Cider Press Hill

Unveil the yellow orb, please

The last time we saw the sun was last Friday. Seven days ago. According to the weather forecast, we may see the sun for a couple of minutes on Sunday, but that’s if we’re lucky and the next rain storm doesn’t move in a couple of hours early. In other words, probably no sun until the middle of next week. At the earliest. If we’re really, really lucky. At least the temperatures are relatively mild. We’ve stuck to the low to mid 50s both day and night. The next few days will be a little warmer, so it’s not like winter is knocking at the door yet. And my house, for reasons only it understands, has stayed at a pretty constant 70 degrees without turning on the furnace or lighting the wood stove once this season. But sunshine would be nice. It’s so gloomy looking around here. I need a few hours of sunshine. Deeply, truly.

I suppose, though, in the absence of sunshine, I’ll take news stories like this. They tend to infuse my day with a bit of sunshine.

But, conversely, there is this cloud called sharply rising consumer prices. Mostly because of soaring energy costs, which make just about everything else more expensive. We’re in deep water here and we haven’t even hit winter. I think people are seriously starting to feel the pinch. As I drove through the new McMansion neighborhood up on the hill behind my house, I counted seven For Sale signs. And it’s a small neighborhood. The houses originally sold for around $700,000 and, looking at all the Cadillac and Mercedes SUVs sitting in driveways, with some more modest Porsches and BMWs dotting the landscape, I’d guess that many of these folks are mortgaged/car loaned to the teeth. The skyrocketing costs of fuel and natural gas and food—and everything else—must be killing them. The American Dream is about to be downsized. I wonder who is going to buy those houses and how much of a loss the people selling them will be willing to take in order to get out while they still have something left.

Posted on 10/14/05 at 08:47 AM
 




justme

Do you know what they are asking for the house now? I am so not looking forward to heating this draft trap this winter! The girls did nothing but whine yesterday about how cold it was in here (68-69). You should have seen the look on thier faces when I told them that the heat is going to be set at 66 for a while! They are just going to have to suck it up until we see what it is going to cost this year.

United States   Posted by justme on 10/14/05  at  10:56 AM





pablo

funny. When my boys were home for the summer, I constantly found the thermostate set at about 65 degrees. Good thing they’re not home for the winter since they’d find it at the same setting then.

United States   Posted by pablo on 10/14/05  at  11:56 AM





Kate

Also funny...I was just reading an article by Jeremy Rifkin—Survivor’s Guide to the Energy Crisis and noted that the President has ordered the White House to set the thermostats at 72 degrees to save energy.

What the heck did they have them set at before???

Whether for cooling or heating, that’s a pretty luxurious temperature.

I don’t have to worry too much about the thermostat here. But I’ve yet to meet a light bulb the lad can turn off. He’s graduated from leaving a trail of clothes behind him to leaving a trail of lightbulbs burning behind him. At least I replaced every last one with a 9 or 14 watt fluorescent bulb, so that helps mitigate the damages. As my father used to say, “I can’t wait to visit your house when you’re paying the utility bills.”

United States   Posted by Kate on 10/14/05  at  01:15 PM





Linkmeister

At 10:30pm last night the outdoor temp was 74 degrees.

(ducks and runs)

United States   Posted by Linkmeister on 10/14/05  at  07:10 PM





Kate

Oh see...here we go. The beginning of the rub it in season. ‘Spose that’s okay, though. When we’re nothing but frozen blocks, it’ll be nice to hear about sunshine and warmth. It’s one of our techniques for surviving ‘til spring. ;)

United States   Posted by Kate on 10/14/05  at  08:22 PM





Linkmeister

The odd thing is, for us that’s almost into blanket territory.

I’ll try not to bring it up again. wink

United States   Posted by Linkmeister on 10/14/05  at  09:52 PM





cyn

Make it day number 8!  It was as dark at 7AM as it is at 2AM--I am most definitely growing fins and gills--someone not very nice in my house suggested that the gill part is true.....hmmmmmm Call me fungui for short........

I punish myself daily by having the weather from Oahu on one of my screen names .......so on a day like this, I look up and see.........SUN, WARM,MORE SUN, WARM, and even when it says showers, it is meaningless, cause it is still warm (to us).  As my husband tells everyone, weather is just really not a factor there for the most part. 

Be careful Linkmeister with the teasing cause you just might find Kate, me and a few others on your doorstep one day!!

United States   Posted by cyn on 10/15/05  at  07:06 AM





justme

Hanging head in shame that I used to be as CRUEL as linkmeister just one year ago! (said as she smacks her head on keyboard). Sigh.

United States   Posted by justme on 10/15/05  at  09:15 AM





Kate

And people wonder how New Englanders got the reputation for being hardy souls.

I looked out the window first thing this morning and all I saw were rain drops stuck to the screen.

I guess I’d rather see that than snow flakes stuck to the screen.

United States   Posted by Kate on 10/15/05  at  11:37 AM





Linkmeister

wink I’ll make bring sushi!

United States   Posted by Linkmeister on 10/15/05  at  02:12 PM





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