Living in a mechanical world.

For the past week the temperature has hovered at night at a chilling 4 degrees or lower and my first floor heat was just not making it.  Mornings inside were 64 - 65- 66 degrees! Sure once the sun hit the south side of the house the temperature could rise to 70 but with the gray skies of winter something was not right.   My super amazing insulated house has saved me from freezing a number of times....but ultimately because my heating system has a fatal flaw...this heat shut out has happened before....once in February and now in January.  Ah New England in winter! But the full story can be told at another time.  Suffice it to say my heating system acts possessed. Kicks off at random times with valves corroding from within which employs my plumber to replace everything with brass. But we are learning that there are different qualities of brass.  But I digress.   So my mechanical world...What else? The electricity to the chicken coop died.  In the nearly zero temperatures I tromped into the night to hit the reset.  I played with the circuit breakers in the basement. Wasn't til the next day that my fingers were able to actually push the reset fully to reengage the electricity; the water heater and the light came back on to keep the 3 hens comfy.  Other misfortune hits.  My fancy baffled window blinds (Hunter-Douglas) are slowly all crapping out...now 5 busted shades...which I depend on to keep the warmth in at night.  As my house ages (22 years old?) I see, things once was pristine, degrade in front of me. The white walls have NEVER been painted.  Kitchen cabinet screws loosen.   Knobs break off the stove.  Windows warp.  I have a fairly high tolerance for breakage and fixing...but have hit a low point. Grrrrrr.  A call to Jason my heating guy and he's been here since 11am.  It's now 3:30!  Ah the mechanical world.

The upside of the mechanical world that I find appealing is the gathering and navigating new information.  I love fixing things. I ordered the 'tape' to restring the blinds.  NO WONDER they broke. The tape seems to be nothing more than fancy dental floss.  After a few hundred lifts and lowers, it frays and breaks.  I removed one of the smaller blinds to a table in the back room.  By midday I don't have the patience to watch the YouTube to learn how to fix it.  So there it will lay.  Most likely I'll enlist someone to help. Maybe my BF.  But that's another story too.