Had a much-needed day at home today, slept in, snuggling w/ the Dingo, who is the warmest dog on the planet. She makes up for the sinus headache/sore throat/fatigue.
Monday morning, db and I woke up freezing. A couple of phone calls and a handyperson later, we find out that the heat exchange unit had holes the size of Arkansas in it. Dur! Thankfully, the part is still under warranty. Sadly, the labor charge isn't. Brother, can you spare $700?
Our handyperson wondered aloud why our carbon monoxide detector hadn't warned us earlier. Come again? Carbon monoxide detector? As arse poetica functions as a public service announcement forum, y'all please check your carbon monoxide detectors! You can buy one at Lowe's (90+ % of contributions to Dems) for ~ $30. I thought the Dingo was looking a little pekid. ::cough::
While I padded about w/ my coat on, the beasties ran around thinking it was a holiday because it was mid-morning and both parents were home! Man, they're cute. Look at all we're missing when we're at work. [I'm well aware that they spend 99.99% of that time sleeping, but I do have "Cat in the Hat" fantasies.]
I love a lazy morning in, but it never happens.* I am constitutionally unable to enjoy the time of day commonly known as morning, because I'm a night owl and the morning always interrupts my reverie. If "morning" started at noon, I could enjoy it much more. But Monday morning, despite the thought of a thousand dollars in heating repair costs, was wonderful. What a difference a cup of tea makes! Is this how normal people live, not rushing bleary-eyed from bedroom to bathroom to car to work? Gosh. Now I see the appeal.
*One benefit to being sick, and I'm sad only to have discovered this
recently (the excuse/reason, I mean; not the being sick), is not having to do anything. I have so enjoyed the last
couple of days, though I felt terrible, because nothing was expected of
me. No calls, no emails, no meetings, no shopping, no commitments, it's brilliant. Now
i've just got to figure out how to have this w/o the illness. I have become -- quicker than you can say, "Pass the bonbons" -- enamored of lying around in
my pajamas reading/writing/napping/hugging beasts. db and I took a nap
yesterday afternoon, and we were like, Now, this is living! Naps, good books, a good cup of tea, fresh food, clean air, world peace, my dingo. That's not asking water from the moon, is it?
Anyhoo, I like handypersons, as I am a fan of competent people and people w/ technical skills. Walter gave us the low down and even gave us advice re: seeking other estimates. Nice. Got some advice, made some calls, got estimates, made appointments, and by mid-afternoon Tuesday, we were up and running again. Thank you, Mebane Air & Heating!
It was hardly a hardship being w/o heat for one night, though the temp hovered in the low-to-mid-50s. We had a roaring fire and when we retired to the bedroom we had a space heater. I was actually hot that night. Heating bills are insane this winter because everyone is a greedy bastard of the convenient excuse of Hurricane Katrina. I worry about the old folks and the poor nearby, so we're going to take action. Which reminds me, if you needed another reason to buy your gas at Citgo, here it is.
[photo credit: JM, Prague, 10.2005. The cast of characters seemed to fit the tale.]