Bits, Pieces, and the demise of a well-loved Crockpot

I spend a lot of time in front of the computer, which means a lot of time in front of the small TV I also have on my desk. As a child-of-the-####ies (oops, a little line noise there), I learned to aurally multitask, listening to music or radio dramas while I did other things, most notably my homework. (hmmm...that might be why I got thru 12 grades by the skin of my teeth...) At any rate, I never did get out of the habit--to this day I can't just sit and watch TV. I must have something going on with my hands, be it needlework, beadwork, or even a book. (That takes REAL multitasking...) This is really my explanation of the 'bits and pieces' entries...I'm doing something else and something has piqued my interest on TV (or the Roe Conn radio show...you should stream that sometime!).

So...watching the Early Show's presentation of great (if not inexpensive) gifts for kids...I fell in love with Bisquit. As a cat person, I can be pretty smug about not walking the dog, especially during a snowstorm, but this pup I could really warm up to. I can't seem to get the embedding to work here, but here's the URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKSgU2cLUvg

I might add to this today, but for now....the dearly departed crockpot saga...
This isn't exactly the LOOK of my pot - it was white with flowers on it - but the style is the same. I loved to make stews and big chunky soups in it, as well as my 'end of the month' shove-in-the-Uncle-Ben's budget stretchers. It had its faults, one of which was divesting itself of the lid handle, and it became a real challenge to find something with which to lift the lid. But I loved it, knew its temps, and pretty much timed everything just right with the symbiosis of a real partnership.

Then came the unit inspection. I was doing a major tidying of my counter, shelves, etc., and the crockery insert was in the sink holding silverware and coffee-cups bathing in sudsy water. I had put a shopping bag over the pot because the inside had become pretty disreputable-looking over the years and I figured lifting lids and such was beyond the purview of even the inspection militia. Well... apparently in all the shuffling around, the little thingie (technical term) was jostled from 'off' to 'low,' so for the better part of the day the pot was working on the green recycled synthetic shopping bag. At some point the bag sagged down to the bottom of the pot, which was still without its crockery insert (it would have modified the damage greatly) and melted pretty much permanently onto the insides of the cooker. It does not peel off, and putting ice on the green stuff doesn't allow it to chip off, either. Leaving it there is not an option; it sets off my hard-wired smoke alarm, although there is no smoke to be seen...it's all invisible and apparently insidious.

So, it's 'goodbye, old friend.' I can't afford to replace it on my incredibly tight budget, although using the gas oven is going to be more expensive in the long run. I guess I'll have to chalk it up to another lesson well-learned...