Just the tap of a hammer

This morning the indoor thermometer read 56.5° F and the outdoor thermometer read 55.4° F. I opened the back door and there really wasn’t a noticeable difference, except that there was a whiff of spring on the outdoor air. At least there was that. Ah well. I shut the door and called the heating company to make an appointment to have the furnace fixed. I think that since I am not living outdoors in a tent, there is a reasonable expectation that my dwelling should be a few degrees warmer than the outdoors.

Funny thing, though. I’ve been working around the house this morning and I am warm. My hands are warm and my nose is warm. But of course. If the repair guy couldn’t come until Monday, I’d be sitting here freezing to death.

So, we’ll see how much this little exercise will cost me. The repair guy just arrived and has been clumping up and down the basement steps looking dour. I hope that’s not a sign.

My wood heating season is officially over. I do have about two days worth of wood left, but that is now reserved for ambiance. I am going to miss my wood stove crackling merrily away and I’ll need to have a pick-me-up session with it a couple more times. It would be helpful if spring would just arrive already. Oh for a day above 60°! I don’t believe there is one in our foreseeable future, though. This has been an abnormally cold spring and that cold air mass out of Canada has just been sitting here torturing us. We’re supposed to have snow tonight!! I’m so ready to hop on a plane and go someplace warm.

Ooookay. That didn’t take long. The water circulation pump was seized. All he had to do was tap it with a hammer and it started right up. I actually had thought of doing that, more out out frustration than anything else. I shoulda. In any case, the pipes are flushed, the furnace innards are cleaned and I have heat. And the bill was minimal. What I also learned was that the pilot light doesn’t even need to be on to start up the furnace/water circulation pump. I didn’t know that. He said to start it up every two weeks and all will be well. I can do that!