Not Quite There

 

I'm using this photo on the blog every day for a little bit, in hopes reading it frequently will help get the message across !

I had said I wanted to write more in 2024 and I haven't been doing a very good job of that. I'm going to keep trying !

Tuesday 01-16-24

Right now a frozen hot water pipe in my kitchen is keeping me from getting on track. When they did the siding last summer they knocked away some very thin cement along the foundation of the house. It's allowing a lot of cold air into the kitchen and possibly the basement. Hence the frozen pipe. Odd that only the hot water froze ? Cold is working fine. Today during my lunch I went in the basement and wrapped a heat cable around the only galvanized pipe I can see/reach. I can't imagine the plastic pex pipe is the problem. I'll give that a few hours and see if it helps. Temps are not going to make it out of the 20's this week and Friday we're expecting a single digit low. The good news is we'll be back in the 30's by Monday. Still, I don't think leaving the pipe frozen for a week is a good idea. I thought 2024 was going to be a better year but it hasn't gotten off to a great start !

Wednesday 01-17-24

Today is a better day ! About 10 pm last night I discovered that the hot water in the kitchen was working ! Apparently the heat cable I installed did the trick ! It was 13 when I woke up this morning and all water in the house was working perfectly ! This was such a great way to start the day ! 

We got some significant snow yesterday. I'd say a foot or more of the light fluffy stuff. The forecast indicates we could get more tonight into tomorrow. I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere !

Since the cold of winter has arrived I moved the living room furniture around last night. The couch is usually up against one of the heat registers and I feel like that blocks a lot of heat. My only option is to put it along the area between the living room and dining room. It blocks most of that doorway but I can easily use the doorway to the hall for a couple months. Even though it was 13 when I got up (and only 14 by noon), the downstairs is warm. It was 68 when I got up and 70 by 11 am, so it's maintaining the indoor temp a lot better. The siding definitely makes a difference but I think moving the couch helps as well. Upstairs I have a space heater in the bedroom maintaining 68 and keeping the heat from running continuously to try and get up to temp. There is no insulation upstairs and the siding helps, but it's still colder and harder for the boiler to maintain 68. The laundry room remains the coldest part of the house - it was 59 in there when I got up and at noon it was only 60. This is always the coldest room and I'm ok with that. That zone heats the kitchen but the kitchen is warm enough. There is a draft coming from under the cabinets, so I need to work on weatherproofing that part of the exterior foundation once the snow is gone. I'm thinking of using cement blocks or landscape bricks and concrete to create a "wall" against the existing foundation along the kitchen. During my lunch I changed the battery in the Ring doorbell and also put some weather stripping on the front door. It made a big difference in the draft around the door. Later I added some across the top of the door as I noticed there was a huge draft ! I also went down in the basement during lunch to better secure the extension cord that is powering the heat cable. I wanted to be sure none of it was in contact with the hot pipes on the boiler. All that took was a couple of zip ties and now I don't have to worry about it. I didn't touch the heat cable itself as it's working fine. I will spend some time in the Spring or Summer securing it better. It's a tough area to access so it will take some planning and some time. Like I said, it's working fine now so I'm not touching it !

From a food perspective, I've eaten 99% of the "bad" food I had on hand. All the frozen entrees and snacks are gone. I have no cookies or bread. All candy is gone, except for the bag of Ghirardelli that I brought back from Florida. I have 2 bottles of soda and then it's back to zero calorie Fresca and water ! I have 6 packages of Pop Tarts and then those will be done. I also have 3 Atkins bars but I don't consider them to be "bad" food. 

At this point the plan is to launch my "restart" on Monday January 22nd. That means 100% compliance with Nutrisystem and exercise twice a day. Not really a hard ask !

I sat here writing this blog during my lunch today and felt such peace. I feel like I have the heat/water issues under control in my home. I also feel like I'm finally in a place mentally and physically where I can commit to diet and exercise to get this weight off. My respiratory issues are not 100% resolved but each day is a little better. I do still need to put more effort towards self care. My feet desperately need soaking, so that's on the agenda for this weekend. I also need to get back into the habit of daily showers and skin care. My skin is so dry ! I also need to start getting dressed every day. I've been living in nightgowns 24/7 for way too long ! Another long overdue task is cleaning up my office. There are clothes and junk everywhere. It won't take long, it's just a matter of committing to it and then doing it ! 

I got 3 loads of laundry done today. It was all blankets and sheets that I use to cover the furniture. Since I got a lot done during the day I decided that after work I would take a shower, finish rearranging the living room, clean up my office and get the rest of the Christmas stuff put away. I got the shower in, took some Christmas stuff upstairs and got a good start on cleaning up my office. I'll putter in the living room tomorrow or Friday. Overall, I'm happy with what I got done today. 

The temp never made it out of the teens today but the house was comfortable. I'm so grateful for that ! I'm also grateful to have the water issue resolved. Friday night will be the test, as the overnight low is forecast at 9 degrees. I hope to wake up to non-frozen pipes Saturday morning !

Work is still not super busy but I'm picking up new items from my boss here and there .. and it's mostly ugly garbage that no one wants to do. I love a challenge and I'm happy to learn new things, so I take whatever she offers. 

Tomorrows goal is to get dressed ! I also need to clear the snow off the front steps - I looked out there today and there is quite a bit to move ! I also need to fold and put away all the sheets I washed today. I did fold the blankets but was too tired to do the sheets too. Lastly, I need to get back on the salad habit, so I may just cut up a head of lettuce. I have a hard time embracing salad in the winter because it's cold, but I bought 2 heads of lettuce, celery and radishes over a week ago. I would hate to see all that go to waste. Perhaps I will offset the cold of the salad with a can of soup for lunch !

On that note, it's time to feed Abby one last time and then I'm heading to bed.