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January 02, 2005

Look, if there was something pleasant to post about, I would!

It's 2 am Sunday morning. You pull off interstate 81 into lovely sleepy Parish, NY. The diesel engine in the truck your husband is driving growls as you take off at the end of the ramp.

The last day in VA is enough to make your whole family want to stay. 70 degrees. The kids jolly, playing on the swingset, riding bigwheels in the carport; you sitting happily in the sun, feeling it WARM your skin. Ah. But the truck was packed, heavy with presents and hand-me-downs from cousins and road snacks.

The drive home is leisurely. Stop north of Richmond, north of Fredricksburg, Opal. The kids run and run; you swing through a few sun salutations, as this will be the last you see of it.

Now you're back. Your husband unlocks the door, and you gather up the baby and kids. The air is cold and the baby gasps in his sleep as you hury him to the back door. You walk into the kitchen, and something isn't quite right. The baby is still gasping. You check the thermostat. IT READS 43!

The kids wake fully, shivering. You hear the furnace running--what's the problem? Lovely husband traipses to the basement, and you hear soft curses. No heating oil. Why have they not delivered? You paid the bill before you left. You are on automatic delivery. There should be NO PROBLEM. You should not have three blue-lipped children crying at your knees.

Your brother, who was home while you were gone, should have, um, NOTICED that it was colder than a witch's boob in the house?

Oh, apparently not, since all the beer is gone out of the fridge; he kept himself warm in other ways.

Brian asks you if you'd like to get in the truck and return to VA. At least there your children will not freeze to death.

So, you retrieve every blanket in the house (which, surprisingly, is quite a few). Find the space heater. Hang blankets to cordon off a section of the living room. Plug space heater in, put children on couch, cover them with four blankets, hunker down on the floor with several blankets of your own, and watch the space heater warily with visions of the damn house catching on fire the minute you fall sleep.

Welcome back to CNY.

Posted by mryonker at January 2, 2005 12:42 PM

Comments

Posted by: bb mom at January 2, 2005 02:59 PM