Ah, this old house…of HORROR! Obviously I know it’s cold, but the thought hadn’t crossed my mind that it’s cold enough to…freeze the kitchen pipes. Our kitchen is the only room in the house without a radiator. Its only heat source is the oven, when it’s on. But we’ve been too busy hiding out in the cozy computer room to cook…only entering the kitchen long enough to reheat quick meals in the microwave (my ramen addiction shows no signs of waning, and the sodium levels in my favored cup of curried mock chicken noodles will one day kill me). It was the husband who discovered the frozen pipe problem last night. And to my relief he dove right in, with our little space heater in tow. After some serious recon he located one small segment of piping that seemed to be causing the problem. It is in too awkward an area, in the floorboards, to be wrapped in insulation. He focused his efforts there and got the water going again in under an hour. What a handy man. But for now we have to leave the tap on. It’s -22 today (the coldest in seven years), and that’s without the windchill. This means it is also far too frigid for sledding, or anything else outdoors (including a visit to the Ice Palace). Yet the backyard calls to me, with its virgin snow. The only tracks visible are those made by non-human animals. Hopefully we’ll be altering that soon. Allegedly it will warm up a bit on Saturday. And, hey, that’s tomorrow already. I swear, time passed differently when I was working forty plus hours/week. The weeks seemed so much longer when I was forced to leave the house on a regular basis, and to drag my poor child out into the elements with me. For now I have the choice, which I relish, to stay inside. But I can’t keep my thoughts from springing ahead…to a time of playground visits with light jackets, or even short sleeves. Soon it will be February, the longest shortest month in Minnesota…followed by the long march of March. There have been many a blizzard in Aprils past, but I am hoping for some sweet relief this year in the form of an early Spring.
Update: It would seem our house is turning into an Ice Palace of sorts. Not only did the pipes freeze, but the water that Jasmine has splashed out of the cat dish has frozen to the floor. Sigh.
