There's really nothing like getting up at 5:15 when it's -15C outside because your husband comes in the room and telling you the furnace is out. Of course we keep our furnace room spotless, with the access door to the pilot light readily available. I had no need to schlep downstairs, sleepy-eyed, in order to remove a metric tonne of crap from around the furnace. Did I mention this was at 5:15? Seriously, if I was more awake I would have tried to calculate the rate of heat loss (it was 18C in the house so still well comfortable) and crawled back into bed until icicles formed. The flaw with that plan of course is that I would have then been awake. Instead, chilly exercise woke me up. Plans of sleep foiled either way and this way I don't have to contend with icicles later in the day.
Part of me was also hoping that the old beast would just die. It's not something that we can really afford at the moment, but replacing our almost 20 year old mid-efficiency furnace has been on my wish list for a while now. I dream of a sexy new high efficiency furnace. Kind of like how every time the fridge makes a funny sound I wish it to be it's last. That of course would be quickly followed by a new, quieter air conditioner, a new stove and range, a more efficient deep freeze...secret dreams of a home owner.
Just wanted to let you know that I added your journal. :)