Houston, we have a problem

I've adopted a new policy, of not freaking out until there's a reason to freak out - and even then, if there is nothing I can do, why freak out? I mean, it wastes so much time and energy. Time I'd rather be spending drooling on the couch watching Soap Net's afternoon lineup! Today presented a few different crises, and I successfully held off on the freak-outs!

My cell phone bill arrived last night, all $290 dollars of it. I could have cried my eyes out and run to the nearest pawn shop to sell my ..... (ya, I couldn't figure it out either, I mean, it never came to that though!) I patiently waited until I could call this morning to try and fix it. You see, I had thought to plan ahead, in June I upped my minutes to the next rate plan (double the minutes). I anticipated July and August to be high minute months. Well, seems that someone (at&t is the new cingular) didn't really up my minutes. I was ridiculously over the limit I had. I called, and with some minimal pleading they upped my minutes, applied it retroactively and credited me for the overages. I save $210 dollars, am looking at an $80 phone bill, and wasted no time freaking out!

Once that was taken care of I decided what better to do - I'll bake a cake. After mixing all the cake batter, and preparing the pans, and pouring the batter, I realized that perhaps something was wrong with the oven. I had preheated it to the necessary 350 degrees, but when I opened it, it seemed cool. After I was able to hang onto the heating element comfortably for 5 minutes I decided it definitely wasn't working. I fiddled a bit, and turned up the heat - and eventually got that puppy to heat up. So I baked my cakes. At 550 degrees. For an hour and a half. And I might have taken them out too soon. (for you non-bakers, the cake was supposed to take 35 minutes at 350 - so an hour and a half at 550 is completely absurd. I might have been better if I'd taken AZ's suggestion of leaving them out on the sidewalk...like sun tea. Sun Cake!) A call has been placed to the management, who agrees it's not working, and I'm going to dream of a new oven tonight. (at least I hope that's their plan!)

Now, the impending warrant for my arrest issued by the city of Somerville, I haven't made so much progress on that. But, I'm not freaking out, I doubt they will come deep in the heart to find me, at least not anytime soon.