January 16, 2004 - 9:10 a.m.

Arctic Blast

When I went to bed last night it was about -6 degrees outside and just over 60 in my room. I woke up this morning to about -10 outside, and about 85 in my room! I was grateful for the warmth, but it was a bit much! After kicking off the blankets and trying to get back to sleep, I just couldn't take the heat anymore. My groggy brain managed to diagnose the problem. Wednesday night the blower motor on the first floor heating system went out. Before the repairman came out and fixed the motor we had tried all sorts of trickes to get the heat up above about 50 degrees to no avail - including switching the heating fan from "auto" to "on". So, once the blower was fixed, the fan was still continually on, and blowing hot air right onto my bed.

It was role-playing night last night, so I arrived home after midnight after a half hour drive during which my car heater seemed incapable of keeping up with the frigid air. I was, therefore, quite happy to feel that hot air, and curled up to sleep aided by it and my down comforer. By this morning, though, that nice warm air felt more like a desert wind, so I had to drag myself otu of bed, and go upstairs to turn the fan switch back to auto. It's a testament to just how cold it is out that after just over an hour without the fan on, the temperature in my room had dropped more than 10 degrees.

It is, in fact, so cold outside that almost all of the area schools are closed. With windchills around -35, and the possibility of frostbite setting in in just minutes, they didn't want to risk having kids out at bus stops. I was actually a bit surprised that our town closed schools, since the kids haven't had a single snow day in the past two years. Still, I am not working today, so I don't have to worry about entertaining the kids for the day. Instead, once we reach positive temps, I may go to a movie after a visit to the gym and picking up my bridesmaid dress from the tailor.

That upcoming wedding is one of many events that will be keeping me busy over the next month. New Century Voices ias having a concert next Sunday. The following Wednesday I head down to Philadelphia for all the wedding related events: bachelorette party Weds., rehearsal dinner Thurs., Bridesmaids Luncheon and manicures and pedicures Fri., and the wedding itse;f on Saturday. Sam is joining me there Friday night, so I get to see him as well as enjoy the wedding and seeing some old friends. After that it is only two weeks until I head out for me little vacation in San Diego. If the weather cooperates for that trip, I will get to swim in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. I thought my life would calm down a bit after the holidays, but it hasn't much.

Still, as I was just informed last night that I have Monday off, and I am not working today, I have a four day weekend ahead of me, so it is hard to feel busy right now. :) I intend to catch up on sleep, workout every day (want to look good in the bridemaid dress, not to mention being seen in a bathing suit when I go to California), see a movie or two, and try my hand (or feet) at either snowshoeing or cross country skiing (only after the temperature breaks into the 20s). For now, though, I am vegging, staying warm, and contemplating returning to bed for a bit. It's a tough life I lead, isn't it?

today's project: relishing a day without temper tantrums

musing about: whether this will be the last brutally cold weather we'll see this year

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