When I was growing up, my dad was
obsessed with our fireplace. He liked to have a roaring fire going in the
fireplace so he could sit in front of it with a can of Natty Light and his
Newsweek Magazine. He would rave about keeping the house warm and not needing
to use the propane. Alternatively, he has to spend a lot of time out in the
woods surrounding our house with a chainsaw. But that was his thing and he
loved a good roaring fireplace. Today, I am missing those times where you can
just sit in front of a fireplace.
In Oklahoma, spring and fall seem to
be the shortest seasons. It seems like there is no gradual change in the
seasons, we go from 90 degrees and sweating like crazy to snow on the ground. I
swear there are times when you run the heater at night and the air conditioner
in the afternoon.
Well, fall seems to be going by the
wayside. A true cold front has swept through and so we have really battened
down the hatches. The store has a heating system but it is not the best in the
world. We have these heating systems in the back room that have these fans that
pump out the heat but I am already anticipating needing to wear sweatshirts and
extra blankets when we sleep. I guess it is not all bad. Sure, I wish we could
have some electric blankets and such but it is not like stores were stocking
winter items when the apocalypse hit.
Most of our coats and blankets were
taken out of closets of neighboring houses and the apartment complex from
across the street. I guess in a way we should not be complaining. This is the
end of the world. If my biggest complaint is “I have to use a regular blanket?
No electric blanket?” then I think it is safe to say we are doing fairly well.
Still, I don’t think we are all going
to be suffering. It is considerably warmer inside than it is in outside. I
never thought I would miss those nights in front of the fire but it is times
like this that I think about it more and more.
I am by no means a prognosticator of
the weather but it really feels like it is going to be a cold one tonight. So
bundle up, kids…
