like that. Instead, no word could come out of their mouths as they pointed at my beautiful Kenmore deluxe microwave that was now ON FIRE. Smoke alarm, still sleeping right next door and no silence until we opened the door, grabbed the dysfunctional fire extinguishers and began throwing handfuls of Baking Soda into the flaming device. Luckily Tim had the presence of mind, due to the flaming plastic which would not be satisfied . The ceiling of the microwave fell into the flaming Pyrex dish of soap base. He grabbed a towel and threw the Pyrex into my sink.

Tim, like a champ, stayed there well past the call of duty, after having disconnecting the vented microwave from the power source, pulling off the facing and opening the adjoining upper cabinet to make sure that no wood was burning or no plastic pieces still smoldering. THANKS TIM! You are a peach of a guy!

I learned a valuable lesson that day. Number one, I was under pressure to get my order done and so I was hurrying. Number Two: I had over committed myself to taking my daughter's friend home and had hastily said I would get her home by noon that day. So the multi tasking factor along with the time pressure and the other extenuating circumstances caused me to make rash promises that were not easily fulfilled. Number 3: My attention to details and safety were deplorable, and that needs to be a factor in all future manufacturing processes. Number 4: Do not be disgruntled with the results when you trust communication with a child's best friends' parent to child's best friend to daughter's phone conversation when you are too lazy or preoccupied to take the call yourself to state your own terms for return of said child back to her domicile of record. But that is another story for another day.

But the silver lining is this: (thanks, Anne-Marie!) (you are a Peach!) at the time I was suffering this loss, and it was a financial loss that I have yet to sit down and tally up....perhaps I am afraid to do so? The silver lining is this: I am becoming a stronger person. Who said this: that which does not kill us makes us stronger? My usual Modus Apparendi is to somehow emotionally cave when I have done something dumb, stupid, inane or ridiculous. This time I, yes I, katw0man! I laughed in the face of adversity. I laughed with all the joy and peace in my heart that was already resounding. I laughed in that I will not back down. I laughed in that
all was well in my soul. After all, the house could have burned down. Or someone hurt. But I laughed in the face of fear, and that, my friend, was a victory, even though costly.

I miss my microwave and all it 's time saving, ventilating, exhaust fan, instantaneous and fun things which you can do with this fabulous invention. Humbly, I am heating up all things microwaveable the old fashioned way. It will cost approximately $500 or more to replace with another Kenmore appliance.

I hope I have learned my lesson. And I hope that my countenance will reflect light as we continue in the fires of trial and proving the metal which is in our souls. Perseverence is won through adversity. And hope triumphs by love over fear, doubt and insecurity.

Chronicling all these fun, dumb, silly, trying, triumphant things is good for the soul. We all have these stories, and one day we will tell them to our children and their children. We will be wiser and more careful. And we will be better, stronger, and able to encourage the next generation. Let us not give up our hope which has a great reward!

Ultimately, I finished my first wholesale order. It turned out beautifully, and I cannot wait to create more things that will bring fragrance, and luminous beauty to friends, family and future customers from far and near! Be encouraged, dear reader!

For a great article on fear, dealing with or succombing or even acknowledging it, please refer to:http://soap-queen.blogspot.com/2009/05/putting-fear-in-its-place.html