I close most of the windows the night before because the radar shows massive heavy rain coming our way on Sunday, and I'd rather not be mopping up water in the morning. Still, I leave a few windows downstairs open slightly, and I leave windows open upstairs.
When I wake up in the morning, it's cold in my house. Not chilly. COLD.
I put on socks and a sweater to go with my knit pajama pants and shirt, and I go about my business for a while. I close all of the windows that are still open, and I debate adding slippers and a knit hat to my ensemble.I refuse to turn on my heat. No way, no how; that furnace is not coming on today. I do, however, have an ace in the hole. I have an electric fireplace.
I used to have two of them but one finally died. I bought them when my furnace kept breaking during the coldest of cold spells. It pulled the same stunt multiple times for three years in a row. No matter how many times the landlord had the furnace people out, and no matter how many repairs they attempted, it still kept crapping out when the temperature would go below zero degrees.
Since I refuse to unplug the air conditioner, which I will need this week as temperatures soar again, I move the lightweight electric fireplace across the living room, plug it into a different outlet, and start it up. It smells a little musty and dusty after not running since April, but it still heats up the entire downstairs in no time. Heat even rises up the stairs and makes the upstairs a decent temperature, as well.
I have no objection to adding a little warmth to a chilly, rainy September day. I do, however, have an objection to firing up my furnace unless it is absolutely necessary. So, bring it, late summer. Go ahead. Give it your best cold shot. Unless there's snow outside and frost on the inside (wouldn't be the first time), that furnace won't see the "on" switch flipped until October. Besides, I have wool socks. I can wait it out a little bit longer if I have to.
