With heating prices up this winter, i've turned down the thermostat and...

matcom

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Sun Oct-23-05 11:20 AM
Original message

With heating prices up this winter, i've turned down the thermostat and...

have decided that martini's will keep me warm instead

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yvr girl

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Sun Oct-23-05 11:21 AM
Response to Original message

1. I thought you'd be cuddling with

your dog. :shrug:

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MarsThe Cat

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Sun Oct-23-05 11:39 AM
Response to Original message

2. and i've stopped brushing my teeth-

Edited on Sun Oct-23-05 11:39 AM by MarsThe Cat

instead, i just sterilize 'em with alcohol every night.

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Midlodemocrat

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Sun Oct-23-05 11:42 AM
Response to Original message

3. My gas bill already doubled...

and I haven't even turned the heat on yet.

Went from $28 for the hot water heater usage to $58. This is going to suck.

My heating bill is routinely about $300 in the dead of winter, now it is going to be $600? Sucks big time.

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Left Is Write

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Sun Oct-23-05 01:53 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. Mine went up about 55%, and I haven't turned the heat on yet either.

Normally, during non-heating months our bill is about $18 for the water heater and the stove. Last month, it was $28, and our usage had not changed.

I'm looking at my normal $150 winter gas bills turning into $233 unless we change our usage. We're going to keep the thermostat set much lower and warm up with quilts, down throws, and sweaters! Our fireplace is gas also. I miss the woodburning stove we had in our old house!

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Midlodemocrat

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Sun Oct-23-05 02:06 PM
Response to Reply #4

9. I am kicking myself for turning the woodburning fireplace into

gas logs.

I don't know how much I can turn the heat down, we have my 80 yo FIL living here and I don't want him to be cold.

I think I will get a space heater for the room he sits in to watch TV.

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GOPisEvil

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Sun Oct-23-05 01:55 PM
Response to Original message

5. I keep my thermostat at 68 already.

Gas was expensive enough LAST YEAR...I can't imagine this year. x(

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SOteric

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Sun Oct-23-05 02:00 PM
Response to Reply #5

7. Is Austin really known for their blizzards, 6 foot snowfall

and Artic fronts moving in from Canada? :shrug:

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GOPisEvil

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Sun Oct-23-05 02:04 PM
Response to Reply #7

8. Snow and blizzards, no. Arctic fronts, sometimes.

The lows the next few nights will be in the low-mid 40s. We have our share of nights at or near freezing.

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ps1074

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Sun Oct-23-05 01:57 PM
Response to Original message

6. Want to see this thread in December

I wonder if the martinis will still keep you warm in December and January :bounce:

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XemaSab

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Sun Oct-23-05 02:45 PM
Response to Original message

10. Alcohol

is a good anti-freeze.

I wholeheartedly support you in your decision.

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Left Is Write

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Sun Oct-23-05 02:52 PM
Response to Reply #10

13. Alcohol lowers the body temperature.

It's not really a good idea for staving off the cold. :)

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XemaSab

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Sun Oct-23-05 02:54 PM
Response to Reply #13

15. Go look at the gin in the freezer!

Is it frozen? No!

With the miracle of alcohol your temperature can be well below freezing, yet you yourself will not be frozen.

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Left Is Write

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Sun Oct-23-05 02:55 PM
Response to Reply #15

16. You're joking, right?

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XemaSab

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Sun Oct-23-05 02:57 PM
Response to Reply #16

17. Not at all!

Frost damage happens when water turns to ice and crystallizes within your cells, expanding and bursting them. Alcohol will inhibit the formation of ice within the body.

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Left Is Write

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:19 PM
Response to Reply #17

22. Alcohol lowers body temperature by speeding the loss of body heat.

People are cautioned to avoid alcohol as part of preventing hypothermia and frostbite.

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XemaSab

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:24 PM
Response to Reply #22

23. If you're getting frostbite

It's because you're not drinking enough!

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Left Is Write

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:24 PM
Response to Reply #23

24. Now I know you're joking.

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XemaSab

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:26 PM
Response to Reply #24

26. Just ribbin' ya

;)

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Left Is Write

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:28 PM
Response to Reply #26

28. You're such a tease.

:hi:

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XemaSab

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:31 PM
Response to Reply #28

30. It's a fact

:hi:

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Cyndee_Lou_Who

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:28 PM
Response to Reply #23

27. Edited... just saw your post....

Edited on Sun Oct-23-05 03:30 PM by Cyndee_Lou_Who

whew...

http://www.vh.org/adult/patient/pharmacyservices/prose/alcoholcold.html
http://science.howstuffworks.com/alcohol10.htm

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XemaSab

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:30 PM
Response to Reply #27

29. I'm just silly

You'd have to drink more alcohol than the human body can withstand to take advantage of alcohol's anti-freeze properties.

