Fire and Ice

I would say two fun things happened this weekend, but the fact is that one of the two was a little funny, but at the time it was happening, it was pretty darn scary. Every week we let Holden pick a family activity. Last week it was bowling, this week it was ice skating. We are lucky here to have a least 2 indoor ice skating rinks fairly near by.

In classic Manila experience it started like this as we got to the counter to pay:
"Do you have skates for rent his (Holden's) size?"
"How old?"
"3"
"No ma'am, only for 5 and up."
Nate then pointed out that Holden is about the size of a 5 year old Filipino so of course they have them.
In we go to the skate counter for our next encounter.
"I need the smallest skates you have"
I am handed a pair that seems large, but Holden is dead set on skating, and being, " the best skater in the ENTIRE world." (his words)
"Are you sure these are the smallest skates?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Really, because they seem large, are you SURE you don't have anything smaller?"
"No ma'am, smallest."
Holden and Nate get out on the ice and after one trip around, Nate has noticed that there are several kids with small red skates on. Smaller than Holden's...much smaller.
"Hi again, so....those red skates back there...what size would they happen to be?"
Um, yeah...much smaller, like a 7 compared to the 10 he had on.
Ah yes, another wonderful day of frustration. If anything living in Manila makes you question everything and everyone...twice.

On to the "Fire" portion of the day. We were rushing around the rest of the day. We went shopping for knick knacks to take back to the states and we had invited some friends for dinner that night and had to run to the grocery store, or two, as well. Things like this always happen when you have overload your day. We get home from running around and while we were gone, the maid has returned the chicken from it's thawing place on the counter to the freezer....LOVELY. With less than two hours to spare, Nate is yelling at the help and I am busy baking up a festive dessert. (My friend Shelley always whips up these delicious desserts that she makes seem so easy and painless, so I thought I would go for it.) With all my "help" in the kitchen, it was whipped and in the oven in no time...until the pilot light went out. (yes people, we cook with gas here. Real gas, like a propane tank under the counter. It is scary!) In flies Nate and lights it back up and out comes a fire ball as hot and red as "fiery depths of hell" (Nate's words.) A scream unlike any I have heard from a man, and the smell...no, not of my lovely lemon cake but of hair...arm hair, eyelashes, goatee.
I know, you are concerned about the cake too as you read this (it was flash cooked) and Nate spent the next couple of hours armpit deep in ice doused water refusing to go to the hospital. He seems to be doing good now, no flesh falling off his arms. We called and told our friends that while there are easier ways to getting out of having them over for dinner, this is the one we chose tonight.

Fire and Ice...all in one day.