- Joined
- 11 Jan 2004
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This is our hero cat. We were offered him at 10 weeks and, because someone had promised to pick up his brother and repeatedly failed, we were offered him too.
The other day, I did a really stupid thing. An absolutely absent-minded, but nevertheless, really stupid thing.
I made myself egg on toast for lunch. I start by frying the egg on high heat. As soon as the white cooks through, I turn the gas down to the minimum, turn the egg over, then take the pan off the heat and turn the gas off.
After I finished, I wanted to clean the sink, so took out the washing up bowl. I'd made a loaf with our bread maker recently and was going to make another, so hadn't put it away.
That meant there wasn't much space to put the washing up bowl, so I put it on the hob.
Then I got a desperate urge to pee.
It is literally 5 seconds to the downstairs loo from the hob.
As I was the only one in the house, I left the door open.
Now, I'm really Mutt & Jeff, profoundly so in the higher frequencies.
I had just finished, less than 10 seconds, when cat came running. He's a bit of a unique beast in that he doesn't miaow, not that I'd hear it anyway, but he squeaks.
I saw that he was opening and closing his mouth repeatedly.
I went into the hall and heard the smoke alarm (to me it sounds like a clicking noise), into the kitchen and found the washing up bowl melting. I immediately realised I had not turned the ring off from its low setting and as I reached to turn it off, the molten plastic burst into flames.
I got rid of the bowl and grabbed the towel hanging on the oven door handle, soaked it under the tap and threw it over the hob.
In literally 20 seconds or so, I'd gone from making lunch to very nearly burning the flipping house down.
And our sweet, clever rescue cat saved the day.
It just reminds me how fragile the line is between normality and disaster and how quickly things can change.
I will now be getting better linked smoke alarms with visual reminders.
And when I am able, I will go to the NHS to see if they can do me something better in the hearing aid department.
The other day, I did a really stupid thing. An absolutely absent-minded, but nevertheless, really stupid thing.
I made myself egg on toast for lunch. I start by frying the egg on high heat. As soon as the white cooks through, I turn the gas down to the minimum, turn the egg over, then take the pan off the heat and turn the gas off.
After I finished, I wanted to clean the sink, so took out the washing up bowl. I'd made a loaf with our bread maker recently and was going to make another, so hadn't put it away.
That meant there wasn't much space to put the washing up bowl, so I put it on the hob.
Then I got a desperate urge to pee.
It is literally 5 seconds to the downstairs loo from the hob.
As I was the only one in the house, I left the door open.
Now, I'm really Mutt & Jeff, profoundly so in the higher frequencies.
I had just finished, less than 10 seconds, when cat came running. He's a bit of a unique beast in that he doesn't miaow, not that I'd hear it anyway, but he squeaks.
I saw that he was opening and closing his mouth repeatedly.
I went into the hall and heard the smoke alarm (to me it sounds like a clicking noise), into the kitchen and found the washing up bowl melting. I immediately realised I had not turned the ring off from its low setting and as I reached to turn it off, the molten plastic burst into flames.
I got rid of the bowl and grabbed the towel hanging on the oven door handle, soaked it under the tap and threw it over the hob.
In literally 20 seconds or so, I'd gone from making lunch to very nearly burning the flipping house down.
And our sweet, clever rescue cat saved the day.
It just reminds me how fragile the line is between normality and disaster and how quickly things can change.
I will now be getting better linked smoke alarms with visual reminders.
And when I am able, I will go to the NHS to see if they can do me something better in the hearing aid department.
