Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Don't EVER Say

Don't EVER say that nothing more could possibly go wrong.

Apparently if you dare to say those words, they actually work as a cosmic magnet, attracting "worse" like telemarketers to a land line. 

You know that book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst? Just call me Alexander. Or maybe Alexander's supremely unlucky cousin.

I recently spent an entire day learning about saying that nothing more could possibly go wrong. And learning it the hard way. But then the hard way is sort of my M.O. If the FBI ever puts out a wanted poster for me (it could happen) I'm sure it would include that telling personality trait.

Don't EVER Say: a day long lesson learned in asking what more could possibly go wrong. | www.BakingInATornado.com | #funny #laugh #MyGraphics

It started out as what should have been a great day. PurDude was coming home from college. I've mentioned before that he has a summer internship 15 hours from here so instead of having him home for 12 - 14 weeks, he'd be here for 10 measly days. I was going to take full advantage of them, starting with him flying in on a Sunday in time to have dinner with the family. I had everything ready and couldn't have been more excited. 

But I woke up to this on the ceiling of my bedroom. It had been pouring for days but we'd replaced our roof around 5 years ago. Omen? I don't believe in omens. Make that I didn't believe in omens.


It's an hour and a half drive to the hotel where I pay for PurDude to park his car whenever he flies out. They shuttle him to the airport. But this time they told him there would not be a shuttle for 40 minutes. They guarantee no more than 30 minutes and it never takes even that long but this time it would and he was stuck.

It's a very small airport so he always gets through check-in and security quickly. He stood in line to check his bag and when he got to the head of the line was told he arrived at the head of the line 42 minutes before flight and they only check bags until 45 minutes before flight. They refused to take his bag and booked him on a flight 5 hours later. I fully believe United could have easily taken his bag and most likely just stole his seat without paying him to give it up. There was more proof of this later.

I admit it. I was furious. I stewed (and tweeted and sent angry emails) all day. And I had all day, he'd now be coming in at 10:30 pm.

At 1:00 pm I sat down to watch the Red Sox. Nope, they're not showing the game here.

At 5:30 I decided to watch the Celtics in game 4 of the play offs with the Washington Nationals. They came out strong in the first half. The second half? Let's just say it got to the point where I couldn't watch any more.

At 6:30 I sat down to dinner without my youngest son.

At 9:30 we headed to the airport. Hubs missed the cut-off and we had a lovely scenic trip of downtown. Turns out it's actually a less enjoyable drive when you're grinding your teeth down to stumps.

At 10:30 I got my arms around that boy. I finally had him. Nothing more could possibly go wrong. Ding. PurDude gets a text that his luggage had arrived on an earlier flight, to see the baggage room attendant for it. 

SO, that flight they insisted they couldn't get his bag on? His suitcase came in on that flight. Yes, they had flat out lied and stolen his seat.

Determined not to have a stroke, we went to the baggage room. Closed. Sign on the window said to see a gate agent. There were none, all stations closed. So as flyers from his flight gathered their luggage off the turnstile and left, we stood there looking through the window of the baggage room at his suitcase. 

Just as we were about to leave someone came and opened the door. We were finally headed home. Nothing more could possibly . . . Hubs missed his exit ramp on the way home but who cares. We took the next exit.

It was hot in the house when we got home. College Boy asked me to put the a/c on. I didn't want to since it's early May and would cool off quite a bit overnight, but I looked at the thermostat and it was 81 degrees in the house so I agreed. I turned the thermostat to "cool", pressed "done" . . .

. . . and the house went black.

Not the neighbors, just us. Of course.

Hubs checked the electrical panel and the a/c breaker had tripped. It also tripped the full house breaker. Hubs could not get that full house one switched over and I was concerned, not wanting him to do further damage by forcing it. 

Worried about the freezers and the sump pump, we decided to bite the bullet and call one of the 24 hour electrician services. It would cost a fortune, we knew, but felt we had no choice. At least there are 24/7 electricians, we were actually feeling fortunate for that.

