My own version of FYBO

As I type this, it is 10 degrees outside and it is windy as heck. I stepped outside before just to check on things. A wind gust caught my front storm door and caused it to swing open. I nearly messed my pants thinking someone was trying to get inside the house. I stepped outside with a flashlight just to make sure no one was hanging around that should not have been. No one was; but I was greeted by a nasty gust of wind. It went right through me; chilling me to the bone. I can't wait for Spring! I hate going outside to be greeted by cold wind causing massive face pain where my sinus cavities are.

Tonight was the Spartan Sprint. Both 80 and 40 Meters had fierce local QRN on both bands for the first hour. I ended up watching "24" while waiting for whatever neighbor to turn off whatever appliance was causing the racket. When I resumed my post behind the K2 at a few minutes past 10:00 PM; all was relatively quiet. In the last 40 minutes of the contest I managed to make about 14 QSOs. Nothing to write home about; but they brought my QSO total for 2007 to 192 so far.

But, it was kind of like my own version of FYBO - indoor style! The temperature down in the basement was 58 degrees. It's normally around 63 or 64 degrees down there during the winter; but when it gets this cold outside, the temperature drops another few degrees. I had on a long sleeved T-shirt, a sweatshirt and a fleece sweater on top of that. I was pretty toasty except after a bit, my feet started feeling pretty cold.

Back when I lived in East Brunswick, before I got married, my parent's house had an oil burner that fired up a water boiler for steam heat. That baby was old and inefficient, I'm sure; but it kept the basement bearably warm during the winter! And the radiators would stay warm for a long time after the furnace shut off! In my house I have a "modern" gas fired, forced hot air heating system. It doesn't do anything to keep the basement warm; and the dry heat plays havoc with my sinuses!

Now that's what I call progress!

73 de Larry W2LJ