Feb 8th - Early Morning

Got up early this morning so I'm catching up on a few odds and ends so I won't have to feel guilty when I take an afternoon nap <grin>.

It is still cold here, at least cold for central MO. Yesterday's forecast said we would get above freezing today but I just checked and the high is now forecast at 30. Starting next Wednesday we are supposed to have a string of days with highs above freezing. I just checked our heating degree days, 3675 so far. Last year it took us until March 4th to have as many as we have had this year. If I thought this was going to be the normal from now on I would seriously investigate a newer, much higher efficiency, outdoor boiler. I think the new ones would give us the same amount of heat while burning no more that 60-65% of the wood that we currently burn. (Realistically I would never buy one. I think the cost of one installed, if I installed it, would be approx. $8,000. Even if I was buying wood, and burned 5 cords less a year, it would take forever to get a "payback" on the investment."

Other than looking at the snow not a lot has been happening. I made my 8th trip to the YMCA yesterday, to exercise. There are 3 YMCA facilities in Jefferson City. I had been going to the larger one (the Knowles facility) that is about a 30 minute drive from our house, it has an indoor pool, which I don't use. Yesterday I tried the one (the West facility) that doesn't have a pool but is 15-20 minutes from our house. The West facility is somewhat larger, in terms of exercise equipment, than Knowles. It was a lot busier than what I've seen at Knowles.

Based on my one visit it appears that the West facility caters to a younger, more fit crowd. I walked 3.68 miles in 65 minutes, most of it at a 2-2.5% grade. Two young gals (late 20s?) on climbed on to treadmills to the left of mine about 10 minutes after I started. The one next to me was walking about the same speed I was but she had the treadmill inclined like she was climbing a mountain. They were still going, and still chatting away with one another, when I left.

No big plans for the next few days. I'd still like to head south for several weeks, if they every get the awning replaced on our motorhome.

Have a great day. May God bless you and yours.