Why I'm not here

Back in June. I came up with a great idea for a Christmas gift I could make. I bought materials and, after my company left in July, got right to work.

I've been working on it ever since, and ... it's getting there, but it's not done yet.

The problem with projects like this is that I get overly ambitious, and not only do I want to do the first project, but whenever I see a project that is easier, I think "oh, I could totally do that". And the. I start the second (easy) project, and the first project sits, and then the whole cycle repeats itself.

So no, I'm not done, although I did do two easy projects tonight.

I love that fabric.

Anyway, so I have tons of projects on the go, which naturally means that I've been more sociable than usual lately. In the last week, I've gone to book club, Pathfinders, boxing, lunch with old friends, lunch with current coworkers, and a trivia night that was a fundraiser for local Ranger group, who are planning a trip to Europe. (Next trivia fundraiser is Feb. 8 - I definitely recommend it.)

Oh yeah, I also should figure out if the dishwasher is fixable or whether it really is trying to become a floor washer.

And I want to put the tree up this weekend.

Yes, I work well when I have a deadline - can you tell?

Crumbling down

Yesterday, I got home from work and thought "man, I forgot how cold the tile floors get in the winter".

Then I sat around for a while, and decided to check the thermostat. It was 11.5 C. The thermostat was set at 19. I could hear the furnace working, but there was no heat coming out of the vents.

I turned the heat off and on. No luck.

I went downstairs and turned the switch on and off. No luck.

I called the furnace company, and was debating whether to have them come out after hours. I checked the thermostats again. It was 12 C. That was odd, but I attributed it to the fact that I'd just finished cooking. I decided it could wait until morning.

I went to take the garbage out, and couldn't get the back door open - the knob turned, but the door wouldn't open. I initially thought the door had swelled enough to stick, but after a few minutes, I realized that the handle was turning, but it wasn't actually doing anything. 

I went and got a screwdriver so I could take the handle off. I got the inside knob off, then walked around the house to take the outside handle off. The problem was that I couldn't get the middle of the knob - the part that holds it in the door - wasn't moving. I stuffed a rag in the open hole for insulation and went to bed.

When I got up, it was 10 C. I called right away, and was told someone would be here between 10 and noon. He got here a little after 10' and it was 9.5 C. (If the house loses heat at that rate, I figure it broke no later than Monday.)

It took him a little while to figure out that the problem was a blocked vent - it was keeping the fan from blowing air onto an sensor. He pulled out a piece of wire and got the vent open.

It still didn't work.

He went outside to check the gas meter - walking all around the house, because the back doorknob was just a rag-stuffed hole - then came in and turned the switch off and on again. This time it worked.

The house started heating up, and there was much rejoicing - especially since it was under warranty.

Tonight, I took another stab at the doorknob. It took three screwdrivers, a pliers, and a mallet, but I finally got the door open. After that, it didn't take long to get the old knob out and the new one in.

Now there just the floor-flooding dishwasher to deal with.

(The sad part is that I was fine without heat overnight, but if it had been the Internet that was broken, I wouldn't have been so calm.)

Pre-Teen Book Club

Anyone who follows me on twitter is aware that I joined a book club earlier this year. It's fun, and it's pushing me to read books I otherwise wouldn't. The only issue is that I never remember to start the books more than two days in advance.

A couple of months ago, I became aware that my niece had pretty much stopped reading. She was an early reader, but somewhere along the way, she stopped.

Since I am her bossiest auntie, I decided we should have our own book club.

I let her pick the first book (Geronimo Stilton) and we had our first meeting.

I got to pick the second one (The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe). Again she finished it before I did. (Actually, she finished it before I started - as usual, I didn't start right away. I read fast, and I wanted to remember it when we talked about it.)

It's her turn again, and we're reading Ever After High.

I wonder how long it will be before I can make her read From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Every time I have a cold, I wish I also had a recliner.

Things that are uncomfortable:

- sitting up

- lying down

- closing my eyes

- keeping my eyes open

- thinking

- sleeping

Things I have cancelled or skipped due to illness:

- lunch with the gang from the big telecom company

- book club

- boxing (probably)

- strength class

- circuit class

- work