THAW

S.O.S. etched on an icy window

Well, I survived.
In realistic retrospect I don't know if I'm glad or disappointed.

I'm not exactly in the mood to go into the bone-chilling details, but I'll give a (quick?) recap. 

The temperature dropped to 9 degrees (Fahrenheit) on Monday night. I knew there was no possibility of sleeping in my bedroom, since it's the coldest room in the house. It doesn't need a heater. It needs an exorcist.

By dusk it was so bitterly cold that I took the mattress off my bed and dragged it into a small interior room which contains one of my pianos, a desk, and some bookcases. 

I piled blankets on the mattress and plugged in the tiny, El Cheapo Walmart heater.
Heat was minimal (at best) but it was better than nothing (almost).

I crawled into bed at 7:00 p.m.


The two cats burrowed into the covers and we snuggled together in one cozy (and uncomfortable) cocoon. I had to periodically get up all night to make sure the water pipes didn't freeze.

I was overjoyed to see (rare) sunlight at dawn, but it seemed even colder than it was overnight. I felt so sick (and cold) that I went back to bed.

While I was in Shivering Dreamland, loud knocking on the front door woke me up.

It was the heating repair guy - along with a second heating repair guy.

Fast Forward
The furnace is in worse shape than I initially thought: burned-out parts, worn-out components. They replaced some things and got it working. It doesn't yet heat to full-capacity, but it's a VAST improvement from having no heat at all.

They'll return in the near future (hopefully) to replace another part and install a new thermostat.
I know how to replace thermostats. I successfully did it in my Texas house, but I figured it's better to leave it to the "experts".

Anyway, I finally have heat again. And I'm delighted. It's Wednesday morning and only 14 degrees Fahrenheit as I'm writing this.

My cat Scratch (also known as Kitzee), sleeping on my legs last night.

THANK YOU for your comments on my previous post!!!

THAW

And suddenly a blinding light burst through the darkness - melting the ice, rousing the birds, distributing a feast of warmth to the desperate and needy.

I emerged from my burrow, shed two of my three layers of clothes, and suddenly remembered that - somewhere beyond winter - is a soothing promise of spring.

If you look carefully at the above photo, on the lower right - below the burst of sun - is a tiny glimpse of the corner of the back porch.
I mentioned this only because I knew it would thrill you.

 
 My cat Scratch (also known as Kitzee) found a rare patch of sunlight and basked in it - rolling around and showing off.

I'm definitely not in a rolling mood. This past frozen week was filled with ill health, annoying anxiety attacks, and bouts of abysmal depression - not necessarily from the cold weather, but from life in general and all the unpleasant complications it rudely presents.

But that's an old story, which I've been regurgitating too often.

How about a glimpse of my back yard - - which is an unattractive jumble of naked trees and scrawny semi-evergreens.

 I'm writing this - not because I have anything interesting to say, but because I felt a need to validate my existence - which at times seems to be slipping away without my knowledge or permission.