Tonight however, I went to a funeral with some co-workers and when I came home, I needed to eat something, so I decided to whip up an omelet for myself. As soon as I put poured the eggs into the frying pan, I pushed the toast down.
I grated some cheese and sort of forgot all about the toaster.
Then I began to smell something burning and turned around to see the toaster with thick smoke billowing out from it. The damn thing had gotten stuck ~ something it’s NEVER done.
I called to my husband and he yanked the toaster plug and took it outside. I quickly began to open all the windows as he went to get fans. The house is hooked up to an alarm system, so all this time a loud alarm is shrilling in our heads. My husband eventually got it to stop as I called the owners of the house. They told me that the alarm company hadn’t contact them yet but if they did, they’d tell them that everything was fine.
Then I called the alarm company just to make sure and got their answering service. They weren’t much help but told me not to worry because a fire truck would have already been there by now. So I went back inside to see what I could do to help rid the house of smoke.
For the record, I cannot believe how much smoke a piece of toast can set off. Just as I was beginning to wonder why the alarm company wouldn’t have even called the owners, we heard the trucks coming up the lane. And the sirens. And the next thing we know, the whole fire department is in our driveway with their lights a-blazing and their sirens going.
I was mortified as I explained to the chief what had happened, but glad to know that if it had been something serious, the local FD would have been right there. They wrote up a report on it, and after the chief made a little bit of a fuss over George, he issued me a warning that he wrote on the report.
It says, “make sure you watch your toaster”.
You know what else? I looked all over for my camera to get a picture of the fire truck in the driveway, even checking the car, and then realized that I’d left it at my desk at school.
So I’ll leave you with one of my favorite firemen pictures, taken in NYC, May 2009. They were so nice to pose for me.
To my husband’s credit, he hasn’t said a single word about my misadventure. I want to think this is a good thing, but I believe it will come back to haunt me.
Still Smelling Smoke in MD,
I still cannot believe I did this. I need to google 'how to get rid of smoke smell'.
49 comments:
Vinegar in little bowls ~ it's already working!
~ C.G.
Oh my gosh!! This will be a cooking adventure that you remember forever!!!!
Oh ya... my Hubby would not let me forget about a smoky adventure such as this.... he always plants the memory somewhere in his head and pulls it out at a later date to mortify my... or to make me laugh. I do most of the cooking now so he best be careful of what he says.. LOL
O.
M.
G.!
oh boy....it is amazing how a slice of toast can cause so much trouble...we had something like that happen a couple of years ago...my hubby had put a piece of hot water cornbread in the toaster to warm up...and came outside to see what I was doing...well when we headed back in the smoke alarm was going off...flames were shooting out of the toaster and the bottom of our cabinet was on fire...it was nuts....I don't like toasters...
Oh oh!!!!!!!!!!
worth it to see those firefighters!
Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
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okay i'm done laughing now.....well maybe just a little bit more... with a snort :)
and i think you've just confirmed that from now on, no matter what the situation, you need to be waited on when it comes to meal times....at least that's what i'd do :)
xo
I'm blushing for you.. and giggling. OK.. serious now. Nah, I'm laughing. ;)
Ok, I know this wasn't funny, but it made me smile. My family has a history of having the fire dept. show up for no good reason. First when my niece was in college she did something with her apartment chimney that warranted a visit from the fire department. She did get pictures, and as a young co-ed she even got to wear some gear! Then my daughter's senior year in college she had an "illegal" toaster in her dorm room and did the exact same thing you did! She tried in vain to get the smoke out the window before the fire alarms went off at 6 am and everyone had to evacuate! She said that while outside she overheard everyone grumbling about the idiot that made them have to get up and go outside in the freezing cold. Just then one of the ladies who cleaned the bathrooms said "it's the stupid showers, the steam builds up and makes the alarm go off." As my daughter watched the fire dept. search her dorm she was thankful that the blame was shifted away from her and onto the ancient showers. She still wonders how no one smelled the distinctive odors of burnt toast!!
Glad it was a false alarm!
Kat :)
I think you did it on purpose to prove you should never ever have to cook :) (just kidding in case you didn't know.... )
that is too funny and I would have had some not printable words come out of my mouth when I saw the firetrucks come up......
too smart about the vinegar....
Oh my, thanks for the giggle. All the more reason why the hubby needs to stay in the kitchen! If he wants to expand his territory, we could use some help here in Philly!
Love the firefighter pic.
xo
reena
LOL...you know is smokin!? These firemen!!! Holy hotness!
I am NOT laughing. No, I'm not because if I did, I know I would hear sirens in my driveway!! Too bad you didn't have your camera because George would look HOT in a fireman's hat!!
Today you cannot say that nothing much happens at your house! I am impressed at how much smoke you managed to create! So happy it wasn't more serious:)
Thanks for the laugh!
At least you just burned the toast. You don't want to smell burnt eggs . . . trust me. :-/
OMG Kate, that is about the funniest thing you have written about in ages...hahaha. I'm in tears.I have done that same thing....
This is too funny, exactly the kind of thing I would do . . . and nothing is more annoying than a shrill alarm going off when you're trying to fix the problem.
Not a single word? Good man. Mine woulda said more than a few.
Vinegar microwaved or boiled in a pot on the stove works great in getting smells out. Butyou already know that :-)
That should guarantee you won't have to cook again!
