Anyway, in addition to UPDATE BLOG being on my "to do" list, I have several un-finished projects strewn about our house and the garage. With the holiday season already being here (cant believe it) I have been knee deep in trying to arrange our house, then re- arrange. Decorate, then re- decorate. With traveling the entire autumn season, I was not able to enjoy lighting the pumpkin candles and smell that wonderful scent when you walk in the door. So, as soon as I was off the road (2nd week in November) I was quick to beg Jerad to get down our autumn decor..... even though we were about a month in at this point. Those decorations stayed up for about 2 weeks..... and then down came the Christmas decor out of the attic! (God bless Jerad.... He's so patient with my decorating/ re decorating).
So....now every night when I get home I go around plugging in every little tree/ light set/ sparkling Christmas item in the house.... totals about 7 plug- ins. (Jerad laughs at this) I also like to turn off all the lights except for the Christmas decor....just gives it that "special" feeling in the house. Homey feel. With this, comes the Christmas candles scattered at different locations in the house. Seriously, I think we have like 8 out right now, and I just ran out of matches b/c I light them so frequently. BUT, I LOOOOOOOOOOVE the feeling of Christmas! That little giddy feeling you get when you KNOW that its the best time of the year!! :)
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I am going to totally switch gears here and go into something that I had started a post about awhile ago... but then didn't have time to finish.
So..... over the travel season while I was gone Jerad tackled a huge project on our house---- putting in a boiler. I had no idea what a boiler was.... and for those of you who don't.... it is a wood burning machine that is basically a furnace for our house..... FREE HEAT! I was totally on board with this project b/c who wouldn't want cheaper electric bills esp. with the cold winters we have here in Southern Illinois. Below is a picture of what it semi- looks like....except ours you cant see the fire inside... its just a black door---- no see- through window. You put wood into it and it feeds heat to your home. (BTW, this thing is located in our garage...not the house) There are a lot of other contraptions attached to it.... valves, pipes, etc. But this gives you an idea.
After trials and tribulations (many of them) the boiler is installed, and we have free heat! Wonderful!
Yeah, wonderful until your husband goes out of town and you are called to duty to "feed the wood monster" (as I like to call him)
Jerad is currently in WI for work and this is the first time that I have been left alone with the wood monster. Last night went OK.... I got home and threw about 8 pieces of wood into his belly and that was it! Felt confident about it!
This morning......... not so much the same. First of all, I was all ready for work-----------dress pants, sweater, heels, nice red coat, etc. Walk out into the garage and remembered my responsibility. (ugh.) So I put my coffee and lunch in my car and stood there for a minute thinking, "Do I take my coat off, or leave it on for this?" Decided to leave it on. Walk over to the pile of wood that Jerad left me in the garage and notice that there are NO MORE small pieces. They are all Jerad- size pieces that he can lift with one hand and not even think anything about it. At this point, I'm thinking, "Well'p I'm gonna get a work out this morning I guess..... in heels." So I put on the arm length welding gloves OVER my nice red coat (these are terribly dirty, by the way) and opened up Wood Monster's belly. (the door) Bent down to pick up my first "Jerad piece" of wood and had to use both hands to throw in there. At about the 7th piece I was starting to get hot (sweating a little)..... and so was the fire. Wood Monster was sure hungry b/c the fire grew immensely in about 3 seconds causing a huge cloud of smoke to come barreling out..... into my face.... in my hair..... and surrounding me. Wonderful.
I have to be at work in 30 mins. and I am standing here with welding gloves on (arm length) smelling like a campfire. You can only imagine me..... just standing there..........madder (is that a word?) than a hornet. I quickly threw a couple more pieces in that door and slammed it shut! All while mumbling a few choice words under my breath that only Rusty and Tug could hear. I was OVER IT!
If you have long hair, you know that the campfire smell doesn't leave your hair.....at all. That smell has just been hovering around me all day today. Which on a Saturday, I would have no problem with.... give me some sweatpants and my rain boots and I'm all-in for some wood work and camp fire smell. BUT, a Wednesday in heels and right before work........... WOOD MONSTER, you can shove it! (although I do appreciate you when you make my house warm.....esp. at 5 tonight when I get home)
Long story short....... Wood Monster and I have a love/hate relationship. However, I am VERY grateful for the hard work that my husband put in for us to have FREE HEAT. It was a terrible project and he was saying "choice words" the whole way through, but we love our electric bills each month!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the holiday season and staying warm!! Yesterday was the first day that it snowed.... it was just a few flurries, but still neat to see out of my office window. Hope to do more blogging now that I am home for awhile..... talk soon!! Happy Holidays!!
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