That doesn't make any sense, you say?
Allow me to connect the dots.
We were surprised by the huge bill because in November, we'd replaced the sliding door in the TV room with a far better insulated door and basically plugged an 8x10 foot hole in the house and expected it to bring our bill down. On further consideration however, we realized that we'd been pretty cavalier with our three season porch. I watch TV out there all year round, with a space heater (the worst energy hog you can use) and shrink wrapping on all the windows, a nifty blanket and I'm fine. I'm fine!
But this year, I used an old box of shrink wrap and there was only enough to do 3 of the 5 windows and I'd taken to just leaving the door to the porch open to keep it warm...so yeah, I've been heating the entire back yard for a month. That's pricey.
We decided that since we're not actually made of money, we'd move my TV room down into the basement. Many years ago, back when the 3 season porch was just a screen porch/back door entry, we had our second set down in the basement. It was small and cozy and that's where Ty and Katie introduced me to the X-Files, my favorite TV show of all time. I have fond memories of watching TV down there. Since those days, we had our main sewer line back up, which required a major overhaul of the entire basement. We've finished (remodeled) it twice then, at least three people have lived down there, we've had two different bathroom iterations and most recently, Zach lived down there for several years as he moved in and out of the house and the state. Zach had a smart TV, so never needed a cable hook up but once upon a time, we'd had the room wired for cable.
While Jay was moving the TV, sound bar, DVD player and cable box downstairs, I was finding a piece of furniture to put it all one. Out on the porch, it sits atop a cedar chest I bought at an estate sale many years ago. the chest is heavy and bulky and I didn't want to move it up and down the stairs. Besides, I knew I had an easy to move entertainment table that I'd been using as storage up in my office. I knew it would work perfectly in the basement and it's painted black so it would look right at home with the furniture that's already down there.
Allowing it to be used in the manner for which it was designed meant emptying it out, dusting it thoroughly, cleaning the floor beneath it and carrying it downstairs, where Jay had moved furniture around and vacuumed everything. He set to work hooking everything up while I returned to my office and set about replacing the storage. I had the perfect cupboard in the other part of my office, so I spent the rest of the afternoon moving and cleaning. Since I only do that when absolutely necessary, the amount of dust I kicked up was prodigious and my eyes and nose watered for two days but now my office is clean, organized and put away. As I moved stuff around, I unearthed a beautiful old drawing I'd inherited from my Uncle. It's a large, framed portrait of an Elizabethan Woman, done in pencil with a touch of color in her hair and clothes. It's breathtaking in its simplicity and accuracy. I loved it the first time I set eyes on it, at Uncle Bruce's place after he died. Turns out, Uncle Mickey actually owned it but I got it after Mickey died. I have no idea why I didn't hang her on the wall the day I brought her home. I probably just didn't have time. I forgot all about her, found her last week and now she hangs where I can look her in the eye every day. She's a nifty reminder than cleaning my office is time well spent!
While I was doing that, Jay was discovering that the cable hook up in the basement was old and obsolete, so he booked a tech to come out and get us up to speed. He assured me that the next day, my new TV room would be operational.
The next day I had things to do all day and when I finally returned late in the afternoon, Jay told me that the TV from the porch, which is the perfect size for the porch, was ridiculously tiny in the new space, so he went out and bought me a new, enormous, smart TV which was now hooked up to cable and streaming, the DVD player and the sound bar.
I said "Good work! Where's my dinner?"
Seriously; I was appropriately appreciative.
The new TV was less expensive than the last energy bill. It's funny how the price of TV's has gone down! The first Hi-def TV I ever saw was at Sears, which gives you an idea of how long ago that was. It was probably no bigger than my new screen, the picture was no better, it weighed 50lbs, it was too dumb to stream anything because streaming wasn't a thing at all yet and the price tag was $10,000.00. There are some things about the 21st century that rock.
Now I'm very cozy in my new TV room, where it turns out, the light is much better for doing all the things I like to do while watching TV. Currently, I'm working on a needlepoint Christmas stocking for Kitten. She'll be 4 soon and next year would notice that she's under represented on Coach and Nana's mantel. I'm pacing my stitching because I don't want my tendonitis to flare up, so I've also gotten back into rosary making.
It's been several months since I've made rosaries so it's been really fun to get elbow deep in gorgeous beads again.
I've got more plans for the basement in the next few months. I have some tall book cases in the little bedroom that I'm moving down, turning the basement into the library and the little bedroom into a guest room/butler's pantry/seasonal storage closet.
In the last few weeks, the temps have stayed below freezing, the rink manager across the street has worked hard and the ice is a beautiful glasslike sheet again. As I type, the sun is out and the rink is covered in skaters of all ages.
I love winter.
Now that I'm comfortably ensconced in my new TV room...I think I'll watch the X-Files again. Or maybe I'll wait until September 10, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the show's debut.
30 years and the truth is still out there.