Hmmm... being a newly single woman, perhaps I should start making toast... Reminds me of cooking in my grandmother's house, we always set the detectors off and the then I'd have to wave a dish towel under the smoke detector to turn it off... the good ole days.
i apologise in advance... for laughing out loud...as i had already read georges story on facebook... and well... just love you mam.
Not your fault the toaster had a clog its the persons who used it last HEUM! HANDS ON HIPS LOOKING AT THE HUBBY, LOL faulty toaster even if you dont do the cooking I am sure you can make toast .Glad all worked out ok in the end . Funny but not funny post , well ok funny ! Have a good day
Hilarious story... sometimes it's just best to stay out of the kitchen!
Oh boy! Lucky escape there. Fancy not having your camera, but the picture above does make up for it. What is it about firemen?!!
CJ xx
Well that turned in to some unwanted excitement.
snort!
As a firefighter and wife of a firefighter burnt toast is probably THE MOST common cause of false alarms. At least you know your fire department will show up quickly and ready if there is an actual fire! :)
First of all it happens to everyone at one time or another .. next time I will show you the still healing burn scar on my hand from freeing a piece of burning toast at the office, in the cafeteria .. after someone said 'you should have called for help' .. ummm sure ..
AND how long was it before those trucks arrived? You spoke to both the owners and the alarm people and THEN the trucks arrived? And the house is mostly wood .. wouldnt make me feel secure ..
Last nite I emptied the crumbs - some as large as a baby's fist - from our toaster ... because I was sure that it wasnt toasting properly due to too many 'crumbs'.
Maybe that toaster oven was a good gift .. ducking and hiding .. xo
and those guys that posed for us on The High Line dont hold a hose to your BF Daniel Sunjata ...
So will you be cooking tonight?
(Sorry, I'm just jealous...I don't prefer to cook either, but my husband feels loved when I do.)
Burning candles helps draw smoke out of the air too, even though it sounds counter-intuitive.
MY, my, my....what lengths you'll go to for a blog post. I have so much to learn from you. *snort*
The Frenchman and I have a similar arrangement. When I do cook for us, he tells me my macaroni & cheese is the best ever. Ain't love grand?
Love the story.....sorry you do not have any pictures.
OMG, I know just how you feel! That happened to me and some girlfriends when we were in our late 20's. We turned on the heat for the first time and got what is called "blow-back" and that brought the fire dept. They were really good about it. Just imagine this Irish fireman saying "you modern girls, from the freezer to the oven." LOL!!! We still laugh over that one!
Your husband is a good sport, I'm sure he was laughing inside! How was dinner?
What an adventure! Maybe next time you should ask your husband to make the toast for you.(LOL) I'm glad it wasn't more serious. Hope you get the house aired out.
Good to know that they'd be right there if it was something serious!
Sorry about the Smoke!
All my sympathy for the false alarm....but isn't a peek at a Man In Uniform so worth it?
We get the occasional visit from the fire department at work, usually when somebody overcooks a bag of microwave popcorn.Lemme tell you, nursing home residents are shameless. Imagine your grandmother yelling HUBBA HUBBA at a fireman .....but the guys seem to get a little kick out of it!
So funny, that's how I know when my dishes are done :-) I am a horrible cook and since no one likes the sound of the smoke alarm they don't push for me to cook...works perfect for me!!! You would think after the amount of smoke I have caused I would have a solution to getting rid of the smell but sadly I don't...I just open the doors and windows which I am sure lets my neighbors know our dinner status.
My vacuum backfired once, set the alarms off. Next thing I know I have 15 firefighters at my door. Most embarrasing part, my husband is on that fire department!!!
PS: sorry for the second post... but I should tell you about the 3 times I almost burned the house down trying to boil/sanitize my baby's passies. One of the times left a large melted spot on our linoleum b/c I decided to take the flaming cutting board off the stove instead of using the fire extinguisher that has hung in our kitchen for a decade. I finally learned my lesson and decided that the germs would be good to build up her immunity. (She's actually rarely ever sick....)
This is exactly why I don't cook! Glad the FD can find your place and glad you didn't need them:)
well, firemen are usually good cooks, so maybe you should have followed them home, LOL!
Well at least you remembered to take the eggs off the stove too! Sounds like the alarm folks are a bit off the mark, good thing the firemen are on it! No way to get rid of the smell other than open up the house and wash fabrics. Fabrics absorb smells very quickly. Fabreeze works great on upholstery. Good luck. Oh and shop for a new toaster!
Has someone said something about needing some more practice? (Besides hubs?)
LOL.
Vinegar in bowls... good to know!
:-)
BB
Forgive me Kate, but I'm laughing as I type this, maybe your husband didn't say anything yet because he may have not been able to quit laughing too. Oh dear, this is a really good one. Glad you found a cure for the smell of smoke. I really liked your image of the NYC firemen, but isn't it something not having your camera available to capture it for us. xo ~Lili
Kate ???
no way.
I'm trying to envision myself reacting to hearing the sirens coming over yonder.... I might have run away.
toasters are evil and wait to pounce when we're not looking
Oh dear. I can totally relate. We bought a new toaster oven recently that works differently from the old one, it doesn't exactly shut itself off the same way,so I put a piece of toast in and walked away and when I cam back the piece of bread was on FIRE! not just smoke, but flames. oops. fortunately for me we don't have an alarm system. :)
glad it all worked out okay for you.
So many alarm misadventures......so little time....I am with you sister!....smiles.
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