Its that time of year again for our annual sled dog race happening this weekend

January 28, 2014 – Tuesday

-24 degrees/windy/clear skies

Pentoga Road

I’m rather proud of myself. After checking the electric rate schedule yesterday afternoon, I discovered that our power company has come out with a new rate schedule. Peak hours (and the most expensive) are from 8 AM to 2 PM. Mid peak hours from 2 PM to 8 PM, and from 8 PM to 8 AM, the rates are about a fourth of those during the peak hours.

So, in a very scholarly fashion, I sharpened my pencil and began doing the calculations of how much it would cost to run a small 1500 watt ceramic heater through the night. It comes out to just a dollar. I placed the unit in the kitchen, the coldest part of the house. It was still cold last night, but the furnace never kicked on. I’m happy to spend a few extra dollars during this latest cold spell to keep the home fairly warm and not spend mega money on heating oil.

Monday was spent throwing logs on the fire… or wood in the stove. The living room attains a temperature in the mid 70’s once it warms up, sinks to the low 70’s in the evening hours, and dips into the 50’s during the night when the stove is banked and producing only “maintenance heat.”

Sargie and I don’t mind. I sleep with my electric blanket on low. She opts to turn hers off and cuddles on my side of the bed, assuming I’m happy to share the heat from my body. Yes, it’s true. Sargie’s a blanket/heat vampire. She looks innocent enough, but let a cold night/warm body combination occur in just the right fashion and she’ll steal any and all warmth.

I had all my papers read and grades entered Monday by mid morning. What to do? I brought the rowing machine from the basement and set it up in the dining room,  paddling myself exactly nowhere. After twenty very boring minutes, I gave up rowing and decided to keep on my regular schedule and go for a walk.

It was cold, but wasn’t brutal. In fact, I overdressed and found myself unzipping the top layers (I was wearing seven) to let some body heat escape.

I’m having trouble with cramps in the back of my thighs. I’m sure there’s a real name for those muscles, but I wish the cramps would go away. I stretch for several minutes a day, take plenty of magnesium, and drink gallons of liquids. I may have to call my buddy, Mandy Jo, a certified weight trainer, and see what her take is. The knee, though occasionally sore, is doing better. I think it’s a matter of training.

I carried in wood when I got home and called it a day. Though I’d been warm, once I stopped walking, cold settled in and I was happy to get into the shower and let a few gallons of steaming hot water pour the chills from my body.

Brutus is beginning to feel the effects of cabin fever. He wants to go outside to play, but after running around for a few minutes, the pup sits and begins to lift one paw, then another, and begs to come back inside. Yesterday, for the first time, he left me and sat on the back deck whining to come in. I opened the door for him, then went back to loading wood. It’s cold.

Sargie was home early last night bearing tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers. In a winter-be-damned fashion, I cooked pork loins at the stove and sliced those into strips atop a good old-fashioned, summer salad complete with whole almonds and topped with dilly beans that I had canned from the garden.

Sargie works early again today. I imagine mine will be a repeat of yesterday. With the temperature threatening to push even lower, I probably will stay inside for the morning and walk later. And Brutus? He’ll just have to contain all that big bulldog energy until his tender tootsies can tolerate the cold weather.

It’s time to end and fix Sargie’s sandwich for her noon meal. Yes, some things are still alive and well in the world, including packing a sandwich for her lunch. It’s kind of the Donna Reed thing… I stand by the door on her way out and hand her the lunch bag expecting a hug and kiss in return. It’s the least I can do.

After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

After rowing hard for twenty minutes and going nowhere, I decided to take my usual walk. This was the high for the day. I decided to seize the moment and go.