Yep a flame. The metal of the burner is clearly damaged, so it wasn't food on the burner. I tried to remove the coil burner last night, but could not.

Oh man, yeah, I would've thought maybe food on the burner or something nearby--I hope it was at least ON when it happened? (Because if it was off, I'd be freaking out trying to decide if I flee the possessed house, or stay because otherwise it might burn down)

Got up super early this morning to buy more World Cup tickets (the single-game tickets went on sale today). There was massive traffic on the site, but I eventually got through and bought tickets for two of the US games. Just group stage, not knockout rounds or finals or anything, but hoping it'll still be fun. Prior to this you could only buy packages (and until Saturday, nobody knew who was playing in those games, it was just "here, buy tickets to two, three, or all of the games happening in [city]!") Now I have to figure out how I'm going to get there, and how long I can stay...(this is way more fun than thinking about how I haven't yet bought a single Christmas present, nor have I done a number of other things that are way more desperately needed)

Yikes, msbelle! Maybe googling the stove model can get you instructions? There must be a way to replace the coils.

Fun, meara! That sounds so cosmopolitan and jet-set-y!

I have emailed-in-sick after working from Thursday and working a half day on Friday and basically sleeping all weekend. Tired of this.

Yep it was on. Burned a pot of popcorn, but luckily did not destroy the pot. Oh I'm sure the coils come out I just need to disconnect the electricity to the whole symyove before I try again.

I'm not so sure I can find replacements since this is so old.

That sounds really fun, meara!

Yep a flame. The metal of the burner is clearly damaged, so it wasn't food on the burner. I tried to remove the coil burner last night, but could not.

Oh yikes!

And feel better, -t!

I don't know why I feel like I don't have any time on the weekends (possibly because I don't have that much time on the weekends!), but I'm trying to schedule in the rest of my Christmas shopping, and the main problem is lack of ideas. So I guess I can go to the bookstore and get inspired, or at least grab something at random!

Random books seem like good gifts to me. It's something I'd get for myself.

My mother was like, "I'm not sure [relative] reads that much?" At this point, I don't care! All gifts are equally crappy! Or great! Who knows???

My niece and nephews and their spouses have taken up camping. This year I got them gift certificates to their state park systems. If they go over well, that may be their gifts for the foreseeable future. I just don't live close enough to them to have a sense of what would be helpful, otherwise, and my sister seems to be over the whole collecting ideas and sending them to me thing. Which is fair—she's not my Christmas concierge.

My mother was like, "I'm not sure [relative] reads that much?" At this point, I don't care! All gifts are equally crappy! Or great! Who knows???

Right? And a book is always a non-offensive gift, unless it's about, like, Hitler or something. They don't take up too much room, they don't go bad, they're relatively inexpensive, i.e. the perfect gift to give.