Polar Vortex WTF

So...it's bloody cold up in hmya.  Wind chills of forty below zero, and temps well in the negative digits, mean BLOODY EFFING COLD.

Thank you, Polar Vortex.  Why are you here, anyway? I don't remember inviting you.

It's been 20 years since it's been this cold, I am told.  I know I sure don't remember ever being this cold in my whole life.  Well, maybe a little bit, since when we first moved to Ohio, every winter day felt like a Polar Vortex to my southern heat-lovin' self.

And along the lines of how freaking cold it is, remember how I mentioned we were going to try heating with coal?  Fail.   Ok, not so much fail as OMG THE MESS!  And I thought wood was bad!  Coal needs to be cleaned out of the wood/coal stove daily.  So..yeah...the mess.

At least we are warm.  I had to get up every two hours to make sure the fires didn't go out.  Despite new electric blankets to keep us toasty in bed, the fires needed to be kept going at full blast to keep the pipes from freezing.  And then there's the fact you can't really drag the electric blanket to the bathroom with you...
Wooo! Cold seat!!!

With my crazy schedule it seems I'm always on the run.  This mess is too much to deal with.  Sure, hubby tries to help, but most of us know how that cleanup works.  How is it he doesn't notice the inch of ash on EVERYTHING IN THE HOUSE??

We may be facing a return to heating oil next season, at least until we get an outdoor wood burner installed.  I hear they only need filling once or twice a day..  We'll have to see how it goes.  For now, I'm happy to be warm...though messy...ugh....