The radio comes on at 6. I listen to snippets of New Orleans' victory over Indianapolis last night in some sporting event I didn't watch. I listen to the local news discuss politics and then announce a "Winter Storm Warning" for a foot of snow heading my way. I'm aware that Mija is curled up right next to me and she's purring happily. I extend my hand and begin 15 minutes of ear scratching while the motor revs into overdrive. Flannel sheets are warm. I'm cozy. I have a deliriously happy cat next to me. Wait...it's chilly in here.
I listen. For the next 15 minutes, the only sounds are the jazz on the radio, Mija's purr and the sound of the fridge kicking in. It is chilly in here. Where's the sound of the furnace blower coming on? I keep the house at 68 but it still should be coming on about every 3-4 minutes. It runs for about 3-4 minutes and turns off. It's not coming on.
I leave the cozy warmth of the bed, grab my robe and check the temperature. It registers 62. Um...this is not good. I crank the thermostat up to 80 and just listen. Nothing. Oh dear. Pilchard looks up from her curled ball in the settee. She'd be warmer if she came to sleep next to me but Mija's there and we haven't created a truce in that area yet.
Immediately I wonder if I paid my gas bill. As I struggle through this difficult financial time, I'm tempted to alternate months of paying and not paying. I've decided that is not good so if a company will let me, I make smaller payments until I can make a larger one. The gas company I have always paid in full. And yes, not only did I make the payment, but it was credited to my account. Hmmm. It can't be the gas and I have electricity, something must be wrong. The furnace is only 5 years old so I guess something could break. But how will I pay for it when I have $6.00 cash and $2.10 in the checking account?
I turn everything off, at least everything I know how to turn off. My CO2 detector has not gone off and it does not appear to be a fuse. I wait 10 minutes and turn everything back on. Still nothing. I sit down in the settee feeling as if my world is collapsing on me. Pilchard climbs into my lap and lies down, purring. This is nice but I'm still upset.
I call a friend and start confiding my fears and I hear the blower kick in. The house fills with warm air. I have already called the office and said I'm not coming in until I can get whatever the problem is fixed. So, I call back and say the blower is working but I'm going to hang out for an hour just to be certain. I make breakfast and read a magazine while I eat my muffins. All the while, I've got an ear tuned to listening for the blower to come on.
After my somewhat leisurely breakfast, the house is warm again and the blower seems to be working as required. I cranked the heat up to 72 and then turned it down to 68. Shower and get ready for work and things still seem okay. Feed cats, assemble lunch, make tea. I'm good. But, that is NOT how I want Monday to start. Monday is bad enough on its own without adding another layer of stress on top of it.
I can survive if, for some reason, the furnace had a problem. I can "heat" the kitchen with the oven and I have a small one-room heater that I can move from room to room to keep warm as I move through the house. Keep a steady stream of water going from the taps if the temperature in the basement were to drop below freezing. I anticipate my tax refund soon and that would pay for a repair. I'll change the furnace filter when I get home as it's time anyway. I grew up with power outages all year 'round so I know how to cope. It builds character, my dad always said.
So, we shall see when I get home, if things are still good. One of my friends had a problem with her stove, a brand new stove, not coming on over the weekend. She turned it off and on and off and on, much to the chagrin of her spouse. Suddenly, it just started working again and there wasn't anything overt that she did.
I don't know who is next for the appliance gremlin but he's out there roaming about.
Beverage: China Black tea
Deb
No comments:
Post a Comment