Now that the internet is working (mostly), my first official post today will be this:

I believe the oven has finally completely died. I was baking some cookies, you see. I had to fiddle with the oven as I have been having to do to get it going, but it heated right up just as it has been. Usually once I get it going the first time, I don’t have to mess with it again. All the same, I always keep an ear and my nose paying attention to the sounds the oven is making and whether or not I can smell any gas escaping at it tries to light. I didn’t hear or smell anything, so I stupidly assumed it was working well, since it made tater tots last night without any issues at all.

The timer went off informing me the cookies had been in the oven for 18 minutes. Alas, the cookies were not baked. It looks like after the oven achieved 350 degrees, it turned off, and it never bothered even trying to come on again. My trick for keeping it working is no longer working either. Now I am stuck with half-baked cookies and a coldish oven. Wonderful!

Even worse, we have just experienced a slight cash flow issue, and we are flat freaking broke. We haven’t been this broke in ages, but we are, in fact, utterly broke. I spent $10 at the grocery store yesterday, and that’s all I get to spend until payday this week. Even then, there isn’t going to be enough cash laying around to replace said oven. I may actually have to live without one for a few weeks. This wouldn’t suck nearly as badly as it does if every slab of animal flesh in the freezer wasn’t of the enormous roasting variety. I guess, if we want to eat this week, I’ll be cutting one of them up into smaller pieces so I can cook it on the stove top or in my crockpot (provided it still works).

I turned off the oven and am letting the chamber cool down totally. I hope I can at least get it heated up again just enough to finish the cookies. I am not optimistic. The gas regulator has apparently just gone completely out, and it isn’t worth it to replace it seeing as it costs 1/3 what a new stove would cost (not a current model — parts are hardish to get). Might as well get an all new one, though that will mean waiting … and convincing Lin we need a new one. He seems to still be grumpy about getting one, even though he must know that 90% of the stuff he eats is made in an oven. Well, we’ll see how he likes eating Hamburger Helper and store bought bread for a while. I am certain he will change his tune quickly enough.

Today really wasn’t going all that badly, messed up internet notwithstanding, but it has definitely just taken a nosedive into the toilet. I’m going to go fiddle with the oven and weep silently to myself, and then I guess I’ll make spaghetti for dinner … and half-baked cookies for dessert. Boo freaking hoo.

UPDATE: I lost my temper with it again, and got it to light. I suppose once I babysit the cookies to completion, I will be turning off the oven for the last time. I do not have enough hours in the day to be fussing with it every time it needs to ignite the oven burner … and I have begun to have nightmares lately about the damn thing blowing up when I am fooling with it. No more oven goodness until I get a new one … period.