I’m back — and I’m not at all happy about it! I just spent 6 days cruising the Caribbean with 16 family members and friends. Sure, it was a very emotional (and sometimes very hard) vacation (Tom and I cruised often, and often with many of these same people), and it was unseasonably cool. (I only wore shorts two days there, and that’s because I’m from the midwest where 62 is a heat wave. The Mexicans were wearing winter coats.)
Even with those shadows on the vacation, I wasn’t happy at all about returning. It is better feeling alone while surrounded by thousands of other people on a cruise ship in the Caribbean — than actually being alone at home in March in Michigan … especially because many of those thousands of people were bringing me food or drinks.
The Caribbean was unseasonably cool — the same as it is here.
Some of you are going “wait a minute! We have 40-50 degrees and sunshine …”
Sorry — let me clarify. I wasn’t talking about outdoors, but instead in my house, where the thermostat says 62 even though it is set at 70. Sometime while I was gone (must’ve been fairly recently as it is still 62 in the house) — the furnace stopped working.
Daughter Gigantor (Becca) spent her spring break from U of M at home, babysitting three dogs and Melvin the gigantic cat. When I got home late Saturday night, I sensed immediately the house was chilly.
Becca hadn’t noticed, not surprisingly. She usually lives in student ghetto housing; 62 is toasty to her. And, she babysat three medium to large dogs. all who think they are lap dogs. Becca never had a chance to be chilled (or sit alone in a chair.)
So, I checked the breakers … everything looked good.
I stared at the furnace … everything looked normal.
I called 1-800-Wayne, who wandered over at 11 p.m. in a sweatshirt because it was 40 degrees in Michigan.
Fortunately Wayne feels the same way I do, which is that 40 degrees outside is acceptable — but 62 degrees inside is not. He stared at the furnace for a while as well, and then opened it to do some of those mysterious things taught at Man Camp. It wasn’t long until there was warm air magically blowing out of the floor vents.
It was the first warm breeze I’d felt in over a week!
Turns out there is some furnace switch that must still be on vacation, but nothing a little duct tape couldn’t override until Monday. I’ll post more 
ramblings when my fingers thaw out. But, for now, that’s a picture of me rock wall climbing aboard the Independence of the Seas. Yes, I made it to the top. And yes, I was wearing long pants, a thick sweater, and three shirts!
Below is a photo of (back row left to right) Tom’s sister Sooz, Tom’s brother Jim, our son Ben, and then niece Squidney, Tom’s Mom Nelda, and niece Squamantha. Tom’s little bro Jim married my little sister Linda (legal … weird, but legal.) Linda and I huddled together for a photo as well.
