Cider Press Hill

It's so cold...

Our polar express arrived a little early. The temps dropped about 30 degrees all of a sudden last evening and, by about 6PM, my thermometer registered a right frigid 5°. And it continued dropping. Today we have only managed to creep up to 9.5°, which is darned cold, with just enough breeze to make it worse.

I called my mechanic this morning to see how things were going. He was having his difficulties. It’s so cold that half of his tests aren’t working properly. He is checking to make sure there are no leaks in the emissions system. But the cold gives false readings...or none at all. He won’t replace anything until he knows if anything actually needs replacing. I can fully support that, but I do need my car before the end of the weekend. I told him that I have jury duty on Monday morning and I am going to need a car. If it comes to that, I can probably borrow my car for a day or two before I take it back. I’d much prefer to have it all fixed before then, though. He sounded just a little frantic. I’m guessing that these frigid temps aren’t making his other jobs any easier, either.

Well, the good news is that tomorrow our temps are supposed to rise to a tropical 32°. That should be warm enough to take care of matters. I hope. I miss my car. It’s the craziest thing. I don’t have to go anywhere, but it’s the idea that I can’t go anywhere that makes me feel fidgety and stranded.

Meanwhile, in the house, the wood dried out enough to build fine crackling fires. The inside has been comfortable, though not warm enough to do without a couple of layers of clothing. Just about normal, I’d say. This morning, the lad came downstairs to whine a little bit about the cold. I told him to put on another shirt. He huddled around the stove for a few minutes to warm up and then pulled on a heavy sweatshirt. I haven’t heard any complaints since. Must have worked. The upstairs was brisk, but I pulled the quilt open a bit to let more warm air through. It’s up to about 65° in his room now, which is warmer than it has been all winter. If he can tolerate that without complaint, I think we’ve made significant progress.

Posted on 01/03/08 at 02:15 PM
 




Linkmeister

I’m not going to throw our temperatures at you, and I’ll sympathize with your antsy feeling.  If I’m carless I feel trapped and isolated.  Objectively that’s nonsense. Yes, I’m 1.5 miles up a steep hill, but there are hundreds of homes on either side of the road all the way down to the main drag; clearly I am not in the deep woods engulfed in snowdrifts and cut off from civilization.

It’s acculturation, I think.  We’ve become so accustomed to being mobile that when we’re not it’s uncomfortable.

United States   Posted by Linkmeister on 01/03/08  at  03:25 PM





cyn

Linkmeister is absolutely right.  We are spoiled I suppose.  I could stay at home for three days in a row with no complaints (as long as I have a stack of books of course).  But let someone (no names mentioned) say he needs MY car (cause his does not do well in snow or on ice) and I have a hissy fit cause then I HAVE to stay home.  Never fails!! 

We were the same balmy 5° this morning when I went downstairs, when I left for work at 9:30, the downstairs had barely inched up to 65--guess a 60° shutback last night was a little too low.  But it comes back up to 68° at 6AM so it should have warmed up faster than that.  I think it is just the day.  I am sitting here in the office with the space heater practically on my lap as I am damn near freezing.  Love the office I work in generally as it has two walls of windows, but on a day like today, they aren’t quite so wonderful..........But hey, it is supposed to be 60 by Tuesday--I’ll take it if it melts some of this lovely snow and ice.  Happy Day, stay warm!!

United States   Posted by cyn on 01/03/08  at  04:10 PM





Kate

Feeling stranded and isolated really is all in my head. If I had to, I could walk to the store. It would have to be for something urgent, but I could. It really must be acculturation. I’ve been whacking away at trying to drive less and use less gasoline, with fairly good results, but the security of having my car in my driveway, makes it a lot easier. I just feel better when I can look out and see my car. That is a hurdle that I won’t overcome easily.

Cyn, I look forward to the 60 degrees on Tuesday. I hope the weather forecast doesn’t change between now and then. I really would like to have a few warm days to melt all this stinking ice. How pleasant to be able to walk normally again. Instead of like a little penguin.

United States   Posted by Kate on 01/03/08  at  04:46 PM





justme

Thank you for being sympathetic to us Linkmeister! Its days like these that my mind plays games with me. I sometimes wonder how far west I can drive before someone figures out whats up lol. I have made that trip twice now. Surely I could find my way all by my self by now!
It was so cold at work yesterday I had to buy a polar fleece pullover just to get through the day! It’s my new best friend. Its the warmest damn thing I have ever owned in my life.

United States   Posted by justme on 01/04/08  at  07:49 AM





N in Seattle

Ahhh, the Polar Express arrives just in time to greet the presidential candidates north of you.

I see that Obama had a big rally today up in my old stomping grounds.  I still find it astonishing that in 2000 I never saw a single candidate, Democratic or Republican.

United States   Posted by N in Seattle on 01/04/08  at  04:29 PM





Kate

Happily for the candidates (and everyone else) the Polar Express took its leave today. Most of it anyway. Our temperatures SURGED (sorry) to a whole 25 degrees today. Into the 30s tomorrow.

I wonder how Hillary will do in NH. I was rather pleased with the results in Iowa...with the exception of Huckabee...which makes me scratch my head in wonder. The GOP is really a mess right now. Poor babies.

United States   Posted by Kate on 01/04/08  at  06:10 PM





Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.

Cider Press Hill

Next entry: Mean mother

Previous entry: Fingernails down a blackboard