Gas Log

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 13 degrees, high 26 degrees, snow flurries early, then clear skies

Sometimes, diesel engines are a little balky about starting in cold weather like what we're having here in north Alabama. I've been fortunate this time around, as the truck has started like a champ every morning. It would be nice if the truck had a block warmer, but we're hoping that putting it in the garage continues to help.

On Saturday at lunch, I had a cap on one of my teeth come loose and fall out while I was eating lunch. I wasn't having any trouble with pain, so I waited until this morning to contact a dentist about putting the cap back in. The first dentist I called told me to come on in, and they would fit me in. I made it to the office by 0800 hours, and after filling out some paperwork, I was taken in to an examination room where the cap was put back in. Now, that was good service. We were thinking about who to use as a dentist, and I think we have found one.

When I left the dentist office, I drove to Madison to look for a television to put in our bedroom. The satellite television service will be moved to the new address tomorrow, and we will have two receivers as part of the package we are getting. So, another television was needed to use the second receiver. I found what I was looking for at the WalMart Mall, and the salesperson who helped me even took it out of the box and hooked it up to make sure it was working. No problems with it at the store, so it should be good when we connect it tomorrow.

The new home base has a fireplace, but the primary heat source is a heat pump. We have never cared for heat pumps because we usually feel cold. I know part of that feeling is probably psychological, but it doesn't make me feel any warmer. We like radiant heat, but using the fireplace to burn wood doesn't appeal to us. Today, I shopped around for a gas log insert to use in the fireplace, and found one in Ardmore. The company has a backlog of work, and won't be able to install the gas log until the end of this week. The weather will be warmer by then, but at least I'll have some heat that I can warm my hands with and back up to. I love that kind of heat. If you stand there long enough, the smell of scorched cotton starts wafting up.

Carolyn put up our first real Christmas tree for the first time in several years. We bought an artificial one that already had lights on it. Man, they sure make things easier to do with these trees!

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Hillsboro, Texas: Within Reach Of Everything

Not all who wander are lost.