Not so cold…

After the initial problem day, the furnace appears to have been working this weekend. I adjusted the programing a couple times so it didn’t have to go through big temperature swings. I’m still going to have them replace it though. It’s not worth it to have to tinker with it and wait for the impending doom. They are coming over to do an estimate at 4pm today.

Yay Money… hmm, it sure is cold in here…

Yesterday I found out how much my bonus is. And unfortunately, I later found out where it’s going. At least I managed to advance on my mission.

I chopped my hair off

I’ve been getting sick of my long hair. I kept meaning to get it cut but kept forgetting to make an appointment at the Gene Juarez Academy. So, since it grows so quickly, it got very long and unmanageable. I was about to go get it cut when I realized I was getting very close to donation territory. I measured it and waited it out just a bit longer. Last night I got a big ponytail cut off that they’ll be sending to Locks of Love. It’s taking some getting used to, but it’s not much shorter than my short cuts of the past. Must remember, less shampoo, less time to dry, but mostly that it ends a lot sooner than I’m expecting when I brush or run a hand through it.

I’m pretty happy with it so far.

I have to go buy a nose…

I woke up to a nice surprise this morning. There was a nice blanket of snow on the ground. Considering how pleased I was with the light dusting on the ground yesterday morning, this was spectacular. It’s good that it wasn’t a work day, because it would have been hard justifying staying home and I would have missed all the fun.

I got dressed in about 3 seconds flat and was outside building a snowman. It was nice wet snow which is perfect for snowman construction. I started rolling up the parts in the driveway and finished them off in the yard. As usual, I got more and more carried away with each ball of snow. This led to an inability to lift the middle one by myself onto the bottom one without it breaking. Ah, but that was only a minor setback. I eventually managed to construct one about 4 feet high.

I grabbed a couple of long branches that I had cut off of the rose bushes for the arms. I used tootsie rolls for the eyes and buttons. Laffy Taffy was used for the mouth. I’m convinced that nothing but a carrot can be used for a nose, so I had to head off to the market.

I even managed to get a couple pictures before it crumbled. It really wasn’t very structurally sound. Good thing it’s the process that’s so much fun, not the longevity.

Snow seems to always bring out the best in people. I chatted with many neighbors as they passed by during the construction process that I hadn’t previously met. One even took a picture of me with my snowman. I stopped to chat with a group of neighbors on my way to the market as well. They said I officially had the biggest snowman on the street. I raised my arms victoriously!

Projects

Some projects I’ve done recently:

Installed a peephole in my front door. This was much easier than I’d expected. I did have to buy a new 1/2″ drill bit, but all the better to add to my collection. I’m glad I read some internet suggestions first and didn’t just follow the instructions on the package. I think I would have wound up with a messy door if I had. (Note: drill small pilot hole all the way through, then use the 1/2″ to go in half-way from each side.)

Installed new 7 day programable thermostat to replace the old manual one. Yay! It even worked first try, once I remembered to turn the circuit back on.

Put the first sword up on my wall! I decided to put Glamdring in the above the “fireplace” area. Then I was able to figure out where to place the sconces I got for my birthday. I think I’ve decided on the location for the remaining swords/staffs, but I need to work out some specifics first.

Bought and assembled an exersize bike. The instructions claim it requires two persons for assembly. Don’t know why though. It would have only been slightly easier at one step if someone was helping me. It does help to have all the batteries facing the correct direction though. It was a bit unsettling when I got it all together, pressed on, pressed on again… until I unscrewed the controller compartment and saw one of the screws was backwards. So far, I’ve been using it very regularly. I like it quite a bit. I’ll need to figure out where it goes more permanently. The middle of the living room probably isn’t the best home for it long term.