It's cold here. Ten degrees. My friends from grad school all employ interesting methods to stay warm at night to avoid turning the heat higher, so I thought I would try their tricks. First, my friend Patsy told me how her mom used to put a hot water bottle in her bed, and she has continued to do so on her little east coast excursion.
So I tried this. Only we don't have a hot water bottle. We have a mason jar that I got for Christmas with cookie dough mix in it. I filled it with boiling water and carried it upstairs using a pot holder, while Corey made the bed and held the covers open. We put in the jar standing up at first, then thought it would be more effective if we rolled it around a little so it could heat up everything. Turns out, the mason jar was not water tight. It made a big, cold lake in the middle of the bed that seeped through to the mattress pad and mattress itself.
We named it Lake Superior and all night long, my soggy socked foot would make my leg cold. Every time my pajama clad leg wandered into the lake, I awoke in a cold, wet, start. Corey just slept curled in a ball and we both cursed our stupidity for not testing the jar first.
Last night, we went with my friend Paul's suggestion. He fills a sock with rice and sticks it in the microwave before putting it in bed with him. I dragged out some old rugby socks worn thin around the heels and filled them with $.86 Giant Eagle rice. I tied a knot in the top and nuked those suckers for three minutes. They were piping hot and did not seem to be leaking. So we stuck the black snakey things in the bed and it was warm and it was lovely to squish our toes around on the socks or cuddle up next to them. They kept their heat for hours, too. It was wonderful except for one small thing.
Even though they were clean rugby socks, apparently the microwave brought out their stored funk. Our bed and bedroom smelled like sweaty popcorn, the pungent odors of my feet wafting into our warm faces all night long.
Given our choice of the two evils (cold, cold nights or warm smelly bliss) I picked the sock. Corey yanked it out of the sheets and hurled it at me, yelling, "How could you bring this into our room? This is so nasty!"
I think what I might do is go to the sports store and buy a clearance pair of kids' tall socks. Then they will be clean and not rugby-foul and I can fill them with rice and sleep so, so soundly.
After years of nomadic temporary employment, advanced degrees, and chocolate ice cream, a rugger with a love of knitting and a cyclist with no domestic skills signed a Ketubah and bought a house in Pittsburgh.
8 comments:
You are hilarious. We have a small space heater in the bedroom that keeps the place bearable at night.
Also, it was -13 here last night. You have no room to talk!
When I go backpacking in the cold, I like to boil water, fill my Nalgene, and throw it in the bottom of my sleeping bag. It works well, the Nalgene is water-tight, but during the first few minutes, you want to let some air escape because it could expand a lot and maybe burst if you're not careful. Give it a try, Team Lev!
Hot water bottles are cheap and readily available at Giant Eagle. Just saying. =)
Ok first of all you can't do a mason jar... they aren't good with liquids... try a nalgene...or get a hot water bottle specifically made for that or spend $20 and get an electric blanket.
I'd say don't go with an electric option, you are only using the energy on a different bill that way. I like the rice idea, even with a non-leaky bottle available - a sock of rice sounds more snuggly to me than a hot, hard, plastic cylinder. And I'm sure a new one won't smell!
Boy am I glad I don't pay the heating bill... :o)
I think an electric space heater is a good option. I don't like the idea of weird objects in my bed!
Your not even married a year, your bed should be hot enough with just you and Corey in it:+)
Oh my gosh, Katy... I've always known you crack me up, but you never fail to reaffirm the truth. I'm DYING over here- seriously, laughing so hard I can't breathe! I just called Kate to tell her she had to read and I told her to give you both a hug for me- we know she won't so you'll have to steal it from her! Please tell Corey Happy Birthday (I just sent him a text :o)
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