Eating a lot of sugar or salt is much safer. :P

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tjdee

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Sun Oct-23-05 02:49 PM
Response to Original message

11. My heat is already on in one room.

I had a cold this week and I had to turn the heat on because I felt like I was dying. And freezing. Both.

I think I'm keeping the heat on in the bedrooms and that's it this winter. WOO HOO! Ain't it great to be a 'Murican! All summer screwed by auto gas prices, all winter screwed by home gas prices!

YAY REPUBLICANS!

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Rabrrrrrr

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Sun Oct-23-05 02:51 PM
Response to Original message

12. Capitalize those sacred words, boy!

It's Martini, not martini.

:spank:

Now, as penance, you must drink another one. Ice cold, very dry, straight up, with a twist served in a frozen glass.

Filtered through Rush's underpants.

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miss_kitty

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Sun Oct-23-05 02:52 PM
Response to Original message

14. I haven't even turned on the heat yet.

I have a funky pup to keep me warm.

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Deja Q

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:01 PM
Response to Original message

18. Electric heating instead?

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RebelOne

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Sun Oct-23-05 05:33 PM
Response to Reply #18

31. Yes, I have a gas furnace and I just bought two small

electric heaters. One for the living room and the other for the bedroom. I think it will be a lot cheaper to use electric heaters than running my furnace.

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OKNancy

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:03 PM
Response to Original message

19. I was wondering if you ever worry that

if you drink too much, you might post something really stupid and regret it later.

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matcom

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:25 PM
Response to Reply #19

25. well, since that has never happened

i'd say no.

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caty

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:11 PM
Response to Original message

20. If you try to find ways

to cut down on the electric bill, it will help offset the higher heat bills. Try to replace all of your light bulbs with the "energy saver long life bulbs"---75watts that only use 20 watts, etc. Turn your computer off at night. Now that it is winter, we can turn our refrigerators and freezers down a notch.

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tigereye

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Sun Oct-23-05 03:16 PM
Response to Original message

21. anyone with an old furnace - ours is 40 years old-

considering buying a new one? After looking at what natural gas prices are likely to be this winter, we were trying to decide if the additional cost of the furnace would offset the reduced gas use.

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no name no slogan

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Sun Oct-23-05 05:37 PM
Response to Original message

32. We used to keep our thermostat on 63 or 64 all winter

in Minnesota, where the winters are about as bad as you can get in the lower 48.

It wasn't too bad-- just wear a sweater around the house and slippers on your feet, so you didn't have to walk on a cold floor.

Now I'm renting, and heat is (thankfully) included in my rent. Otherwise, I'd be hurting badly. :scared:

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CatholicEdHead

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Sun Oct-23-05 05:48 PM
Response to Reply #32

33. Wait until your next lease

then you will feel it.

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redwitch

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Sun Oct-23-05 06:06 PM
Response to Original message

34. we keep our thermostat set at 60

replaced the bolier this summer, prebought our oil (at $2 a gallon)put in new windows in the cellar and will crank up the woodstove. Just bought the fancy new light bulbs to save bit there and have a couple of electric oil filled space heaters as well- we are trying to save everywhere we can. But... upstate NY is COLD in the winter and our bills will still be hugh! So, I also plan to drink heavily whenever possible. Do you like your martinis stirred or shaken? I like them chocolate, does that still count as a martini or are you a purist?

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YellowRubberDuckie

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Sun Oct-23-05 07:14 PM
Response to Original message

35. We're getting a $500 bonus from work to offset energy prices...

I know it's not much, but it's cool they know we need something extra this winter. And the cool thing is utilities are included in our rent so we don't even have to worry about it. So we're going to use it to buy a dining room table. We found one for 200 bucks at Target. It's a little Bistro Table. If you've shopped in the Appliance and kitchen section you've seen the one I'm talking about.
Duckie

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hickman1937

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Sun Oct-23-05 07:16 PM
Response to Original message

36. A nice low grade fever works too.

Cheaper than gas or electric too.

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