Au contraire, you desperate naive people (us). 24/7 means there's an answering machine on that line letting you know what their business hours are. And I should know, we tried out this theory 8 times.

I need a drink. I even have Frozen Mai Tais in the freezer. But, of course, I'm afraid to open the freezer, not wanting to let any cold air out. In fact, between the fridge and freezer in the kitchen, fridge and freezer in the basement and the freestanding freezer in the basement, I could stand to lose over $1000 worth of food.

So instead we went to bed. Well, most of us. Hubs would spend a miserable night babysitting the sump pump. And if things got worse there would be a bucket brigade in the middle of the night.  What fun that would be.

And before I went to bed I had to shut down my laptop. I had been leaving it on and plugged in because it no longer takes a charge and the last few times I shut it off I had a really hard time getting it to come back up again. So I shut it down and gave it a little kiss. I'm afraid this may be goodbye. 

Frozen Mai Tai, a refreshing summer cocktail. The flavors of a Mai Tai blended and frozen. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #drink #cocktail

Frozen Mai Tai

After a fitful night I woke up at 8:00 am ready to call electricians. My cell phone? Dead. Of course. This time I knew what more could go wrong. We could have no phone to call for help. And I couldn't charge it in the car because the garage door is electric.

Fortunately Hubs' cell worked. And he actually found an electrician to come out. Who, in 3 seconds (but in all fairness on the third try), yanked that whole house fuse over and there was light.

They checked the a/c, which is 20 years old and was definitely not working correctly. So I know what's going to happen next, thousands of dollars for a new a/c unit.

The good news? While waiting for the electrician to arrive, I read a magazine. The glossy hold-in-your-hand kind. Cover to cover. And it was quite enjoyable.

And that next night I would have my whole family at the dinner table no matter what. After all, nothing more could possibly go wrong.

Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

Frozen Mai Tai         
Printable Recipe
Ingredients (makes 4 drinks):
4 cups orange sherbet
1 TBSP sweetened coconut flakes
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/3 cup spiced rum
1/4 cup coconut rum
1/2 cup orange liqueur
4 tsp grenadine

OPT: fresh pineapple chunks, orange slices and/or maraschino cherries

*Place the sherbet, coconut, pineapple, rums and liqueur into a blender. Blend until well mixed. Place in the freezer for one hour.
*To serve, divide into 4 glasses and drizzle a tsp of grenadine on the top of each drink.
*OPT: Can garnish with fresh pineapple chunks, orange slices and.or maraschino cherries.


  1. You had a HORRIBLE day and totally deserved that yummy cocktail!! I know what drink I'm having in the very near future......

  2. Tears in my eyes here. Yes, from laughter. But also a little bit else . . .

  3. You are too funny Karen. What a night you had.
    And thanks for sharing your recipe for Frozen Mai Tai's. They look yummy!

    1. Not quite fully laughing yet. Maybe when we have a/c again . . .

  4. I think you need 2 or 20 drinks.....your choice.

  5. heh heh heh I wonder if left in the freezer longer this might work in the popsicle molds a friend gave me a while back...

    1. I think, because of the alcohol, it won't freeze hard enough to be a popsicle.

  6. It will be 90 today in Houston. That drink looks like it would just hit the spot! Enjoyed (?) your story....

    1. Yeah, it's in the 90s here today too. I feel like I'm melting.

  7. After this awful time you need at least 6 or 7 coctails Frozen Mai Tai! In Earnest, we can really have bad days! But they go by and let's hope we will have good days!

    1. Yes good days ahead. As soon as we have a/c again, that is.

  8. I would have drank that entire recipe. Only a blogger would take a picture of some of her misfortune and then make everyone laugh...well, a little. Not very much. But you should have called Harold and he could have drawn you a better day with his little purple crayon. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

  9. You have absolutely the worst luck of anyone I know! I'm glad you get every thing fixed and your baby back home. It sucks that's only 10 measly days!

    1. Yes, and I can't believe it's over already. He left today.

