Br-r-r-r-rrrrrr!!!!!

If you're selling your house and have moved out, please leave the heat on.  You don't have to leave it on 70 degrees but can you at least leave it in the 60's?  I mean .. unless you don't want to sell your house.  


I cannot speak for anyone else but for me, it's hard for me to picture myself making a home out of an empty house when I  AM FREEZING MY TOOKUS OFF while seeing it!!!


Just sayin'.

You know it's cold when ...

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... Jake takes up residence in the bathroom by the heat vent!



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My house

Br-r-r ... I've been saying that a lot lately, haven't I? I took these pics before leaving for work this morning.

A better view -

On the other hand, when I left work to come home tonight - it wasn't dark! So I guess we're crossing to the other side. (pleasepleasepleaseplease)

Too cold for comfort.

Notice that number in the red box? That's the temperature it feels like here right now. Two degrees. Wasn't it just August yesterday? And 82 degrees?

I don't think I'm ready for this yet. Brrr-r-r-r!!!

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Baby it's cold outside!

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BR-R-R -r-r-r!!!!

Earrings and heat, earrings and heat ...

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For those of you who have asked, the chandelier earrings are coming. I made some this weekend, but my photography was a little dark. I thought gee - when I get home from work today I'll take some better pics with the daylight coming in the window. Works wonders. Uh, no. Because of the time change, it's now dark when I get home from work. Gr-r-r-r.

Since I will be taking a half day tomorrow, I will get some pictures then, and will list the earrings tomorrow evening. Really.

Why am I taking a half day tomorrow? Thanks for asking! I will be home by noon so I can be here to graciously welcome the furnace guy. Again. Yep. The pilot still keeps going out and my landlord is under the impression that the pilot just needs to be adjusted. She thinks the pilot is set too low, which proves that she hasn't seen it because when it's lit - it's not one tiny flame. It burns more like a flower, with flame all around the metal core. The furnace guy told me it's a gas hog with a pilot like that.

My landlord is basically telling the heating company that she doesn't want to pay for another service call, she wants them out there to fix what's wrong. Her contention is - it's not the furnace that's not working, it's the pilot. Fix the pilot, the problem will be solved.

Here's the thing. The suburb I live in has some prime real estate in it. The land this house is sitting on is worth a bunch. The house? Not so much. Down the street from me they pulled down a cute little home and put up a great big house - and it's going for just under a million dollars. That is a single lot. I am sitting on a double.

I'm thinking my landlord plans on renting out this house, putting as little into it as possible, until it's not rent-able anymore. Then she will sell it for the land, not the house. She knows she has to keep the furnace running, but she isn't going to replace it until she absolutely has to.

I almost feel like telling the furnace guy not to bother because I don't believe there is anything else they can do, but we will see. Tomorrow is another day, right? One way or another, I will have heat that works all of the time, not just some of the time.

I really do hate this house.
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THIS is my life.

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I know nobody cares about this stuff. But oh my gosh, this is my life! If the power isn't going out the pipes are clogged or .... the furnace pilot won't stay lit. Yes, I said pilot. This - this is my furnace. Isn't it pretty? Yeah, I love it too. Not so much. Let me make one thing clear, I rent. I do not own this lovely piece of machinery. No, I pay rent to light the pilot on this converted oil burning furnace that was put in the house when it was built in the 50's. It really is that old.



There was a heating guy here a week ago because as it started to get chilly in here, I discovered that unlike last year when I just had to re-light the pilot once or twice a day, this year it simply wouldn't stay on once I let up on that red button no matter how long I held it down. I have lit the pilot on this thing so many times I could do it with my eyes closed so I know what I'm doing. It's not me, honest.



This is where the red button is, and behind that rusty metal panel is where the actual flame belches like an angry dragon once it is lit.




These are various thermocouples that have been replaced in the past, one of which was replaced last week as well. The furnace guy told me this furnace is oh - 30 years past it's useful life. He said if he could have found a crack in - well - something I can't remember - he could have told my landlord the unit had to be replaced. But there was no crack, technically nothing dangerous. But again this week, it won't work.



I have to take more time off work which everyone knows is just not my favorite thing to do, uh huh, and come home at noon so I will be here when that van pulls into my driveway and spend my afternoon reading blogs or something while the guy works on the furnace. Ugh, particularly painful. And when the guy is done, I am hoping that this time, oh please please please I will have a brand spanking new furnace and I will sign the invoice without having to pay anything at all.


Who wants to send me good vibes and thoughts or prayers - that tomorrow I can open that closet door and take a picture of a bright and shiny new appliance???


I mean, think about it. If the furnace gets replaced at least it will be one less thing like this I will feel compelled to write about! Send me good thoughts - it's for your own good.


Really.
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