Innermost Thought

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July 14, 2002

Well, it's Sunday. I have

Well, it's Sunday. I have had a relaxing and fun weekend. Things feel a little upside down right now. While I don't feel the enormous pressure of Uranus in Retrograde or anything, I do feel that things are a bit topsy turvy. Maybe it's a sensory overload. So many things to think about, so many things to do...and so many distractions. I definitely need to take some time to "get back to 1". So this is the life of my days...at least for the last week and a half.

I saw Fireworks
Despite a hot apartment, I managed to have a really cool July 4 party. Thanks to the laidback cat owners who gave me permission to do so. It started out to be a bit dodgy. The a/c went out and I valiantly fought the heat for the first hour and a half or so. It was the hottest day in NY so far. Of course the a/c would go out on this day and of course it would be a holiday when no one would come out and fix it. The doorman said it was most likely as simple as the flick of a switch to fix but an appropriately licensed person must be the flicker. It's funny. After the first hour and a half I sort of started to embrace, even crave the heat. Once you give yourself up to it, that wet sweatiness and flushed skin sort of feels good. The day became a sort of homage to my Texas roots. It's so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.

In addition to the a/c dilemma, my Fourth of July Festivities were further threatened by a small (small as in sort of big) kitchen fire. I had put the potatoes for my Grandma's Potato Salad to boil. I also decided to treat myself to a granola cereal breakfast before I got started with the duties of hosting a party; making Sangria, making the Shopska salad, the potato salad, preparing the meat, etc. etc. etc. So while the potatoes were boiling I made my cereal and parked myself on the stool in the bedroom to watch a little cable. Cable is a real treat to me as I don't have it in my house. At my house, it's a treat to get all the local channels at the same time and without those "ghosts". The cable in the Swanky Village Apt was out in living area so I had to go to the bedroom. Now that I think about it, Swanky Village Apt seemed a little like it was falling apart. No cable in the living room, no a/c, they were painting the doors; it was a very high maintenance weekend. But back to the fires at hand.

I finished my cereal and dutifully went to put my dish in the sink. My attention was immediately caught by small flames emerging from my potatoes! This can NOT be. So I run to the stove to survey the situation thinking "oh my God. Oh My God. Oh My God" alternately with "Don't panic. Don't panic. DON'T PANIC." I notice that it is not my lovely potatoes that are on fire but the coffee pot inadvertantly sitting on the oven behind the pot of potatoes. This is small consolation as the stove is still on fire. I turn off the burner and move the potatoes and then feverishly raid the cabinets for salt or baking soda. Garlic salt, Virgin olive oil, some kind of gourmet paste, pepper, WHERE IS THE FUCKING SALT? I find no baking soda whatsoever and the only salt I can scrounge up is the rock salt kind that comes in it's own grinder. After momentarily picturing myself "grinding" the fire out, I discard the salt and get the dish towel that is next to the stove thinking that I will try to smother the fire. The only thing I know not to do is to douse a grease fire with water. Now, I know there was no grease, but it was a stove and there was all this melting plastic so water was not an option. The dish towel was working sort of. The fire was shrinking but it still wasn't out. I decided I needed more power. With no thought to my personal comfort for the next few days, I took this really scrumptious luxurious bathsheet that I had been using as a towel and completely smothered the coffee pot and thus, doused the flames once and for all. At this point, the apartment started smelling like smoke and I was concerned for both the cats and myself. I was also worried I would hear the whirr of a fire engine's sirens and the neighbors would come knocking and I would be found out and these people would never let me take care of their cats again. And I would be extremely embarassed. So I opened all the windows. This turned out to be a blessing as the a/c-less apartment was really hot and the fans weren't doing it. I think perhaps my little fire was a blessing in disguise. I now had a lovely cross breeze. I wrap the offending coffee pot-melt in the luxurious bath sheet and move it to the window thinking how smart I am to put it near the fresh air. How dumb am I!!? This immediately creates the most noxious cross-breeze imaginable. Plan B is taking the luxurious bath sheet filled coffee-pot-melt to the shower. I set the bundle on the floor and douse it with cold water. Seconds later I hear the glass crack, but the flames are doused and everyone is alive. I was very lucky. Upon surveying the area there was little or no damage to anything other than the coffee pot and luxurious bath sheet. The melted plastic came off the cooled stove easily and I was able to put the potatoes back on and continue my prep for the festivities.

The rest of the prep went without a hitch. I had a lovely group of people enjoying the day with me. The food was great, even the potato salad. The gas grill was a cinch to work, no fussy mess with charcoal briquets. We chatted on the deck and drank and ate and generally had a grand ole time. God seemed to want to make amends to me for scaring the life out of me with a the kitchen fire earlier. Though we couldn't see the Hudson River fireworks due to a huge building obstructing the view, a little determination, investigation, and crawl through an open window got us all onto the roof of the building for a spectacular view of the Macy's Fireworks on the East River. The event was so inspiring we raised our slightly inebriated voices in rousing renditions of our favorite patriotic songs. I'm always so proud to know the words to the National Anthem, even though I shouldn't be. It should be a given. I am an American, I should know them. But so many American's don't and thus it is an accomplishment of which to be proud. In any event, I feel so blessed to not have burnt anything or anybody down this day and to be alive and a citizen in a nation where everyone is so blessed.

Posted by mermu at July 14, 2002 11:15 PM

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Posted by: Jfer at July 15, 2002 06:51 PM

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