For weeks, I've been (at first) gently chided by friends regarding my heating situation ... my house has a radiator system and 3 fireplaces so I've responded with my usual harumphs and eyerolls.
I've been repeatedly warned about the fast and unyielding change in temperature that accompanies the move into autumn.
"Je sais, je sais! Les Etats-Units ont les saisons aussi! C'etait froid en Oregon!" his turn to harumph and eyeroll.
Then my daughter arrived. Complaining from day one about the cold. I told her to put on a sweater.
I was hounded to order wood. I didn't know where to get wood. Then at dinner one night at Marjo's, Johnelle regalled the table with stories of the climate in our house. She pronounced me to be half bear!
Peals of laughter ensued. One nice thing about being in France is the entertainment factor I provide to all of my new friends...
So, last week was colder by the day. The weather right now is glorious sunny skies during the day, even inching up to warmish. At night the thermostat plummets. Well it would if I had a thermostat.
Samedi soir (Saturday night) was the climax. The reverse climax, I guess. And not the kind I've been longing for. I slept in pyjamas, a pullover sweater, my huge winter robe, socks, a down comforter and an extra blanket. It was painful to don my pyjamas because it meant removing my warm layer of clothing and putting on freezing cold articles of clothing and then climbing in to a freezing bed. I tried to get the fire going in my bedroom but it would kick in and I was too cold to keep trying so I just got into bed. I don't think I really got even close to comfortable..all night.
The even more pathetic part is that Saturday, after taking Johnelle to the gare, I drove straight to BricoDepot and bought a portable petrol (kerosene) heater. and a huge (maybe 5 liters?) container of petrol.
But it was the last heater in stock, out of box and with no instructions. So I didn't know how to use it. So I froze in my frigid house with a heater sitting in the hallway.
Sunday morning I called Jean-Yves and left a message. On Monday, can you please bring that electric radiator you found? (slight chuckle) d'accord J-Y. Tu es vrais.
Fifteen minutes later my phone rings. Laughter on the other end. "Oh Keem, were you cold last night?" more laughter.
I can't really get mad ... especially since he came over later in the day and put together the kerosene heater and showed me how to work it AND installed the electric radiator in the other bedroom so my freshly arrived houseguests (more on that and their crazy selves later) don't become human popsicles.
So here I am, early Monday morning, basking in the glow of my first night's sleep with a heater in my room. I swear it was almost too warm! no, not really.
Wish I could say I slept like a baby, but was another rather fitful night. a warm one though. very very very warm. and warm is good.
