I was up at 5:30 this morning and found the mercury flirting with zero. I had a slight headache, dizziness, and nausea. I suspected carbon monoxide poisoning from the kerosene space heater we've been using to augment our central heat. Yet, the carbon monoxide detector didn't sound off. We have an electric heat pump and until now it's done a great job, but it's never been this cold for this long. I spent all day Wednesday applying caulk and foam insulation to every crack I could find in the house, but the cold wind keeps pulling heat from the house. I turned off the kerosene heater and now we're using an electric oil radiator.
It's bone chilling cold; life threatening cold; pipe bursting cold. It's a cold that makes me want to hibernate. In the fetal position. It's so cold in Florida the iguanas are dropping out of trees. In North Carolina, sea turtles are washing up on shore, paralyzed by the frigid waters. Here in Oklahoma the squirrels are insulating their nuts.
I'm looking out the window and snow flakes are falling. It's 18 degrees. The high today is expected to be 20. Tomorrow it will go above freezing for the first time since Tuesday. I'm looking forward to it.
5 comments:
Smart squirrels.
I guess all of us living where the polar winds are want to invade this time of year are not liking it very much Wally. Thank God we could afford to have a new heat-pump and air handler put in last spring. This is its first winter and it's doing a good job of keeping us comfortable. I almost said "warm" but that depends on how much warmth one believes they can afford. Our home is all electric. If we set the thermostat too high, the utility bill can be a heavy burden to bear. We chose 67 degrees as what we could live with and pay for. Put on more clothes during the day time and sleep in pajamas or a sweat-suit at night under a light blanket. It's working for us and the heat-pump isn't complaining either. Come on Spring!
It's been a weird winter so far. While the rest of the country is gripped in this endless cold wave, here on the SW Washington cost we've experienced record HIGH temperatures! We've hit 60 twice and come near it three times. Normal for this time of year is 45.
brrrrr I sympathize. We have had some cold in the NW but not usually below zero. When it gets real cold, we often lose power but fortunately our backup system is woodstove and it can keep up with anything-- so long as the wood doesn't run out.
I'll all for hibernating, except when I have to pee.
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