So, last night, the four-year-old furnace decided to crap out. Thankfully, the furnace wasn’t the issue; it was the old fuse element. Somehow, the wiring at the base of the connection plate of the element came loose. Anyway, this occurred at 9:14 PM, in sub-freezing weather. However, the local gas company has emergency repair technicians on duty. They arrived and got to work less than 10 minutes after making the call. The furnace was up and running by 11:30 pm. It was a stress-free situation. The technician was a pleasant man with whom I enjoyed talking while he repaired the problem.

Meanwhile, as the furnace was malfunctioning, the house managed not to lose heat. Despite the outside temperature being at 4 degrees above 0, the house did not drop below 50 degrees. Not bad for a 70-year-old building with original windows (sans one). Oh, there was a draft on the floor, and it felt like a window might open somewhere (there wasn’t), but it didn’t get uncomfortable.

The only members of the household stressed out were Loki and Smokey. Loki made a run for the ductwork in the basement and stayed hidden. Smokey hung out under a table in the living room. Kang? He did not give a shit that there was a stranger in the house. He stayed on the electric blanket and enjoyed the heat.

So, yeah, Happy Belated New Year.