Sorry, I Have No Heat

It’s really really really difficult trying to write when you’re cold.

I have been unable to publish since Friday. I know the cold is not an excuse but I do have an obligation to at least make you aware of my circumstances since I keep reminding you, I work for YOU. The day before the storm hit the furnace was functional but it required a manual ignition to cut it on. This is not ideal and somewhat dangerous as you can imagine (did I just used that overblown cliche phrase “as you can imagine”?) I did the right thing and got the repairman out but he was unable to complete the repair and apparently working on a 20+ year old Trane furnace and then trying to find parts is like working on a 1957 Chevrolet stranded on the side of the road in a desert. You need those parts yesterday. So whereas before I could ignite it manually now it's just a 57 Chevy stranded in the desert waiting for a parts delivery to get it running again. I can’t even manually restart the furnace. The repairman tried to console me by saying that was too dangerous anyway.

Long story short (OMG I just said another cliche. F*** me), No heat for the next 24-48hours. In the meantime I’ve been playing guacamole with the cold using portable heaters scattered around the house, clearing off the snow with its top layer of ice which requires not just a shovel but one those huge pickaxes to break through the ice.

I’ve been cataloguing what few thoughts as far as my novel and as far as anything related to essays in this newsletter inside my head as best I can. It’s essential that a writer hears his thoughts and while the Lasko fans I’ve got propped up near the fireplace have been keeping me just warm enough to keep my hands from freezing the constant noise is killing my ability to hear those voices in my head.

I’ve lost subscribers. A few paid have vanished and a bunch free subs have moved on. I’m afraid to look at the exact number it’s too discouraging. For those of you on the fence gimme 24 hours. I’ve been told the parts for my furnace will arrive directly from the manufacturer tomorrow. Don’t leave me this way. Remember that song? Thelma Houston? Big disco hit? ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Lemme get my fingers back underneath my blanket and leave you this. I’ve been laying the groundwork and testing hardware and software for recurring weekly and maybe even daily video posts which will compliment the essays. Oh and sitting in a chair in front of the fireplace with a laptop literally in my lap pushing the GPU to its limits is a much needed heat source in addition to the rigorous testing.

Don’t worry these video posts will not take away from the work that got this Substack to 4000+ subscribers it will be based primarily on the written work here, oh wait, don’t I just say that earlier?

Ok that’s it ya’ll. I’m supposed to put a “call to action” somewhere here but the cold has its grip on me and I placed it way up there somewhere before, something about Don’t Leave Me This Way.

Well this whole post sounds like a hostage video so lemme end it right here. Just gimme time ya’ll. Gimme time..

Just trying to have a sense of humor with that CTA button ya’ll but you know the old cliche, behind every joke there is a grain of truth. Geeeezus see this is why writers should never write when cold.