There are some days…or entire weekends…that you just need to focus on the silver lining. Or really try to find the silver lining…
…for example, if you learn only after you plop an armload of books on the counter that the bookstore you are in is not having an educator’s discount (and then later realize that it wasn’t that big bookstore chain beginning with a B it was the other big bookstore chain beginning with a B – all too confusing for somebody who usually shops at the big online bookstore chain beginning with an A), you can at least be happy that you have that portion of your Christmas shopping done. I suppose I could have walked out without buying the books, but that would have meant an entire hour of my life wasted.
Thank goodness, they didn’t have any of the books or CDs my husband has on his wish list. Big bookstore A will definitely continue to profit from this household.
And the other good thing about this whole experience is that it served to remind me why I usually disregard any email that requires me to act within a certain period of time or one that requires me to leave my house. This one required both, and I should have known better.
Now finding the silver lining to situation two was a bit more difficult, but I think I’ve managed. When you and your entire family (even the dog) go to the park for a half hour and you leave the burner on under a pan where you are browning cubed beef for chili and you return to a house entirely filled with smoke, it may be tempting to think that there isn’t one good thing about it.
As you and your husband go through the house opening every window and door and turning on the A/C, the bathroom exhaust fans, and all the ceiling fans to help facilitate air movement, you may berate yourself for being a complete idiot or you may realize that not one of your smoke detectors is going off and be shocked and horrified as you see how filled with smoke the bedrooms are and realize how your entire family would probably have died of smoke inhalation had you done such a bone-headed thing at bedtime.
And as you test your smoke detectors and hear them do their obligatory beep that lies about how ready they are to detect that stuff that is filling your house, you could get really angry at the private company that just built this military housing and installed what is obviously a defective smoke detection system, or you could be very happy that your family is already scheduled for a field trip to the firehouse on Tuesday where you will be able to discuss with the fire department this extremely dangerous situation and possibly have them intervene on your behalf and on the behalf of the hundreds of families here who live in these new houses with interconnected smoke detectors that don’t work.
If you ask the kids, the silver lining is going out to dinner at a sit down restaurant. They behaved well. Proof that there is a God, and He is good.
If anybody has any ideas for saving my pot and getting the smell of smoke out of my house, I’m all ears.
Reit This Way 
Looks like it needs a good soaking and a chisel. We lived in military housing at Ft. Sheridan, Illinois. Really old army housing that had been turned over to the navy and was really not fit to be lived in. The houses were eight unit buildings, with a brick fire break wall every six units. Six units! And they were so old and so thin (I could hear absolutely everything my neighbors did in their living room or bathroom. Everything.) I was sure we were going to die in a fire. My beloved would call me in the middle of the day just because he had a bad feeling the house was on fire. I slept with a fire extinguisher in easy reach and every off scent was thoroughly investigated. I do hope you are able to get those alarms fixed.
this just chilled my blood. yeesh, michelle!i’d second the suggestion about soaking and a chisel…
I have two words for you…”Bartender’s Friend.” If that doesn’t work, nothing will.
You might try dumping some baking soda in the pot and adding a small amount of water then boiling the mixture. It’s worked for me for small things before. This looks like a much bigger job but you never know!
Yikes, that is so scarey to hear about the smoke alarms not working. WE just moved into renovated Army quarters in Germany. They have smoke detectors and sprinklers (this is something I’m not sure I like)….I sure hope the detectors work… but then the fire marshall hasn’t inspected this building otherwise my front door would be labeled with my apartment letter and the floor level window in the stairwell would have bars to prevent children from falling out of the 3.5 floor…. sigh. Gotta love govt housing…
Yikes.Soak it in water is my first bet.Glad you are safe, thanks be to God.
Wow, that is so scary…my worst fear,house fire….I hope you get some intervention from the fire chief!! Shame on housing! We lived in housing on Ft. Hood many moons ago….Boil with baking soda and water, and if that doesn’t work, spray with easy off and let sit over night.
Sadly, I think the only solution for removing the stench of the beef char char from the kitchen will be a good old fashion paint job.
We had a fire in our apartment building in college and smoke damage ruled the day. I don’t know if you have to clean up anything fabric, Michelle, but PineSol works wonders. You smell like a floor for a while, but it’s not as bad as the smoke smell.I’m hoping, though, that you don’t have to wash up everything! God is good in many ways, and I’m so glad that you’re family is safe!!!
wowzers. well, uhhh, at least now you now know you need better detectors, which is a life saver in itself? (stretching I know). sometimes soaking stuff in water water loosens things up…but I’d say that pot looks chemically and permanently altered. silver lining? a new pot for Christmas. hang in there, wondermom!
How about lots of bottles of Fabreze? You could use that on your rugs, curtains and fabric furniture…. probably need to do lots of extra wash for blankets, comforters, etc 😦Not sure how to get the smel