The heat and hot water in our flat aren’t working and I’m bloody cold. British Gas comes out tomorrow to fix it but until then it is cold showers and winter coats. I know this sounds very ghetto but I have the oven on and am about to open the door just to defrost my nose.
In the US we take our heat and hot water for granted. Here, you actually set a timer for the hot water to start up in the morning. There is a tiny little heating tank in our kitchen and then in the wall we have a giant cistern that holds the warm water. When they renovated the building for some reason our flat was the place that all the cisterns were placed. We actually have access to all the water tanks for the building. Maybe I can siphon off some warm water from our neighbors.
Outside the weather is beautiful. The days are sunny even if they are cold and crisp. To warm up today I played hooky and went to see the film The Queen mid-day. How indulgent. It was interesting to get the behind-the-scenes take on Her Majesty. Much of the film takes place in Scotland with its beautiful rolling hills and meandering streams. You really do see the influence of the landscape and serenity reflected in the Scottish personality. Seeing the beautiful vistas always makes me think of Stephen and his deep rooted love for nature, hill walking and of course poetry. Maybe I could warm up if I wrap myself in his kilt…
