Less than you bargained for

I am trying to be a better grownup but sometimes I feel like the universe is conspiring against me - at least it seemed that way when I was prevented from being all Suzy Homemaker recently.

Over the last couple of years I'm sure you've noticed I've become more domesticated and boring mature. It started with all that talk about vacuum cleaners, and then I bought a dining suite, started thinking that a diet consisting of junk food alone might not be so wise, and... sorry what was that? Oh, yeah, I guess buying a house is a pretty grown-up thing to do. Even if we still giggle about the fact we're homeowners.

To round off the whole shut up, I am so a grownup thing I started baking. Among my experiments have been slices (louise, ginger, caramel), cupcakes, Belgian biscuits, scones, a banana cake or two and my specialty - lemon meringue pie.

Here are a few pics of treats I've made:

At the risk of sounding like something out of a Women's Weekly from 1967, I really enjoy baking and find it helps me unwind.

I can totally change a car tyre, by the way, just putting that out there.

But back to baking... or not, as it happens, because I haven't had a chance to work my magic in the kitchen, what with all that pesky real estate buying and subsequent house-moving carry-on.

Luckily, one of the chattels that came with our house was an oven - your run-of-the-mill freestanding number that has seen better days:

*Please note our delightful pink and grey lino, we are coping with it okay so far

The house was previously tenanted and there wasn't a lot of care given to upkeep of the oven (or cleaning in general, it would seem). But that was okay, I didn't need a fancy oven to throw together a lemon meringue pie for Joel's Dad's birthday dinner (that took place the weekend we moved in), as long as it did its job and got hot inside, I figured I'd get along with Old Oven just fine.

Given that there was food still encrusted around the cooktop elements and on all the outer surfaces of the oven, I figured I should probably give the inside a good wipe-down before getting under way. Smart idea, as it turned out, because while someone had the good grace to coat the oven with oven cleaner it seems they forgot about part two - the bit where you wipe it all off.

So there I was, trying to clean the oven so I could get on with some baking for Joel's Dad when a big chip of rust fell from above the grill. I poked my head inside for a closer look and this is what I saw:

And now a little closer for dramatic effect:

Gross, right?

So we've had to buy a new oven, and it arrived this morning - exciting. I mean, sure, it's annoying that one of the chattels that came with the house was completely useless to us, but just quietly I'm pleased because a shiny new oven is definitely a treat. Even if it is a very basic model; the purse strings have tightened somewhat thanks to Mr Mortgage, no more luxurious top-of-the-line stuff for us. Damn it.

Today I want to hear about the times when you've bought something, only to take possession and discover something seriously wrong with it.

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