OVEN CLEANING

I cleaned the oven tonight – I've only ever done this with Bob on hand. We were a team in all things. He was my support; I have mild dyslexia … but when I am stressed, it comes on full-force and Bob was my sounding board. I learn by talking and doing. Bob “got” that about me. And Bob would lift the oven door off so I could basically climb inside to wipe the oven out when the cycle was completed. I'm short-torsoed; so, when I stretch full out to get to the back, it does feel like I am climbing inside to reach the back.

I’ve only cleaned this oven once since it was installed the Fall of 2017: and Bob was here for that. The oven wasn’t filthy … but it did have splattered grease on the bottom and the sides from the fried chicken I made for Supper; and it was smokey when I took the chicken out of the oven:

So, it needed cleaning.

Bob is no longer here.

I tried not to get stressed. I have no sounding board now; no one to go over the details with – no one to play parrot with me, no one to affirm that what I am reading and understanding is correct before I proceed forward. Most of the time I can control my mild dyslexia, but under stress, instructions and directions get dicey. And now, I am also dealing with Widow PTSD. I read and reread the Oven Manual a million times just to be sure I didn’t screw something so simple, up …

Automatic cleaning cycle set - this is how long the cleaning cycle would go. It was already 6:30 PM when I started the cycle.

My main concern was the possibility of smoking the house up, and setting off the smoke alarms – I opened up the kitchen window, and I flicked the house ventilator on. But cleaning an oven is a smoky ordeal, no matter what.

I MISS BOB! He stood 6’2, and would be able to reach his long arms right up to the ceiling and turn the darned things off. But, I am short all the way around: height. legs, and arms. I'm short ... and they are high up.

I prayed. Hard.

I also prayed that I could thoroughly wipe the ashy residue out of the oven, stretching as far as I can across the oven door without tweaking the door – I'm no light-weight. I did not want to lean too heavily on the oven door: I was able to do what needed doing from the sides of the open oven door. It was a stretch; but I managed it.

The oven is cleaned, wiped down, and foiled lined again ;-)

Viola! A clean oven, with no snafu’s.

The smoke alarms did not go off; and though there is a faint odor from the cleaner ... I did not have to use my inhaler.