Fire in the Hole

The family is staying in a hotel for at least two nights, Dad is leaving on a business trip, and things are a little more confused than we expected... Sunday, we left the house in a rush to get to church on time. Part of the rush left a pot of boiling water on the stove, with ravioli in the pot. The heat was on high, and the water went dry. After the water went dry, the ravioli steadily turned to ash and the pan eventually developed a cherry red color from the heat. Coleen realized about 30 minutes after arriving at church that the burner was still on. Dad was ushering, Coleen was helping with Kara. Ben offered to go home and handle the problem. Ben found a house filled with smoke, an agitated dog in the crate, and a very hot pot on the stove. He switched off the stove, opened all the doors, tried to fan the smoke outside, and generally was a great help with the mess we had created. The house still smelled smoky Monday morning, so we called the insurance company and started the claims process. The $500 deductible is the price we'll pay for our mistake. The cleanup company sent by the insurance will "ozone bomb" the house for two days in hopes of removing the smoke smell. If that is not sufficient, then they will clean walls, clean carpets, launder clothes, etc. We can't be in the house during the ozone bombing, so we are consigned to a hotel Tuesday night and Wednesday night. Dad leaves on a business trip Wednesday morning, so Coleen will handle all the insurance stuff solo. We're in the Loveland Residence Inn and the kids think it is vacation. We went swimming in the hotel pool, worked out in the hotel exercise room, had a free dinner on the hotel, and the three boys went out to a movie. The hotel rooms are giant suites, with very comfortable kitchenettes where we can cook.