All About Bipolar

Posted By atorturedsoul on October 16, 2009

Microwave Fire!

I’ve been so distracted that I haven’t taken the time to talk about interesting events from this week. Oh, the fun we have around here!

The kids are out of school this week for fall break so it certainly hasn’t been quiet. Aside from running back and forth between the hospital in a neighboring county, other interesting things have occurred in this household-including a fire.

Yes, I said fire. Thankfully, I do still have some wits about me and this kept us from having a huge disaster.

I was sitting here pounding out one of my posts while the kids were microwaving something for lunch. I don’t know how things work at your house, but around here lunch is a free-for-all, fend for yourself kind of thing. Don’t worry. I keep sandwich stuff and microwavable meals so they can easily find something for lunch. It’s just easier because none of them ever want to eat the same thing and I must strategically plan dinner or I end up cooking several things and that’s enough fuss for me for one day. Lunch-you’re on your own. My kids are a bit older so they don’t mind. They actually prefer it because they pick what they want rather than me telling them it’s this or nothing.

Anyway, they are microwaving something to eat when they all come running out of the kitchen screaming, “Fire!” I jump up and tell them to go outside and wait because I had no idea how big it was…or where it was…or what it involved…or if I could get it out. My youngest son grabbed our youngest dog and ran out the door with his younger sister right behind him. My oldest daughter is hovering near the kitchen door when I round the corner. I see what looks like a nice little campfire inside the microwave, which is still closed-and still running!

*Sigh*. I’m still not sure what is in the microwave so I have no idea if it will spread quickly once I open the door and add oxygen into the mix. I tell my oldest daughter to take my cell phone and go to the front door and wait for instructions. What’s your first thought when there is a fire? Water, right? On my way through, something in my head starts screaming flour. I look in the canister and there isn’t enough so I dig through the kitchen-quickly-until I find a bag of flour.

As I head back to the microwave, I see my oldest daughter cautiously peaking around the corner as I stand to the side and open the microwave door. Thankfully there was no “woosh”. What do I find? Mini potato wedges in a microwavable bowl and the potatoes are a blazin’. It had already melted one whole side of the bowl and the rest of it wasn’t far behind it. I took a large handful of flour (my hands are very small-my ring size is a 3-so it wasn’t that much flour) and throw it into the microwave to knock down the flames. I had to do this several times before I could actually stick my hand in and put some near the back. I still had a small flame coming up that I couldn’t get out. I had my daughter unplug the microwave as I kept trying to put it out.

In the distance, I hear my youngest daughter screaming, “Help! Help us!” from the front lawn. I send my oldest daughter out and was pretty close to sending her to the camper to retrieve the fire extinguisher when a thought crossed my mind. I sent her on out and grabbed a wooden spoon with a long handle. I took the spoon and pushed the flour towards the flame and was able to get it knocked down some more. I took the spoon and picked up pieces and threw them in the kitchen sink and turned the water on. Once I got all of the bowl and potatoes out that I could, I grabbed two oven mitts and took the glass out of the bottom of the microwave and put it in the sink as well. Finally, everything was out.

About that time, my oldest daughter rounded the corner with my ringing cell phone in her hand. I was checking the inside of the microwave to be sure it wasn’t on fire so I had her answer it. Once I saw that it was okay, I took the phone from her and started explaining what happened AFTER I assured him that everyone was okay and everything was fine now. Of course, he was asking if he needed to come home and asking again if everything was out and everyone was ok. Alright, already. I have it under control.

I looked around the house and there is a good bit of smoke. I look at the smoke detector right outside the kitchen and it’s NOT going off. My husband just put a new battery in it less than a month ago. The same smoke detector that is so sensitive that it goes off if we leave the bathroom door open after a steamy shower apparently doesn’t go off when there is smoke. My oldest daughter sees what I am looking at and asks, “It never went off, did it?” Nope. It never did. Well, it’s out of here pal. Now I have to get a replacement. I’ll probably have to go to the next county because I MUST have a smoke detector/carbon monoxide detector because we have gas heat.

My oldest daughter heads out to call the youngest two children back into the house as I walk back into the living room. As I near my desk, I see my oldest dog lying in the middle of the living room floor with her head plastered on the floor, sulking. They forgot to take the poor thing out with them! Now, my oldest dog cries. I don’t mean howling and carrying on-I mean real tears. She’s lying on the floor crying. The poor baby!

Well, everything ended up fine. I let the microwave cool down for a while and then went in and cleaned it really good (It was very black.) I cautiously plugged it back up and turned it on. It’s fine. Something in those potatoes caught fire after less than two minutes in the microwave when it calls for 4 to 6 minutes. (My daughter only put them in for two because she thought that sounded like too much to her and the microwave was still on when I went in there, so I know it was less than two minutes.) Needless to say, the bag of potatoes was thrown out.

The kitchen was partially covered in flour. The youngest kids were checking things out and the oldest one still had eyes as big as saucers. The big dog was crying and the little one was shaking after being drug out in such a hurry. I’m just thankful that it happened while I was here and not while I was away at the hospital.

See? Interesting things happen here. I could stand a little less excitement in my life. All of this is way too much for someone with bipolar disorder who is having mixed episodes.

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Categories: Humor, My Personal Experiences
Tags: about, all, bipolar, excitement, fire, microwave