In which Winter arrives and the tank is dry

[rolanni]

This morning, we arose from our rosy bower to an outside temperature of 16F/-9C and an inside temperature of 61F/16C.  We turned the thermostat up to 69F/21C, Steve started breakfast; I fed Mozart his breakfast; we sat down to eat; finished up; had a second cup of coffee and. . . it was still sorta cool in the house.

Steve looked at the thermostat, which was set on 69F but still reporting the whole-house temp of 61F.  It then dawned on both of us that we hadn't heard the furnace actually come on, so Steve went downstairs to see if we had a malfunction.  The good news?  The furnace appears in good working order, as far as we can tell without it actually, yanno, coming on.  And the reason it hasn't come on is?

We're out of oil.

Completely out of oil.

I'm trying to remember if this has ever happened to us before.  Certainly, it hasn't happened in the 24-or-so years we've been in this house, thanks to the wonders of automatic delivery.

Thinking back, now, I'm not remembering a delivery in. . .a couple months.  Which is what I'll settle with Dead River Company on Monday (oh, joy!  a phone call.), since they've certainly been remembering to bill us every month.  For today, we called the Emergency Number, which isn't easy to find, and have now spoken with Gary the Emergency Delivery Guy, who will be over "directly" to fill us up.

In other news, I have in my inbox this morning not one, not two, but THREE reminders from Various Organizations relating the joyous news that the open renewal period for ACA coverage starts today!  Which is lovely for them.  I?  Have no idea how we're going to figure out next year's health coverage, without having any idea what the final income figure for 2014 is.  We only have to cover Steve through July, when he transfers over to Medicare.  I suppose I can go without, if necessary, and pay the fine, though I really don't like to tempt fate quite that much. . .

Well.

Now to put all that behind me and get the heck to work.

Everybody stay warm.  And healthy.

Comments

[malkingrey.livejournal.com]

Have no idea how we're going to figure out next year's health coverage, without having any idea what the final income figure for 2014 is.

Ah, the wonderful world of government forms that don't have a space on them for "Do I look like I own a crystal ball?"

I spent over a decade filling out FAFSAs for one or another of our collegiate offspring, and never did figure out how to do it. Usually I wound up looking at the previous year's income and extrapolating a plausible lie estimate.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

I've had at least three conversations with the nice ACA people this year about Freelance Income. I can't be the only freelancer in the country, and yet. . .if it doesn't fit in the form, they can't cope.

For this year's insurance, I did the "average-the-last-five-years-income" thing. They did bend that far, in terms of the form. But for next year, now that we have a "firm figure" for income (cue laugh track), they want a real number.

It's looking like I'm going to have to spend the entire four weeks of Open Enrollment on the phone. And my feelings regarding phones are very similar to your own.