3497 Shock

Monday, March 26, 2012

Denis Johnson, "The Small Boy's Unit", Harper's, Oct. 2000, on the meaning of "everything is arranged" in Africa: Everything is arranged doesn't mean you should expect to get anywhere or accomplish anything. In fact for sanity's sake these two ideas have to be banished. Everything is arranged means that all is complete, the great plan of the universe is unfolding before our eyes.
So eat, drink, sleep. Everything is arranged.

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I have widgets on my laptop desktop that show the outside temperature at both houses, and although all winter it's been 8-15 degrees warmer at the new NJ house, for the past two weeks it's been 5-10 degrees warmer at the old NY house, 140 miles north. In fact, Thursday of last week it was in the 70s. Weird.

I'm now at the old house upriver.

When I left NJ this afternoon to drive up, I was wearing a pink sweatshirt-like hoody over a silk/cotton turtleneck, and I forgot to grab a jacket to take along for just in case. I remembered it when I was on the road, but shrugged and figured I wouldn't need it.

Yeah, sure.

They are predicting 22 degrees F here overnight tonight, and it won't be much warmer tomorrow. Luckily there are a few ratty old coats and jackets in the hall closet. If they're not too full of moths and mice, I guess I'll have to find one for tomorrow.
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1846 Odd Thoughts

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

We've hit 100 degrees four days in a row now. The heat is supposed to break when a cold front moves in this evening, which means a storm with "large hail and winds capable of taking down trees and power lines".

I mentally cataloged my trees. The black locusts are all sick from some bug and/or virus that has been killing them, and several are leaning toward the driveway and house. I think I'll move the car to the end of the driveway to ensure I can get out, and I caught myself hoping that if any trees fall, they hit the house.

That's not as weird as it sounds. If they fall and don't hit the house, it will cost me well over $500 per tree to have the remains removed. If they do hit the house, the insurance will pay for having the house repaired, AND having the tree removed.

A few years ago a huge locust (which is VERY heavy wood) was gradually falling over, and was guaranteed to eventually take out the roof over the back bedroom. The estimate to have it cut down by a tree service was $1,000. I tried to get the insurance company to pay for at least part of the removal, on the theory that if it were not removed, the cost to them could be much higher. They refused. I think that's silly.

I was tempted to let it go ahead and hit, but it might be years before the tree fell, and I have some very heavy antique beds, dressers, and screens in that room that I didn't want to risk and couldn't move, so I ended up eating the bill.

So maybe the insurance company was not so silly. That's what they do - they place bets.

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There was a notice on the bulletin board in the deli, for an apartment to rent, described as "five minutes to" the college and "seven minutes to" the parkway. I want to know who timed that! And I want them to alert me when they plan to be on the road. No matter what route you take, the college and the parkway are at least 22 minutes apart.

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Later - the worst of the storm is to pass north of us.

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The Man's laptop (Dell Inspiron 9100 - not so much a laptop as a portable desktop - that thing's heavy and loaded! It's twice as thick as my 1501) sputtered, sizzled, and died yesterday. He can't cope without it, so I've spent a good part of today searching for a decent barely alive one for sale that he can cannibalize. They're rare. And even barely alive they're expensive.

On the other hand, I do love searching for deals....
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1614 Thank You, Plow Man

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

I was up late last night, so I slept late this morning. Usually the cats let me sleep, but this morning Jasper was bouncing all over my legs by 10:30, and Miss Thunderfoot was complaining loudly. Very unusual for her. I was having a nice dream, and held out until 11, but finally gave up and got up.

Their complaint was that it was 60 degrees (F) in the house.

I have a programmed thermostat, so the temperature does drop during the night, but never lower than 63, and it should be above 70 by 9 am. Something was wrong, and the cats didn't like it. Not one bit.

Neither did I.

The furnace fan was blowing, but it was blowing cold air. The outside temperature was 32. Freezing. We had power. I went to the basement, and the furnace was "running", but it was cold. The fuel tank gauge said "empty". I knocked on it with a knuckle, and it was hollow all the way down. I have a 250 gallon tank. I got a delivery only two months ago. Ouch!

Remember my chief concern about getting the top of my drive cleared? So the fuel oil truck could get up and turned around?

I called the oil company and told them I was out and needed an emergency delivery, then moved the Aerio to the street to make sure the truck could turn around. Within the hour, I heard the "beep beep" of a truck backing up the drive.

Backing up?

It was a new guy, and he didn't know that Ms. Silk always makes sure he can turn around (although the dispatcher knew, and had made sure to send a small truck). I met him at the top of the driveway, and scolded him, "Sheesh! I did all this work (waving at the cleared top) to make sure you'd be able to turn around, and you BACK up the drive? But I've gotta admire your courage!"

I guess it was a scary trip. This complete stranger walked up to me and hugged me, with a relieved laugh.

It took 253.1 gallons, at $2.449/gal. $619.84 total. It would have cost a lot more, but I had prepaid in September, with a discount on the September price. I've got one more delivery's worth of credit, then I'll have to pay the real price.

Let's hope it's a short winter.
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