To avoid the noise, microbial growth, limed-up belts, and so forth of
a mechanical humidifier, we keep a pot of hot water on the stove.
Aside from buying a new enamel pot every two or three years, it's also
free: in humidifier season, every bit of gas we burn on the stove is
gas we don't need to burn in the furnace.

I just figured out that if I drop a cake rack into the humidifier and
set my bottle of water on the rack, it will be nicely warmed by the
time I finish dressing. This postpones freezing for quite a while --
and makes me more inclined to drink enough water.

-----------------------------------------

On last Thursday's "Modified Dump Tour" I topped off my bottle with
hot water from the coffee machine at the hospital, but today there was
nothing but chilled water available for refills.

I went to Sprawlmart to buy a head of cabbage and some saltines. Alas,
either Aldi had no whole-wheat saltines or I couldn't see them. But I
did stock up on bread at Aunt Millie's Outlet, and top off our
Sandwich-Skinny supply at Aldi.

I'd intended to go the long way and have lunch at the Oddfellow Cafe
in Pierceton, but there was an open studio I didn't want to miss in
the afternoon. I partly made up for the missed miles by walking to
the studio and coming back the long way.

Oh, man, am I looking forward to carrying multiple bottles and filling
them with ice. Despite being warmly dressed, I tire quickly in the
cold, and stopping for a nap in the graveyard is right out.
(Graveyards are the only place where one can lie down in public
without attracting ambulances. They are not, alas, spaced at
convenient intervals.)

--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGESEW/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.