stupid. just plain stupid.

it was a slightly normal morning. i hit snooze on the alarm clock a couple times and then (after 5 hours of sleep) got up to get ready for ryan's therapy appointment. i didn't wake the kids, as i wanted a few moments of peace before they woke up. i went to the kitchen and turned the tea kettle on so i could make myself a mug of chai, then sat at the kitchen computer to check my email and facebook. i groggily read through emails and statuses until i heard a soft little 'pop'—like the little poof when you light a gas stove.

i turned around to see what it was.

and then i jumped up!!

there were 12 inch flames shooting from the plastic pampered chef micro cooker that i left on the stove from a few nights ago.

yes, i turned on the wrong burner again...

i calmly panicked. i looked at the sink and back again at the flames. both sides of the sink had dishes in them. i looked back at the burning microwave-use-only dish and back at the sink again. so i quickly grabbed the few dishes on the one side of the sink, set them on the floor, grabbed the melting micro cooker, and hurried it over to the sink.

i grabbed the faucet sprayer and hosed down the remaining fire in the sink, then turned around to see the burner still on fire. the sprayer wouldn't reach that far, so i grabbed the dirty lid that i had set on the floor and covered the burner with it. but it's the kind of lid that has a hole to vent steam. so while it contained most of the fire, it didn't smother it all. i turned back to the sink to get something to put water in to pour on the fire. ah, the dirty pan on the floor... i grabbed it, put some water in it, ran over to the stove, turned off the burner (like, DUH, right?!), and picked up the lid. that big breath of oxygen made the flames shoot up again, so i dumped the water on the stove and went back for more. after the second dose, the flames were finally out.

i stood there, my legs shaking, looking at my mess and thinking about how bad this could have been: i never sit in the kitchen to check my email. never. i always use my laptop in the living room. and if i would've gone in there like usual, i would've never heard the popping noise.

and what if the kids would've woke up before i realized my mistake?! i could have been upstairs getting them dressed and not had a clue as to what was happening in the kitchen...

thank God i didn't experience a what if this morning. and thank goodness i didn't have to use the fire extinguisher (which was actually sitting right under the computer desk. and yes, the thought crossed my mind.), or worse, call the fire department!

well after all was said and done, i left the mess. the house was smokey and smelled like nasty burnt plastic, so i opened the doors, then went and got dressed quick. i got breakfast for the kids to eat in the car, then got them up and dressed, and we left for therapy. well, and to get away from the stench.

after therapy we went shopping, met daddy for lunch, then did some more shopping. we got home at 1:30 and the house still stunk. bad. so i opened the doors and windows again. thankfully it was a really nice day to air out the house!

when ben got home, i reenacted the whole thing for him, sans fire of course. i took a couple more pictures, and then i cleaned up.

needless to say, the burner and the drip tray went into the trash.



as did my one of a kind and just the right size for my itty bitty sink dish drainer.


oh, and also my mutilated micro-cooker.


i cooked dinner tonight, all the while with a husband and daughter who were cheering and clapping for me that i turned on the right burner, and used the correct pan on the stove.

oh well. it won't happen again... because i have no burner. and when i do get one? the knob will still be safely disconnected from the stove until needed!