Question of The Day. Saturday 14th of January

[Norachan]

Before a Navy housing place opened up for us, we lived in a Japanese house for about 18 months. I was a little kid, but I remember the bathroom freezing (stiff washcloths, frozen shampoo, etc.) and that there definitely was no central heat! We had kerosene heaters in the bedroom and living room, those were the only rooms with any heat. And I remember the loudspeaker truck going by every night at 10 pm to remind people to turn off their heaters before going to bed!

 

Those trucks still do that!

Isn't it funny how Japanese people think it's normal? Shampoo has turned into a Popsicle and all the windows have frozen shut from the inside, but it's January, what do you expect?

 

[Winchester]

I cannot imagine. I hate being cold so much that I could not handle a shampoo popsicle. No way. You have way more guts than I do.

 

[di and bob]

When I was having all my hot flashes for so many years, winter was fine! This is the first winter in a long time I am cold once again. I live in sweatshirts and a thermal long underwear top underneath. Jeans and slippers too. Now that I am retired I don't HAVE to go out when it is terrible, just right outside the back door twice daily to feed and water the cats.  ( And squirrels, and birds!) This having to have everything in heated bowls is a pain, I hope above freezing weather is back in the forecast. Carrying in firewood is not fun either, but that woodstove is so wonderful on these cold days and nights!

 

[rubysmama]

Frozen shampoo is a new one for me. And I'm a born and raised Canadian!  

I'm always cold, but still keep my thermostat at about 19C / 66F during the day (16C / 60F at night), as the dry heat makes my skin so itchy.  So I just bundle up in layers. I wear fleece hoodies.  And thick socks and slippers. I also have a throw for the sofa.  The throw is a win/win, as it keeps me warm, plus Ruby loves it, so she spends a lot of time curled up on my lap on top of the throw, so I get the added warmth from her. 

 

Outside, I've started to wear a hat more often. And I've found mittens keep my fingers warmer than gloves. I don't spend much time outdoors in the winter though, except for when it snows and I have to shovel.  

How many more weeks til spring?

 

[Boris Diamond]

I often wear a hat.  When you have a mostly bald head, you lose lots of heat from your head.  It makes a big difference to wear a hat, even when I'm inside.  I have fleece jackets, wool socks and thermal pants.  And in the winter time, I keep my waterbed at a very warm temperature.

Back when I had hair, I lived in New Hampshire for a winter, I took a shower in a building 300 feet from where I slept and I always showered at night.  When it was really cold, I always combed my wet hair the way I wanted it before I walked back, because my hair would freeze solid!   It was like getting a permanent! 

 

[Primula]

I take a daily 2 hour walk year round so layers are needed. Sometimes 5 layers. Even if I had a fur coat on I would still be cold if my neck is cold so a scarf is always needed. Ditto gloves. Even though I hate the cold, I cannot sleep unless the heat is off and a window is open. Not wide open in the winter, but open maybe 6 inches.

This is the best thing I ever bought myself. It's like sleeping in a cloud.

https://www.plumeriabay.com/comforters/queen-down-comforters-bq.aspx

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

<snip>
It would make a lot of sense, wouldn't it?

We bought the house a few years ago and got it really cheaply, cheaper than the land alone would have cost. The reason it was going so cheap is that the house is 30 years old and was built as a summer cottage, not for year-round living. I guess they thought who ever bought it would knock it down and build something else. However, we just wanted somewhere with enough space to make a big enclosure for all the cats. We decided that we could cope with things being a bit primitive as long as the cats were safe. We're trying to save up enough money to rebuild/improve/replace a bit at a time.

When we first moved in we had a gas heater, which was just crazy expensive. We've now switched to kerosene stoves which are more affordable. Of course what we really need is double glazing, better roof insulation and a wood stove. But if we put in a wood stove we need to replace the old wooden floor (Which is a bit creaky anyway) with a stone floor. The money we've saved up so far is earmarked for repairing the leaky bathroom floor and putting in a better tub this summer. Wood stove and stone floor maybe the year after.

So, I will eventually have a nice warm house but I'll have to put up with it being a bit chilly for now. The one good thing about it is I don't put on weight in the winter anymore. I guess trying to stay warm burns off a lot of extra calories.

is your old wooden floor stable, i mean could it handle the weight of a wood stove? i'm asking because if your floor is able to support the weight of a wood stove, you might buy a hearth pad -- like this kind  http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Wood-Stove-and-Accessories/Hearth-Pads/?state=All