10/24/08

Blogging for Warmth

So, it's been a wee bit chilly here of late. We had an exceedingly temperate summer and early fall, but I've been glad of the furnace most nights this month. On Tuesday, parts of the Rochester metropolitan (HA!) area were slated for snow, so I was not particularly surprised to wake up shivering. I got bundled up and headed downstairs. I WAS surprised when I looked at the thermostat, and the temperature in the living room was LOWER than the thermostat setting.

I raised the setting. Nothing.

I turned the thermostat off. And back on. Click. AAAAnd nothing.

Into the basement, and the furnace is definitely doing SOMETHING, but I'm not sure what.

Called Adam, "I'm cold and the heat won't come on! Help!" and on his recommendation,

Switched the thermostat to FAN. Ooh! Air... blowing! But not heat.

Eight hours later... the HVAC Man squeezes me into the end of his day. Stuck valve, unstuck ("SmartValve" = not so much). As HVAC Man says $600 to replace this genius valve on an 11 year old furnace - here's hoping it doesn't stick again. He also says that a NEW furnace would likely save us $600 in fuel costs in the first year. Any of you priced furnaces lately? nnngah...

So here's me REALLY appreciating the warmth that my laptop produces while I'm typing.

10/18/08

ETSY of the Week!

OK all you lovely people - it's time for a new game!

For those of you who have not met Etsy, let me introduce you. Etsy is an online marketplace that is chock full of handmade goodies. You can get everything from pottery and paintings to soap or clothing. There's stuff for you, stuff for your house, stuff for your pets, stuff for your kids. And MORE. And all in support of small business people making things by hand! I do not have a shop right now, but when the time comes to reopen my studio...

So here's the plan. Once a week, I'm going to post a link (just off to the right) to a cool Etsy shop I've found. Check it out! You never know when you'll discover the perfect treat for that person who's SO hard to buy for (you know who I mean...).

10/15/08

Happy Thanksgiving, eh?


So the Mr. has been working in up Montreal for longer than I care to contemplate, and lucky for me, I had the forethought MANY weeks ago to request off several days in a row so that I might attend Canadian Thanksgiving for a change. So, new tires on the little Golf, and off I trundled on Friday... up I81 and across the 401, in a blaze of glory. It was beyond lovely to see Adam, and to NOT be at the bookstore. We had turkey and dressing and mashed potatoes, courtesy of Malibu. I even made cheese grits. I think the cranberry sauce may have eaten a hole in my tongue...

There is really no adequate segue... so I will just say that Monday morning, Adam's step-dad Jim had a small stroke. We are thankful that it was a small stroke. We are thankful that Prue noticed something was not right. We are thankful that he agreed to go to the hospital. We are thankful that he is OK.

I am home now, sans husband.

10/1/08

That Sound You Just Heard...


I know you thought it was the breeze ruffling those glowing yellow leaves on that tree at the stoplight, but no. It was the gentle exhale of someone who LOVES autumn. I love the changing colors of the trees and the still green grass, highlighted against approaching rain clouds. And the way the maple around the corner seems like it has a light inside it when the sun comes out. I like wearing a scarf, even without a jacket (I know. You're shocked). I like the smell of the damp, cool air. And the aroma of other people's lit fireplaces after dark. Each season has its own particular beauty, each its own little awe-inspiring moments. But Fall? The sole drawback to the autumnal season would be that it is my absolute worst allergy season.

Perhaps more of a wheeze than an exhale, but a very appreciative wheeze all the same.