mostly I type when I'm bored and have run out of other options

I thought nothing of the dip in temperature on the right side of my house that morning because the weather people kept saying that the cold was on its way and that it was bringing some wind with it; and when the wind and cold team up, the right, unprotected side, of my house gets colder. I went about my business in the other parts of the house.

Later, when I returned to the cold part of the house, it was colder than it should have been no matter what was going on outside, so I touched the radiator and found it to be stone cold, or at the very least as cold as cast iron left out in the cold. That meant a trip to the basement.

In the basement I could hear the circulator humming, which was one worry crossed off the list. I then removed the cover to the boiler and found that the pilot was out. I then went to the kitchen to grab some kitchen matches because even though the boiler is in the basement, if figured that kitchen matched would still just fine.

I did the things that one is supposed to do to light the pilot and the pilot lit; I then did the thing that one is supposed to do to turn the pilot on but the pilot went out. I then relit the pilot and tried to turn it on again but it went out for a second time. I sighed a little sigh of relief as I thought: thermocouple.

It just so happens that I try to keep an extra thermocouple or two on hand and as fortune would have it. I had two on hand. So after some effort I got the new thermocouple installed and the pilot stayed lit and the heat kicked on and all was well in Timmy Land.

Well, at least heat-wise.

…

I find it odd that if I’m given a book that shows some wear, it doesn’t bother me but I won’t buy a new book that has any damage to it and I do my best not to damage any book in my possession. I won’t dog-ear a page, I do my best not to cause a crease in the spine and I will never write notes or messages within that book.

I once gave a cookbook to one of my favorite bartenders of all-time, Danielle, and she asked me to write something in it which I refused to do. I explain why but I regret that still today. It’s something I’m working on.