Since it is now winter in kiwiland I have developed a new cold protocol for the mornings. Remember that I have no central heating we turn of the fireplace (gas) heater at bedtime and the house cools over night. The low in the house so far has been about 50 degrees F (11 C). Each bed in the house has a nice fitted electric blanket underlay. The beds are nice and warm. It never really freezes here and the gas heater quickly warms up the house so this is probably all the heat we are likely to have. I’m usually the first one up in the morning and thus I am the only naked monkey in the house when it is only 11 degrees.
Now this isn’t bitter cold, but it is pretty cool in your boxers. Therefore I have developed the following cold protocol for staying warm in the morning.
- Starting the night before, wear PJ’s or stash PJ’s in bed with you.
- Snooze in the hot electric bed.
- Wake-up.
- Slip in to the warmed PJ’s while still under the covers (including socks)
- Pick out clothes for the day (now cold from overnight)
- Stash them under the covers of warm bed
- Dash for gas heater and turn it on
- Boil water for hot tea
- Eat breakfast and drink tea
- Shower (we have very hot water)
- Use the batheroom heat lamps, dry off wrap towel around your waist
- Put on bathroom over towel
- Head back to bedroom to get dressed in warmed clothes
- Turn off the miracle bed
- Ready for the day
This is what I aspire to do in the morning. In reality I just get up and shiver my way down the hall. Dance like a cat on ice over the tile floor in the entry way. Turn on the gas heater and hover in front of it. Eat yogurt in front of the computer reading blogs/news. Shower and freeze. Get dressed in icy cold clothes. Ready for the day.
Aspirations are good.... however, reality can be cruel. :oP
ReplyDeleteYou're such an engineer... Good thing I can relate.
ReplyDeleteHehe.
ReplyDeletePlans .... meet reality.
*thwack*
Ok, the funny thing about all of this is the man is his own walking furnace...the guy puts out the b.t.u.s, seriously. I, who have always thought of myself as a super wuss, am having no problems with the cold.
ReplyDeleteNow, it is true, that by the time I get up, Curtis has our living room heated up nice and warm, and that does help. But I had to brave that on my own for the 2 weeks he was in the States, and I managed ok. I don't use an electric blanket like he and my son do. (I have my own bed due to my sleep problems and Curtis' occasional snoring.) I have a down blanket and I tuck in two hot water bottles into the foot of the bed every night. I love those hot water bottles. They keep my toes and the rest of me toasty warm all night. Besides wearing a bathrobe over my jammies in the morning, that is all I do for the cold. That's it. Perhaps my cleverly placed, biological layers of fat are key to my survival here. I barely wear more than a sweatshirt jacket most days, where as Curtis has taken to wearing scarves and two layers of light jackets. Maybe I have it my eco niche here in NZ, and will continue to live off my stored calories until Spring.