Out with the old | In with the new

From the beginning, our gas oven has never worked right. Starting the oven required opening the door, putting your ear next to it, and slowly turning the dial waiting to hear the click of the gas. Sometimes, I had to retry the dial four or five times before it finally ignited.

When we arrived back this fall, we noticed the oven had started not only cooking our food but also heating our home. Then one night, fifteen minutes before our dinner guests arrived, we heard a crash from the oven and saw steam pouring out the back. Inside, our glass Pyrex pan of chicken had split down the middle. Later that night, my peach cobbler again baking in a glass Pyrex dish exploded. After those incidents, nothing baked right. Casseroles dried out. And the almonds I attempted to brown literally flamed.

When I tried to get someone out to look at it, the professional told me to bake a potato. If the potato didn't explode, the oven was fine. The potato didn't explode. But that didn't explain the hot house, exploding dishes, overcooked casserole, and flaming nuts.

I tried talking to the landlord. He was never home, so I started leaving pleading notes for him periodically. I also stopped using the oven. Five weeks later, the landlord finally installed this new beauty. She runs like a thoroughbred and starts on the first twist of the dial!