HOT PURSUIT

Fall usually brings on an internal war for me. I’m constantly fighting the urge to… well, keep my hands from clicking on the furnace in the house.
It’s a battle that gets kind of ugly, at times, in our household. My daughter is usually nagging at me to turn on the furnace because “it’s so cold in here.”
My response?
“Toughen up and throw on an extra blanket. Heat is overrated.”
You can guess the teenage look I got in return.
Perhaps a little sarcasm is mixed in there, but I just can’t see turning on the furnace until we have a prolonged cool down. A couple of nights down into the mid-40s just doesn’t cut it in my book, especially when it quickly soars back into the 70s during the daytime.
Every year I find myself dealing with this dilemma for days, sometimes weeks, before I finally cave in.
There is a part of me that wants to act on impulse and flip the switch. But acting on impulses usually has gotten me in trouble over the years, so I figure it’s best to wait it out.
I came close to turning on the furnace this past weekend as it dipped down into the 40s. But I found some other creative ways to handle my urge for warmth.
I pulled out my flannel bedsheets on Saturday. It pains me, though, as I feel like I’m settling in for a long winter’s nap in the middle of October already. Winter is tapping on our doorstep.
As much as I dread the thought of a long winter, I’ll admit I love wrapping myself up in the flannels.
It doesn’t help either when news reports are touting the fact that heating costs are going to be at least 30% higher this winter. One of the headlines I saw this past week: “Higher home heating costs could burn a hole in your wallet this winter.”
According to a story in our newspaper today, prices are forecast to rise by more than 40% for households who use heating oil, 30% for natural gas and 54% for propane. In case you’re wondering, nearly half of U.S. homes use natural gas to heat their home. Mine is included. The U.S. Energy Department says Americans should expect to pay “significantly” more to heat their homes this winter, which is expected to be colder than average.
That kind of news gives me even more incentive to wait as long as possible to turn on the furnace. After all, I don’t want to head to the bank to get a loan for heating costs.
So far, October has been trending about 10 degrees warmer than any other in recent memory. I’ll take it. I hope we can keep the natural warmth going instead of resorting to artificial heat.
While I fight this internal battle, I can go in hot pursuit of seeing some fall beauty outdoors. At least that seems to take away the sting of having to crank up the thermostat.