Weather Related

[agate]

Yes, WELCOME, Daisy 22!

Jeanie, I've heard a lot about Roomba vacuums and watched a video showing one in action. It's another gadget to have to learn about, and the chances are that learning about it isn't so very easy. Even a new standard vacuum cleaner has a fairly involved instruction manual.

The one I have now has 3 filters that need cleaning and periodic replacement, for instance.

How clean do we really need to be, I wonder? But the Roomba is tempting because you don't need to maneuver it around furniture and corners.

I can't see it doing furniture or curtains though dogs may like it:

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[Cat Dancer]

The Roomba has gotten good ratings. At least the most expensive models --around $1,000 ...have. I've watched them in action, in admittedly already sort of clean houses. They're good with pet hair, hard chunks of stuff like popcorn, ashes from a fireplace, other obvious things, so I'm guessing they're good at "regular" dirt, too. They'll move off carpeting onto hard floors and clean them, too. But with the amount of clutter *I* have it would get lost in the rubble (husband is a hoarder). I've given up doing much more than basic cleaning, myself-- living with a hoarder made me grow blinders. I keep the kitchen clean, for the most part (somewhere under the pile of rubble near the window is a table), and my bathroom -- off limits to him, entirely, and a piece of my study (where I pay bills). The rest of the house.....I have a woman come in twice a month to change sheets, scrub floors and bathroom, do some other jobs, things I can't reach. She works around the piles of stuff, vacuums where she can, dusts where she can. Gets to places I cant get to in a wheelchair, because of the hoard piles.

[Virginia]

Cat you have an interesting house - 3 cats and a husband who hoards.

Jeanie, good for you for getting a cleaning service in. It will take some pressure off of you.

It was in low 70s here today, but I think it is going to be in about 37 tomorrow. Last I heard. Then supposed to get back up in 50s for Christmas.

[agate]

You people with your warm temperatures!

The temperature here actually climbed from the 20s for the first time in many days and the SUN (remember that?) came out and there was even some thawing. Not enough though because the woman who comes to this building to cut hair called to say she couldn't make it because it was too icy underfoot.

I pointed out that it's supposed to be 44' tomorrow morning, and by then it should all be thawed. On the strength of that forecast, which might be wrong of course, she agreed to try to make it later in the day, maybe.

[RandomThought]

Our weather is not quite so cold as some of yours with our lows in the teens. BUT a couple nights ago our furnace quit!

I really wasn't sure we could keep the house warm enough overnight. Guinea pigs need to be kept over 60F and they are counting on me. Maybe the wife and child would like to survive this cold snap as well? I dunno.

I was up far into the night googling furnace troubleshooting and running tests on unfamiliar parts. I had two space heaters running continuously and left lots of lights on for the heat they generate. Stressed and tired by eleven p.m. turned into exhausted by one-thirty a.m. (when the outdoor temperature was 13.6F).

Long story short: the next day I got the furnace running and ordered a new part which is suppose to arrive just in time for Christmas.

I'm not sure how happy my wife is to get a major furnace part for Christmas....but those guinea pigs sure seem proud of me.

It snowed most of the day.

I'm not scared.

:)

best regards
Brian

[Virginia]

Yeah Brian, I can tell you are not scared one bit about telling your wife that she is getting a "sort of different kind of Christmas present". Just say "Honey, I promise you will thank me when the temps get down in the teens, and these two space heaters just don't get it".

Then remind her how much the guinea pigs just love it. She will not let herself be outdone by guinea pigs.

[Howie]

Here I am, WANTING snow, and just looked at the forecast, and it's supposed to be 67* Christmas day, and 72* the day after. Yes Agate, that's thong weather, and I already got Santa a red one with white fur trim. He loved it.

I'm going to try and get Pinky going so I can take it out during this warm weather. VAROOM!!!

[agate]

Brian, you have every right to be proud of yourself, rescuing your wife and child and the guinea pigs from the freezing cold. Your ordeal makes me very very glad I no longer own a house.

I hope that the part comes in a timely way and that in the meantime you have some heat.

[Cat Dancer]

Well, it was a balmy minus 12 degrees here this morning.. Actually weird, though ... supposed to climb up to the mid teens by midday...and then 30 degrees tomorrow! Then by Friday, when another winter storm is expected --- mid 30's, and it could be more rain than snow! Strange weather....

[stillstANNding]

Brian,

Is it Self, Baby, Wife, Guinea Pigs? I 've seen this sort of thing with "self" at the end but that won't work w us.

Here's some chocolate,
ANN

[RandomThought]

Brrrr Cat Dancer, just brrrrr...

Thanks everyone. The coldest I remember it ever getting here in my neckofthewoods was 4 degrees above and thankfully not this year (so far, fingers crossed).

We get pretty excited when it gets that cold and do silly things like take pictures of the thermometer.

My wife is quite understanding about her furnace part Christmas realizing this means her mother will NOT have to sleep with the guinea pigs for warmth during her holiday visit.

The daughter is just glad to be out of school for what politically correctly is referred to as "winter break"; She went sledding yesterday. There is an expectation that I could fix anything and so never concerned herself.

Sure, you and I know it was a close call !

There is no way I could afford enough guinea pigs to heat the entire house.

Today...38 F and raining. Our snow is not long for this world and my heroism is starting to seem a little overblown.

I take what I can get...

best regards
Brian

[agate]

There is no way I could afford enough guinea pigs to heat the entire house.

LOL, Brian! They probably don't eat much but that many of them would make for a hefty pet-food bill. Maybe a few more guinea pigs so you could heat one room, and you could all huddle together there?

[Howie]

Try cats. I only have two, and I get so hot in the bed, I have to pull the covers down. Two cats in each bed. Plus you could feed the guinea pigs to the cats, and they would really snuggle up to you.

[RandomThought]

A lot of good suggestions here. Shows our power when we put our heads, such as they are, together !

:)


Edited to add: The furnace part arrived early (just now). I think the seller knows that you only order this part when you NEED ONE. Priority shipping was a pleasant surprise and I am counting this as an Xmas Miracle. (not to minimize the heat contribution by cats and guinea pigs).

:)

[Sunshine]

Well, it was a balmy minus 12 degrees here this morning.. Actually weird, though ... supposed to climb up to the mid teens by midday...and then 30 degrees tomorrow! Then by Friday, when another winter storm is expected --- mid 30's, and it could be more rain than snow! Strange weather....

Holy Mackerel! It hit 83 today, sunny. Your winters really help our local economy