Christine, Wondering

Random Musings of a Human Becoming

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

So. Cold.

At the moment, south-western Western Australia, including Perth and Little Country Town, is experiencing an unprecedented cold snap. We usually don't get frosts until July, if at all, but we're having them in June this year. It's supposed to go down to 1 degree C overnight here. Brrr!

And if that wasn't cold enough, two weeks ago one of WA's major gas (that's natural gas, not gasoline: we call gasoline petrol) pipelines exploded in a fiery fireball thingy, cutting out one third of the state's gas supply. This has caused a very serious gas and energy shortage that has already caused a number of large industrial businesses to temporarily close or lay off staff that they can't afford to pay. WA is in the middle of a mining boom and the mining companies are some of the worst-hit, so it's hitting people hard. Especially as the people making big bucks out of the mining boom have, by and large, invested in big houses and plasma TVs not in savings. But that's a side issue.

So anyway, everyone has been asked to dramatically reduce their energy use - short showers, no unnecessary lights, as little heating as possible especially if it's gas heating. Not good.

I don't have gas, because there's no gas pipeline up here and the owners of my house were really considerate and decided not to foist bottled gas issues on their tenants. I have an electric stove for cooking and a wood heater for heating, plus a small electric heater. I'm trying to use the wood stove more and the electric heater as little as possible, but wood isn't exactly cheap either and it only heats the lounge which isn't really useful when I'm at the computer in the study. So I'm using my electric heater and feeling guilty, and I'm STILL cold regardless because one little bar heater in a big room with 14-foot ceilings does very little good.

So . . . yeah. I'm cold.

I miss S very much now that he's gone home - during the seven weeks I got used to having him around all the time, and the house just feels empty without him. We're not sure whether he can do his next prac up here in the country - he's keen, but money will be the deciding factor - so we might not get to live together again until the start of next year. We're back to talking on webcam in the evenings, which seems strange yet familiar, like a memory from a previous life. When he was here it was like he'd never not been. I want him back here :-( And yes, the 7-week make-or-break experience was definitely a 'make'. He is the one :-)

Reports are due on Monday so I'm acquiring a brand new set of grey hairs. Wish me luck!

0 comments:

Post a Comment