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For quite a few months both this year and last I kept telling my son that I smelled something like car exhaust. At first he'd go to the window and see if there happened to be some stray vehicle idling away in our drive while its occupants strolled around somewhere. But that seemed dumb after a bit because we live in the middle of nowhere, and to get here, you drive down a very long driveway in clear view of our front picture window... He has the sensitive olfactories of the family, even to the point that he cannot tolerate most of my beloved candles. I have missed that familiar scent of vanilla and banana bread and caramel pecan, but of course, I love him a gazillion times more, so I have most of my candles put away until maybe a miracle comes to cure him of this asthma. So I figured if he didn't smell that awful pervasive exhaust, I was probably just being weird. But finally last Monday, I got the furnace guy here to check it out. Ya think?
He went to the basement and then I saw him flat out running to his panel truck. I have to admit that I have always felt just a little rich when there is a panel truck in my drive. And oh, my goodness, if it's a truck with a piece of furniture or an appliance? I'm in over the moon with button-bustin' pride! LOL... I think all that is due to my angel daddy who was a do-it-yourselfer with a fierceness unknown to common man. That man could do anything and did. He would never call in a professional. I know if he would have had access to YouTube, he would have been unstoppable. Anyway... the guy comes to the door and announces, "I don't have very good news for you." I was not surprised, actually, given the amount of cash these teeth have cost us. He told us the dampness in our basement had rusted the burners on our twenty year old furnace, and we needed a new one at the tune of four grand. Of course we did. So I am hopeful to see it in the near future. It's ordered, supply-chain nonsense has ensued, and we are awaiting a phone call for that. One man said don't run it, but the other one said to run it low due to Carbon Monoxide!!! eeek!
Meanwhile, my son's toilet has backed up AGAIN. Did I ever stress just how old this house is? It could just be the typical backup, or it could be frozen because we've had the furnace set as low as we dare until the new one comes. I am actually not as chilly as my son. He really has taken the colder house to heart, and he spends his days divided between his room with its new computer and frigid temps and the living room where we are running a space heater.
Oh, yes. The space heater blew a fuse and we had to call an electrician. He announced that we really should start looking into rewiring our house which is peg and knob or pillar and post or something I've heard said on renovation shows. I am pretty sure he tossed out the figure of maybe 30 thousand?!!! What? oKAY. I will start thinking... and then I'll probably stop.
And then just this second my phone rang, and the plumber has a stomach ache. There were a lot of details, but my mind thankfully has an off switch. I haven't told my son he has to traipse through the house another day at least...
Oh, did I start this post with Merry Cozy Christmas? I really do mean it. All this stuff really doesn't bother me very much. It's just part of a funny story or expected string of misfortunes that don't really matter in the great scheme of things. Health issues and life and emotional well-being.... they matter. Money and broken furnaces don't. I am truly glad that I finally had some sense and had that smell checked out because it was actually carbon monoxide... although our detector has yet to screech...
I will be posting again soon, maybe before Christmas. Our house is welcoming and I made a huge dutch oven of delicious chicken noodle soup. It was super easy.
Winter's Chill Chicken/Noodle Soup
1 package curly or straight egg noodles. (Mine are short and straight)
I boiled these in a minimal amount of water, and I didn't drain them... Use your own judgement and stir a lot. I didn't salt my water either due to the salt content of what follows:
Add
2 large cans Swanson Canned Chicken
1 pound cubed Velveeta
1 can Cream of Chicken Campbell's Soup
I can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can green chilies
generous black pepper.
1-2 t. cumin
1-2 T. chili powder
Stir all together until cheese melts
Add
1 scant carton sour cream. Don't boil after this.
1 splash of heavy cream or milk. I had cream just sitting in the fridge after a quiche.
I didn't add salt because there is a lot of sodium happening so far due to the soups and the cheese.
This would have been great to have other spring vegetables in there, but I just added half a bag of fresh spinach. It sort of soaked up the extra liquid and added some color. I think frozen peas would have been amazing. I even had some, but I just didn't add them.
Well... I have been thinking of candidates for my word of the year 2023.
You would never guess in a million years!
I'm here to tell you there is nothing like being done with Christmas really early and then taking a figurative nap and seeing that old tortoise chugging by! lol... Six days until Christmas!
I didn't get Callie a sweater. She couldn't have moved a muscle in it anyway. I've tried clothes on her, and she acts as if she's been shot with a machine gun. Boom.... flat on her side! lol...
Whimsy and Hugs!
5 comments:
OMGOSH, Gayla. Well, you are a lot like me in seeing the humor in things that drive most people round the bend. You kind of roll with the punches and take it as it comes. We have lived in very old homes over the years and had knob and tube. IF it is not exposed, or frayed, it can usually be left alone. That is what we were told by a friend that is an electrician. We did put in new wiring when we remodeled though and a new electric panel. See if you can find an electrician that is certified/licensed to do it on the side. It will be a whole lot cheaper if you decide to do that.
Enjoy your Christmas present (new furnace). Just think of the money it will save you being energy efficient and the life it will save (yours) not filling your house with carbon monoxide.
Merry Christmas, Gayla. xo Diana
Oh MY!! Good thing you are such an easy going person. But you are so right about health being the most important, plus friends and family. When can they install the new furnace? Really 4,000?? Your house must be enormous! Bring out the heating pads and electric blankets! Did you make the afghan? The colors are gorgeous! And Callie is stunning.
So sorry your furnace went out. It's always something isn't it? But your right, it's just an inconvenience and not something like a serious health issue. It will get fixed, you'll both be warm again and life will go on. Soon I hope, because I know it can't be any fun having no heat in December. I Hope you and your son have a Merry (and warm) Christmas.
OH NO! Not the kind of expenditures anyone wants, that's for sure. I am glad you called the furnace man in time!
A few short years ago my husband called me at work to tell me we had to replace our furnace. I was aghast! Our house was only a few years old when we purchased it. But, to my surprise, that was over 30 years ago. We actually got about 10 extra years out of the darn thing. Everyone had a source to buy one cheaper, but my husband, a retired HVAC person, wanted it installed by a professional and he wanted it to come with a warranty. When he retired, he retired from repair and maintenance of furnaces. And he was also thinking about our age and health and all kinds of other sensible things (we are nothing alike).
Shortly after that he hired an electrician to rewire our house! A house that was built in the early 70's when I was in junior high! That wasn't that many years ago, right? Gulp. And even with "newer" wiring, it was more than I expected, but way less than your quote. I guess it was a good idea, new appliances and such require something (this is not my cup of tea) and . . . he discovered a loose live wire in the ceiling of my bedroom where I have slept for over 30 years! We are especially sensitive since our neighborhood had a very horrible house fire a few years where three neighbors lost their lives . . . So I wrote the darn check.
At least he still fixes the plumbing. I do feel cash poor supporting this house though.
Oh dear oh dear oh DEAR, Gayla! Furnace and plumbing AND wiring??? Mercy any one of those things would flatten me!!!! I'm so sorry you're going through this but anyone who's done it knows that being a homeowner is NOT for the faint of heart! xoxo
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