Burned Dinner................by Diane Ogden

 Yup this was to be my dinner yesterday.  I wasn't very hungry so I opted for a half a grilled cheese sandwich.  I bought this cute little cast iron pan for such dinners.  It is also good for one egg, one salmon Patty, or one burger.  So this was it's turn to make mama happy and make one half.  I turned the burner onto about 6 or 7, put the buttered bread and cheese on the baby cast iron pan and walked away.....
to put Bob in the carrier to go to the vet.  I should know by now I  cannot walk away from anything or I forget what I am doing.  And yes I am going to blame stress.  Yes Yes Yes. 
I put my coat on, grabbed my keys and Bob in his carrier, opened the door and left for the Veterinarian, with the burner on med high!!

Bob and I left around 4 and got back 45 minutes to an hour later.  When I carried Bob up the steps from the underground parking I smelled a burn smell.  FIRE smell ya know? Hello.  I wasn't too worried because it just never happens here.  I did think, what wiener was burning his dinner? Although my dang smoke alarm goes off when there isn't even a slither of grey smoke in site.  That said, I opened the apartment door and light grey smoke is all about the place. I mean all about the place!! My brain went into OMG there is a fire in here how will I get all my little critters out.  That would be my cat Lucy, my lil dog Gracie...My daughters cat LuLu, and the new BOB who I just sat down in the bedroom as my brain thought all these things in a nanosecond.  Sort of like now I know how life flashing before your eyes happens. When you die you are so friggin scared your dead brain and heart are still following  you like the chicken with his head cut off running around the funny farm...  Seriously!  I ran to each room looking for the fire.  No fire.  I hit the kitchen running and there it was.  What you see in the photos and no flames or big smoke rather light grey all over the place.  I tell you the truth.  This was a flippen miracle.  It has to be because Bob is blessed.  I was gone so long and that burner was not even on medium, but medium high. 

I swear my deceased Dad was blowing on that burner to slow her down.  Someone was!!!  No way to relay this in words. No way. I shall thank Dad or whoever before bedtime...  Not on my knees of course.  Charles (God) knows I cant get back up so good (well) once I am down.  Bless these burned out hips.

Really I think we escaped a fire or at least smoke damage.  I don't think Dad or Charles knows that wouldn't have been so bad if the pets didn't die anyway....  I could have collected enough insurance money to blow this pop stand and start over in Sante Fe where the spirits would love to see me comin!  I can hear them and they need to be heard. 

Sooo, be well, be safe, be happy, and get rich so you don't need fires or smoke damage $ to getcha where you wanna go!

Laters.....