Urgent did not become emergent...

I woke up thinking, "Wow, it's chilly in here, but then it is supposed to be very cold again today." I went about my business, until around 2:00, when I realized it was more than chilly. A quick check of the thermostat revealed that it was 55 degrees in my house.

Uh oh.

I called the repairman. No one answered. Voice mail. They called back more than an hour later. "We'll have our technician call you. He can definitely get right to you."

Okay, I thought, it isn't so bad as I donned a hat and mittens. Two hours later, when the technician called to tell me I was 5th on his list and he was the only tech working on the Kansas side tonight, I added my coat.

By the time he arrived at 8:30, I was hiding under my son's down comforter with my imitation Uggs. I greeted him at the door and announced, "I don't usually dress like a bag-lady. Please come in and fix my heat!"

He disappeared into my basement, but not for long. "I can see exactly what's wrong. Your emergency shut-off sensor is stuck in the closed position. Under no circumstances am I supposed to circumvent the emergency shut-off sensor, but, well, it's currently 46 degrees in your house. This a part I can't get until Monday. So..."

"Uh huh," I answered. "What would the possible consequences be if you circumvent the sensor?"

"Well, it's there to keep your house from catching on fire if the heater isn't working right...."

"Ummmm. Fire would be bad. Frozen pipes would also be bad."

He smiled and said, "I'm going to monitor your heater very carefully for an hour. Then we'll decide what to do."

Well, the good news is: my pipes didn't freeze and my house hasn't burned down. Thank you, Mr. Technician!

And my mind will be more at ease when he replaces the sensor tomorrow!

Thanks to all the friends who offered their beds, couches and apartments. Thanks also to the ones who said, "WHY didn't you call me????!!!!"