the way she orders her coffee.
actually wanting to dance.
The sound of her laughter.
Sorry to keep all 3 of you that read this blog in suspense. Approximately 20 minutes after I called NStar, a 24-ish looking young lady drove up in an NStar van and came to the door. After 15 minutes downstairs, she isolated the problem to the pilot-sensor, and replaced same. One minute after that the main burner fired up and stayed lit just fine. After seeing her out, I headed off down the street for dinner while the house heated up to a more livable temperature. All in all, I'd say the home heating protection plan that I purchased last summer paid off quite nicely.
Heck, it's quite cold inside as well! Came home from work to a house that was averaging 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Usually I don't notice such things, but the cat was looking at me with her "what the $*&%$ is going on" look. A quick trip to the basement revealed that the furnace was not lit. Following all procedures for my system, I turned all thermostats down to the minimum, set the system for "pilot" and lit it manually. I then held it on for a minute or so (it's some kind of pre-heat deal, where if you don't keep it on manually for at least a minute it won't stay lit) and then let go of the pilot button and... it went out again. Hmm... strange. I've lit this at least twice since I've been in this house... usually to fix something that a major gust of wind caused, but it's fairly calm now. I re-did the procedure and held it for a good two minutes, but still it went right out again when I let go of the button. I then called my Gas vendor of choice and opened a service call (I'm complimenting myself for actually buying the service plan this year.) The technician has already called me back and should be onsite in about 15 minutes or so. I'll post and update when I find out more, but on the phone it sounded like a teenage girl who's working the on-call for the Gas company to afford school! Let us hope that nothing explodes tonight.
While I was recently accosted over my initial "Led Zepplin" overrated post*, I do believe I will press on. The object of my ire this time around is Rachael Ray. While there are entire sites dedictated to this topic, I will attempt to sum it up in as few points as possible.
1. I find her disingenuous. She always comes across as someone who's attitude and opinions change the moment the camera is off. There's been many a rumor to this regarding many of her commercial endorsements as well.
2. She is smug and full of self-importance. She insists on interjecting her own made-up vocabulary into her day to day routines, almost shoving it down the throats of the poor, unfortunate folks along for the ride. I mean, seriously, if' you're going to use the term "EVOO" to describe "extra virgin olive oil" then for hate's sake, stop giving us the definition EVERY SINGLE TIME you use it! It's redundant, a total time-waster, and incredibly annoying.
3. She's terminally perky. While a little perkiness is desired in certain folks, she has taken it to an extreme. She is to perky what Jack Nicholson is to attitude.
* While the person who accosted me is a friend, I find it funny that instead of making her feelings known via this blog, she waited until I was in her physical presence to bring the pain!
For the next seventy-two hours or so, I will be about 75 miles due North of my usual digs. There is a product that we use heavily at work, and as we are expected to use it even more in the coming months, I am attending a training seminar for it in Burlington, MA. Am I worried about what will happen to the house while I'm away? Nahh... the cat's guarding it. Am I worried about what will happen to the cat while I'm away? Nahh... the roommate's home to take care of the cat. Am I worried about my parents, my friends? Nahh... the only thing in my "one-dimensional" lifestyle that I was worried about was leaving my local watering hole, as lately I have basically become an extra piece of bar furniture at the Not Your Average Joe's in Dartmouth. My only true question in this whole training schedule was how I was going to "exercise" my liver in the evening hours while I train during the next four days, but then fate was kind. Literally, right around the corner from the training facility is the Not Your Average Joe's of Burlington. Truth be told, it's still only a minor comfort. While I'm sure that the food and beverages will be the same, I will still miss the lively / spunky / fantastically insane staff that I am accustomed to back home.
What won't you miss about 2007?
Submitted by uncagedbird.
Lost opportunities. Of course, they'll simply be supplanted with this year's lost opportunities!
How far from your last home do you live? Why did you move and are you glad you did?
Submitted by Matthew 25.
Err. I am a whole three blocks away from where I was for 7 years. Prior to that I was about a half-mile further away, and that was since birth. But I am currently trying to move about 40 or so miles North of here.
