| Between Storms |
[Nov. 24th, 2014|08:00 pm]
rejectomorph
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There was sunshine, but not a lot of warmth today, so the furnace has been going a lot even though I have it set at 65 degrees. Every time it comes on I hear money burning. After getting the utility bill this month I'm pretty worried about what the coming winter will bring. December, January and February are almost always three-digit months, but they usually start with a one. This year I'm not so sure. I could see my first $200 PG&E bill. Other people around here with houses no bigger than mine get them every winter, but they stay comfortable and I stay chilly to save some cash. The idea that I might end up both cold and broke is distressing.
At least I might not have to worry about the leaky roof, though. The guy fixed it, but it won't be fully tested until the next big rainstorm comes. That could be toward the end of this week. Heavy rain with wind is likely over the weekend. Snow could get down to 5000 feet, which is well above my elevation, but it has to get pretty cold here for snow to get that low, so we will get highs in the forties and lows in the thirties. The roof repair and the furnace will both get tested.
I didn't get many leaves raked today because I got started too late. I got hung up with the computer and didn't start raking until almost dusk, and then it was too dark to finish. There's always a possibility that I could get another wheelie bin at least partly filled tomorrow before the yard waste truck gets here, but I usually don't feel like raking early in the day when it gets this cold. My fingers get numb and it gets difficult to get the stuff picked up and into the bin. I also tend to hibernate on chilly days. The bigger the difference between the room temperature and the temperature under the blanket the harder it is for me to get up. About the only thing that would get me up early enough would be if Portia decides that I must get up, and she too is inclined to sleep in when it's cold.
I've polished off the pumpkin pie and tonight I'm starting in on the apple. I will heat it, of course. The only thing missing will be the brandy sauce I don't know how to make. A restaurant near my old neighborhood had hot apple pie with brandy sauce, and I've missed it ever since they went out of business over forty years ago. Now that there are Internets I ought to be able to find a recipe that would more or less replicate that brandy sauce, but I only just now thought of that. I would also have to find the right brandy, though. I think the restaurant might have used Calvados, which is usually pretty pricey stuff, and not the sort of thing the local liquor emporiums stock. Too bad we don't have a Trader Joe's in town. I'm sure they'd have a decent budget brand. Well, something to put on my list in case I ever get to go to Chico again. |
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