. Well, the good news is, I didn't lose power in the storm a few days ago. There were 60+ mile-per-hour winds, but it looks like the worst of the storm fell on the central part of the state. I'm on the western side, so we fared a little better.
However, I woke up this morning feeling really cold and i started worrying that something was wrong with the furnace. I have MANY times accidentally turned the furnace switch off at the top of the basement stairs becus I have a small bag hanging above the switch for recycling plastic bags, and if I knock the bag, it doesn't take much to push the switch down (off). I learned that the hard way one year when I had to pay the HVAC guy who responded to my call over a hundred dollars to TURN THE SWITCH ON. Even he felt bad, but he still had to charge me for coming out.
So first thing I did this morning was check the switch, and, yup, that was the problem. It was down to 53 degrees!
In days of yore, I used to try to keep the heat down as low as I could tolerate, and that included turning it down further at night. Now into my second year of full retirement and being home more, I found my sweet spot is a little warmer than when I used to do the No Heat Challenge. (Remember that?) It feels pretty good to have it set at 65 or 66 day AND night. However, when I go out anywhere, I always turn it down to 60 since now I don't even have a cat that might be chilly. That being said, I often notice when it starts getting dark and cooling down outside that I feel the chill in the house. I usually resist the temptation to turn it up a notch and just throw a sweater on instead.
I had some grocery errands I wanted to run today, including a gym workout and a visit to see dad at his new location, the rehab facility, but I'd forgotten that I ordered heating oil and the window of arrival they gave me was "6 am to 4 pm." I could leave a signed blank check for them to fill out, but I prefer to write it out myself, plus they sometimes try to back up the driveway, even though I always request they don't (narrow, curvy driveway and pavers they will sink) so that could mean hanging out all day. Hmm. This oil fill-up should get me through February or even into March if the weather cooperates and I pile on the sweaters.
I timed my oil purchase to occur during a 3-day warm spell here, but I see prices didn't move as much as I thought they might. I think it's becus of what's happening with Rump's attacks on Venezuelan oil tankers and the massive buildup taking place offshore now. A lot of uncertainty about what's going to happen. I'll be paying $2.85 a gallon, or about $400 to fill up a half-full tank. (Prices are generally lower in early winter than mid- or late-winter.) Last year around this time, it was about .05 more a gallon.
I know a lot of people outside the Northeast use natural gas for heat. A lot of people in my immediate area use wood stoves or wood-burning fireplaces as supplemental heat. The air quality here is so bad I don't even like walking around the neighborhood in winter due to the stink.
My cousin in PA sent me an early Xmas present, which I received yesterday. A new iPhone 17 Pro Max! This is the 3rd iphone he's gotten for me. I hit a few glitches setting it up; at one point it was asking me for my zip code and it wasn't accepting it until I realized he used HIS zip code and that, in fact, worked. I haven't tried out all the newest features, but I do see the camera on this one is much better, and evidently the battery has a longer life too. It transferred my thousands of photos and all my apps seamlessly to the new phone. The one thing I still need to figure out is how to reconfigure my "Find Me" thingie for the new phone (the thing you keep on your key chain if you can't find your phone).
I haven't opened the other gift I've received this year and am saving that for December 25. It was given to me by my other cousin when I saw her at Thanksgiving after she told me let's not exchange presents anymore!
I'm not sure what, if anything, I'll be doing for Christmas. Dad will still be at rehab, I'm sure. I can visit him for a bit but am still stymied about what to get him. I bought several packages of low-sugar cookies but am now having second thoughts as he used to be pre-diabetic and they're probably feeding him crap at these facilities. Like the orange juice they gave him at the hospital while testing his blood sugar throughout the day.
I did order more books on tape for him and will swing by his place to pick up the cassette recorder he needs to listen to the tapes but am waiting for my sister to tell me whether or not dad has a private room at rehab; if he has a roommate, i won't bring the recorder.
December 22nd, 2025 at 03:39 pm 1766417975
December 24th, 2025 at 06:18 am 1766557097
If I was your dad, I would just be happy to see anyone visiting me. As for gift, hmm let me think, I am not sure if this is the best idea, but there are plenty of zero sugar soda and drinks out there that are based on Aspartame. I don't know how much you trust this particular artificial sweetener, but I can personally vouch that they do not spike blood sugar, or at least not mine. Very stable.
There are also zero sugar caramel candies, for example, also based on Allulose, that you can order over Amazon (though it might be too late by this point) that I am also experimenting. They literally taste just like real sugar (albeit less sweet) but supposedly does amazingly well for diabetics.
Overall though, I have to agree that the hardest part of any kind of hospital stay is the sheer boredom as you are literally pinned to a bed, or at least the room. Anything that breaks up the monotony would be greatly appreciated.