Baking in a Tornado: October 2026

Spiced Amaretto Cocktail | recipe developed by Karen of www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #cocktail

Welcome to our monthly Fly on the Wall, a blog post written in snippets. Marcia, Diane, and I invite you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes, at our writing desks, and in our worlds. Come on in, buzz around, see what we've been up to. Bet you laugh!

Hubs and I both, in a past life, were buyers for a large retail chain. Obviously, price negotiation was a big part of the job.

We recently had a flood in our bathroom. Hubs was trying to switch out some thingy or other in the toilet and, though he thought he had the water turned off to the toilet, water was flooding the bathroom.

He yelled down to me to get a plumber here NOW. If you know anything about plumbers, you know that's a near impossibility.

I called a company we'd used once before, but all of their plumbers were out on emergency calls. I explained that our bathroom was flooding. The receptionist got back on the line and told me to turn off the water to the whole house, and a manager would come right out and stop the water from flooding until one of their plumbers could get to us later in the day.

The manager came out, stopped the flooding, but instead of charging us and leaving, said he'd go back to his office (almost 1/2 hour away) and get us a part we need. While he was gone, I told Hubs this was going to cost us a fortune. And I was fine with it. This kind of customer service, response to our emergency, was amazing.

He came back, replaced 2 parts, then came in to discuss payment.

Plumbing company manager: So today's charge will be $185.

Me: What? Are you sure?
Plumbing company manager: Ok then, $400.

We all laughed and I paid the $185. As soon as he left, Hubs turned to me:

Hubs: I think your price negotiating skills are a little rusty.

Ha. He has a point.

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

There once was a woman called witchy,

named that 'cause she was so bitchy.

Eye of newt, toe of frog,

in your soup with tongue of dog,

would make anyone, bitchy . . . and twitchy.

Witch's Cauldron Giant Cookie recipe

Me: There's a dead cicada right in the middle of the deck.

Hubs: How do you know it's dead?
Me: It's been sitting in the same spot for 3 days.

Hubs: Maybe it's just tired.

Me: Maybe I'm just tired. Of listening to that incessant buzzing noise for 4 months. But you don't see me laying down in the middle of the deck.

Just sayin'.

I was at PurDude's house longer than I expected to be, figuring out some wall decorations. The Sox were coming on, so PurDude turned the TV on.

We had to watch the Sox through the MLB app, it wasn't on our cable MLB channel.

Me: When the game is on cable, dad can find it, but he doesn't know how to access the game on the MLB app.

PurDude: He doesn't?

Me: No, I usually just have it turned on, he comes in and just sits down.

PurDude: So he never uses apps on the TV?

Me: No. Once, when I was on Marco Island he had me talk him through using the washing machine. And he still couldn't do it. Now that we replaced the toaster oven, I have to talk him through toasting a bagel. He'll be calling me to find out when I'm going to be home, or to try to talk him through getting onto the app. Guess it's good to be needed.

Just then my phone rings. I roll my eyes.

Hubs: When are you coming home?
Me (mouthing "told you" to PurDude): I don't know an hour or so, do you need me to . . .

Hubs (interrupting me): It took me a long time, but I figured out how to get the game.

Me: Huh?

Hubs: So stay as long as you want, I'm just sitting here watching the Sox.

So much for being needed.

Maybe I'll just stay for a week. Eventually he'll want a bagel. Or clean clothes.

I am neat. Like really, really neat. Everything is in its place, always. No clutter. Use something, finish, put it away. How hard is that?

PurDude is ~~a slob~~ not neat. Like really, really not neat. Clutter everywhere. Use something, drop it when you're done.

Sunglasses, matches, paperwork from the movers, and scissors on his fireplace mantle.

It drives me nuts. Sometimes at his house I put things away. He takes them right back out.

We were sitting in his TV room. The coffee table in there was covered with . . . stuff. He had a cover for the pool table delivered, and he opened the box.

PurDude (handing me 2 squares of material from the box): They sent this.

Me: They're to patch the cover if it rips. Put them in the work room in the basement or somewhere where you'll be able to find them if you need them.

PurDude (throwing them onto the pile on the coffee table): I'll find them there.

Doubt it.

When I got home, I was talking to Hubs about that coffee table.

Me: I'm traumatized.

Hubs: What traumatized you?

Me: PurDude's coffee table.

Hubs: What was on it?

Me: What wasn't on it is an easier question.

Hubs: OK, what wasn't on it?

Me: Well, there was a banana in the kitchen.

Hubs: Think it'll be on the coffee table the next time you go over?
Me: Probably.

Ugh, I need a drink.

Spiced Amaretto Cocktail

Hubs sees me standing by the front door.

Hubs: Why are you just standing there, I thought you were going out to get the mail.

Me: I'm scared.

Hubs: Scared of the mail?

Me (pointing out the front door): Of that. Life is tough enough, it's October, and there's a black cat out there. No way I'm letting it cross my path.

Hubs: Black cat? Put your glasses on. That's a squirrel.

Oh.

It's funny how some things just seem to take priority.

Prices are, and have been out of control. Over a dollar for a zucchini. I've cut back, shopped multiple stores, planned leftover dinners, that kind of thing. And even when I buy in bulk or find good sales, I have to wonder if whatever I'm buying could give us all explosive diarrhea . . .

But it's Halloween, so bags and bags of candy will be bought. I used to sneak from my stash, but not so much this year.

Not meaning I won't sneak, just not so much.

There once were some kiddies who'd say,

"give us candy, then we'll be on our way."

"What if I ate it all?"

"That will be your downfall,

ding dong ditch is what we'll daily play."

Guess I should end this October post with a little trick and a little treat.

So, the trick.

Hubs and Older Son were doing an errand about 1/2 hour away. They were supposed to be heading home when Hubs called. He had a big problem with the car. It would turn on, but was frozen, wouldn't move, steering was locked, and a big engine error message was flashing.

Yikes. We do not need this right about now. Well, any time, really.

I got the insurance phone number and our policy number, called a place we'd taken our car before where they specialized in Audis, and asked to have the car towed there.

Called Hubs back and while I was relaying all the info, I could hear Older Son in the background. He was reading from his cell, telling Hubs to do this, this, and then that.

Hubs did, and the car started right up, the steering unlocked, and it went into "drive" without a problem.

So, I started this story to tell you about the trick the car played on Hubs.

But there's also a treat, and that's College Boy saving us both time and money.

And here's my trick or treat story:

I was looking something up on the DuckDuckGo search engine. When I was done, I looked up myself. Well, my blog. I guess I'd never done it before, and don't really know why I did it now. But I'm not mad at what came up: