It is 37 degrees today which is a veritable heat wave given the past 3 weeks. It’s warm enough the heat pump actually stopped running a few hours ago for the first time in days.
At least, I assume that is why the heat pump stopped running and not some darker, more expensive reason.
The problem with a heat pump is it blows cool air. When you are already cold, having a cool draft blow around your head does not bring you joy. Instead it makes you think longingly of radiators while you go in search of another layer to put on.
All the sliding glass doors and French doors don’t help either. Double paned maybe but still a chill comes off those 36 square foot areas of glass. Not to mention the little gaps from the ‘settling’ of the French doors that I am constantly finding & plugging. Or from them sticking & therefore not being shut all the way by the people using them.
I spend most of my days in an undershirt, a long sleeved shirt,a sweater, warm socks, and slippers. Sometimes wearing fingerless gloves, sometimes with a fuzzy shawl on top of the whole ensemble.
And that is just to surf the internet.
If I want to take out the garbage or meet the boys bus I add a scarf, a hat, a heavy coat, sheepskin boots and mittens to the look and shuffle my way outside.
The only time the house feels actually warm is when I come in from meeting the boys bus. It has apparently been slowed by the cold & has run 7-12 minutes late nearly every day. Meaning I have to stand out in wind chill, with nary a patch of sunlight to be found at this time of year, for upwards of 15 minutes at a time.
The dry heat pump air and the dry wind chill air have combined to make my skin feel like sandpaper. Do you know what it is like to have an itch under 5 layers of clothing? I thought I was going to die Friday from the non stop skin itching.
Turns out I am allergic to Burt Bees Peppermint soap products, so that at least resolved some of the problem.
I bathe with Aveeno moisturizing body wash. I use Cetophil over my whole body. I drink water by the gallon. I am seriously contemplating taking a bath in baby oil.
It itches! Dear god it itches! And where it doesn’t itch it hurts from cracking.
It’s not even mid-winter yet! Spring is two and half months away!
If the electric bill doesn’t bankrupt us the body lotion will.
