Okay, the scenario was like this;
We had no kids here this weekend due to biological parents taking the kids...this happens every 6 weeks. With no kids in the house, the wife and I went out for a hot date for dinner and some Christmas Shopping. That did not go so well, as we hit something on the interstate and ended up getting a flat tire and spending a pile of money getting new tires on. That sucked as the wife was dressed in a slinky little black maternity dress and sky high heels; but I digress...
So we came home and it was a little chilly because the fire was out. A little paper, some kindling and a shovelful or so of coal, and things were getting warm in the kitchen where the stove is. Elsewhere in the house...remember the lack of kids, sky high heels and the little black dress...well lets just say the further end of the house was pretty cozy too.
So I step out of the bedroom, big smile on my face and realized I left the damper door opened in my "wife-in-a-little-black-dress-and-sky-high-heels stupor, and the entire pot bellied stove was glowing. I MEAN GLOWING! Top of it, bottom of it, the whole thing...this dull red glow. We put a pot of water on top of it to kind of humidify the house and it was boiling the water inside it like a witches caldron on steroids.
I definitely learned my lesson: the next time the Mrs gets dressed like that I am waiting until morning until starting the stove!