Ever have one of those weeks where it just feels like the universe is trying to tell you something?

Yesterday, the heat element went out on one side of our very vintage (think ’70s) toaster.  This happens, of course, right after a conversation with my MIL about how long our toaster has lasted.  I really do know better than to tempt fate, but there it is.  While I was fishing the half frozen waffle out of the toaster, I thought to myself, “There really is too much crap on the side of our refrigerator.  If something were to happen to the toaster, it could be a problem.”  Of course, once again with the fate tempting, I did nothing about it. 

Today, I completely forgot about the broken toaster.  It’s plugged in behind the refrigerator or I would have unplugged it immediately yesterday.  Dearest L, who I can rarely get to eat breakfast, wanted a pop tart (the organic kind, of course.  I am European after all.  Heh.) and so jumping on that, I dropped one in the toaster.  I quickly went to brush my teeth (we were running late for reasons which I may post about later.) and smelled smoke.  Thinking it was only the crumbs burning in the bottom of the toaster, I went to the kitchen to find it on fire.  Yes on fire.  Grabbing the closest coffee mug, I doused it with water, but not before the toaster, the pop tart, all the crap on the side of the refrigerator, some of the things on TOP of the refrigerator and the outside of a cabinet were all burnt.  Here is an after picture.

Check out the beautiful scorch marks!

Check out the beautiful scorch marks!

I wish I’d taken a before picture.  It was not pretty.  Luckily the remaining damage is only cosmetic.  So.  Lesson learned this week?  When that little voice inside your head talks to you?  Listen to it.  Darn it.