Day 375 - Driving Like A House On Fire & A House On Fire

Today was my acupuncture appointment. Today was a day I should have just stayed in bed.

We left late for the appointment, so Jaco was speeding. I usually do a pretty good job of backseat driving, but today I felt weak & sick again, so I wasn't watching the road. We met a cop. Jaco was driving 142 km/h in a 100 km/h zone. We got stopped. It gets better. Jaco doesn't have an international driving license. The cop didn't care about his SA license. I couldn't find the insurance. I could find plenty of expired insurance in the glove box, but not the current one. He also got upset when I found an extra license plate sticker. (?!) He really got upset when he couldn't read the VIN# & thought the car was stolen.

Thank goodness he didn't ask me for my license, as I haven't been able to find it since last week. We received a $281 fine & I had to drive. In the end, the cop was actually quite nice about the whole ordeal. It could have been a lot worse! Apparently he could have towed the car & given Jaco a much heftier fine, but he didn't! Additionally if Jaco had added a mere 6 kms more to his speed, he would have had the lucky opportunity to meet some of Canada's finest in the Judicial System!

Thankfully Dr. Zhao still held my appointment, even though we were 50 minutes late!!! (for a one hour appointment!) I think I neared 30 needles today & I was quite restless for the last 10 minutes - not sure why.

Our next stop was Fishman's to pick up my wedding dress. I dropped it off on March 18th (coincidentally our anniversary) & told them I would pick it up in June. It's November. When I went to pick it up, I asked them to put it in one of those special boxes that helps to preserve it. The gal at the counter told me her boss would have to do it, so I need to come back another day. I hope they don't mind waiting another 8 months!

Next up was Safeway for oranges & Banzai Sushi for... SUSHI!!! $4.50 makes for a great supper! We drove home to greet the girls & unload the car. Mom arrived shortly after & asked if we wanted popcorn. I told her not really, but I'd probably end up eating some. As I left the room, I heard her bragging to Jaco about a new 'popping technique' that Ken had showed her. Whatever.

I'm in the bedroom on the laptop (as usual) & Jaco came in to join me. I commented to him that Mom must have forgotten about the popcorn because I could smell something burning. He giggled with me - remembering our 1/2 hr whistling tea kettle from a few weeks ago. The next thing I hear is Mom stomping into the kitchen muttering about her burning popcorn & then it turns into, 'JILL! JACO! We've got a FIRE! You better come help me! HURRY! WE'VE GOT A FIRE!'

I fly off the bed & into the kitchen, grab the water jug & start coughing like crazy. Before I get anything wet, she tells me 'It's okay. I think I've got it out.' Meanwhile the entire kitchen is a white haze. I'm not sure if it's the burnt popcorn or the baking soda she dumped on the flames. We're all coughing & hacking & standing out on the deck. There isn't much air circulation, so she drives to the bunkhouse to get a few fans.

When she returned, she told me how she removed the lid off the pan & it burst into flames. By the time she went to the cupboard for the baking soda, the flames had doubled. That was when she panicked. I asked her why she didn't just put the lid BACK ON the pot & to that she replied, 'I didn't want to burn myself!' Hmpf. Needless to say, it was a little smokey on the homefront tonight.

When I had called her prior to the fire & told her of our police fiasco, she said, 'Sometimes these things happen to remind us of what's really important - what we have on hand.' So I told her after the fire fiasco, 'Sometimes these things happen to remind us of what's really important - what we have on hand.'

Somedays are just better spent in bed. Under the covers & relatively safe. And I use the word 'relative-ly' rather loosely. Thank goodness the day is done. Sleep peacefully & safely.

Oh! I also talked to Sylvia tonight. She told me about the surprise party her girlfriend's threw on the 23rd. She asked me if I went to Extra Foods in Athabasca, which I had. Why? I asked. Her friend was in Extra Foods & later looked at Sylvia's photos & saw the same chick with a henna'd head in the photo as she did at Extra Foods! Hah!

xxxxA charred Maria, Jaco, Valentina & Oceana

What do you say? 

 Cough! Cough!

'At least it wasn't your good pan!' 'It was my good pan!' (All Mom's pans are good pans, FYI) 

When I went in to take the photos, the left front burner was actually on & sizzling away. Was she trying to start ANOTHER fire?  

 Good ol' baking soda. Here's another use!

Oil, baking soda, heat & a good pan. Just what the Doctor ordered for a night of mayhem.