Monday, January 21, 2008

I should be careful what I whine about.

Yesterday I was whining about 16*F. This morning I'm pining for the balmy airs of yesterday, as the outside temp craters in at 11*F. Br-r-r-rr!

And before all you tundra-dwelling Yankees start telling me what cold really is, let me remind you that houses up there are generally built, or at least heated, with that in mind. I'm living in a far-from-airtight, indifferently insulated, rebuilt cabin. On a nice, cold, lake. With the only in-house heat provided by a propane-fed baseburner in one corner of a room that is probably 60'x20'. No heat in the bedroom at all except for a quartz space heater. And the bed's against two external walls.

Thankfully Mittens decided last night that, rather than her usual spot by my shoulder, she'd prefer to sleep on the pillow with me, so I had one self-heated, vibrating ear muff. It's still cold in here this morning at VFTP Command Central, though, halfway across the room from the heater. Lowe Alpine leggings under sweat pants and a tee shirt under a turtleneck, and I'm still chilly. Perhaps if I had a heart, rather than relying on convection to circulate my blood, I wouldn't be so cold.

13 comments:

Carteach said...

You are not heartless!
Think about a big bore Smith revolver... In that old time deep blue....

Hear that thumpy sound? Thats your heart.

Wish I had good advice to offer... you already know all the things you could do to make the place warmer.

Anonymous said...

That sucks when your buildings and clothing are not prepared for the climate.

And as for those effete southerners known as "yankees" in the balmy New England climate, don't get me started.

Layers, it's all about layers Tam. And a hat/knit head covering will a help too. Even in bed. ( I know, it will ruin your hair and reputation of blog goddess/sex kitten... but you don't have to tell them.)

Anonymous said...

You can't manage to pick some hairy-backed, hot-blooded, self-supporting companion out of the myriad caucus men who must be lined up around the block waiting for a moment in your presence to use as a bedwarmer?

Tam said...

"That sucks when your ... clothing [is] not prepared for the climate."

Hello? Lowe Alpine leggings? These are for scaling the North Face of the Eiger, not typing in Tennessee!

I've got some of the old Adidas "Adventure" boots, too, but they're too warm to wear indoors.

Actually, I just threw on a nice fleece vest, and I'm pretty cozy now.

Zendo Deb said...

It's 11 degrees here too. 11 degrees
Celsius that is. (That's 54 degrees Fahrenheit for you metric-challenged types.)

And as far as I am concerned, that is cold enough.

Zendo Deb said...

err.. 52 degrees not 54. I can calculate, but my fingers are so cold I can't type.

Rob K said...

You have my sympathy.

[CAPTCHA = pepgovt]

breda said...

& still no snow?

Tam said...

Nary a flake.

Anonymous said...

Fourteen degrees now, at the crack of noon in Daisy Hollow. Bright sunshiny day, and way-ass freezing. Priss the cat just came in from her morning jaunt with real determination: head down, ears flat, moving fast through her own previous steps in the snow, and looking up at me every few of steps as if to say, "Don't you dare close that door before I get there."

We might see twenty today.

The coal stove is roaring.

Anonymous said...

"Perhaps if I had a heart, rather than relying on convection to circulate my blood, I wouldn't be so cold."
Who the hell is going to clean the tea out of my keyboard?
Middle TN is colder'n hell, too, BTW.

Anonymous said...

Heartless? Is that self imposed or has some unlucky soul tagged you with that?

Anonymous said...

Crank up the oven and crack the door open.

Glenn