Technology Fails and Wins: Of Cell Phones, Ice Cubes, and Cookies

Yesterday I called to see whether or not my cell phone would be fixed.  I thought that my issue had been elevated, but the person on the phone told me that it hadn't.  He said he elevated it; I've been told that before.  

I looked at other plans, but the Spectrum plan is cheapest.  It's the best deal, if they can get my cell phone working.  Insert a heavy sigh here.

So, we will keep the phones for now.  When I travel to seminary tomorrow, I'll take the one that's working.  I primarily want a cell phone to summon help in the case of car trouble.  Sending a text is not really what I have in mind.

If Spectrum can't get the phone with the ported # working, we'll probably cancel the whole deal--I can mail the phone back to my spouse or drive it back.  We have 2 weeks from Tuesday, August 23.

On a happier note, the used refrigerator that we got from the consignment store is working beautifully.  It is a wonderful thing to have a gallon of iced tea that can stay cold and to be able to have ice cube trays that freeze ice.  The fridge was plugged in at the consignment store, so we weren't taking much of a risk.  But we saw the fridge in a warehouse type of showroom that had no air conditioning, so of course it would feel cool when we opened the door.

We are going to a potluck community picnic today, so I wanted to make some cookies.  The oven part of our stove has been coming on, so I decided to risk using it--might as well see how it behaves, right?  But I hedged my bets.  The recipe for butterscotch bars is very forgiving.  The oven stayed on for 10 minutes, then it turned itself off.  I tried moving the dial, with no results.  I left the bars in the oven with the dial turned to 375.  Ten minutes later, the oven turned itself back on, and the cookies finished baking.  I turned the oven off, and I wondered if it would turn itself back on, even with the dial turned to off.  So far, that hasn't happened.

What a delight to have homemade cookies from our own oven.  We haven't had that in months.  In case you want the same joy, here's the recipe.  This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks:  Beatrice Ojakangas' The Great Holiday Baking Book.   She's got a recipe for every conceivable holiday and great ways to celebrate the passage of the seasons.

Butterscotch Bars

1/4 C. butter, melted
1 C.  packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 C. flour (partial whole wheat works well)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 C. nuts (I prefer pecans, but you might like walnuts)

Preheat the oven to 375.  Butter a 9 inch square pan.

Beat the brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and egg together until light and fluffy.  Stir in the flour and baking powder, and when combined, the nuts.  Spread the batter into the pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center is firm to the touch.  A tester may not come out completely clean--the bars will solidify as they cool.  You should cut into serving size bars after 10-20 minutes of cooling.

This recipe is easily doubled and baked in a 9 x 13 inch pan.  You could also add chocolate chips into the batter or melt 1/2 c. of chips and drizzle across the top of the bars.