The good news: I spent most of the day snuggled under a duvet and reading on the couch. I read an entire book. I'll meet my reading challenge for the year as long as nothing else happens.
The bad news: I was also in several layers of clothes and my winter coat -- the extra heavy duty fleece sherpa coat I wear to shovel snow. But the (other) good news is I have again and have gotten down to a normal amount of clothing for lounging on a couch.
Of course that means my (other) bad news is my furnace started its shenanigans again last night. The wee demon and I were under the duvet -- and I wore the sherpa coat over my nightgown -- all night. We had a very small space heater that could maybe really warm a space like my tiny bathroom, but at least I didn't really worry about carbon monoxide issues using it in the living room (which I'd guess is probably about six bathrooms in size).
But more good news: today is my bonus holiday day off (don't ask) and I didn't have any plans and my hvac guys, because yes I have regular hvac guys after last winter, sent someone out so demon and I don't have another cold night, and last night was just normal December cold, not the ridiculous -5 predicted for tomorrow night, and everything is fixed before Christmas weekend (and I don't even want to think about how much an emergency service call on Christmas Eve would cost).
So I'm telling myself the good news outweighed the bad. And I didn't anxiety spiral or otherwise freak out. And I do have enough in the bank to cover the check I wrote (leaving me about $5 in checking and $6 in savings if it goes to the bank before my paycheck). I even found the freakin' checkbook.
It's Christmas so I think I'm required to end this with how blessed I truly am and how my hours of discomfort reminded me of those who live in poverty with no warm bed ever. And I do appreciate my home with its wonky furnace and my cat/companion demon. I have almost no money at this moment, but I have food and shelter, a job and transportation. Taking Torii and staying with my mom for a few days wouldn't be ideal, but it's an option if truly needed.
I don't want to get maudlin or belabor the point. I don't feel blessed, but I do recognize how lucky I am. That it's December 21st doesn't make the relatively quick furnace repair a miracle, at least no more or less than it would be if this whole situation happened on January 21st. No Christmas angel personally protected me, and it would suck if one had because what about others facing the cold with no furnace, wonky or orherwise, no cat, no car, no job, no groceries, no home?
So I guess my final takeaway and moral of this story is: f^ck if I know. Duvets are wonderful? Kentucky should never experience negative temperatures? Corkscrew pasta in cheddar sauce is the best? (Okay, irrelevant, but it's what I made for lunch and it was quite tasty, and really as a miral it makes as much sense as anything.)
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