Warming Up

This is the house I am staying in while I am in Vancouver. Friends of my parents who are off visiting their children in Australia until March were kind enough to let me set up camp. It is conveniently located a short bus ride to the new Skytrain Canada Line that can take me to BC Place Stadium where I will be working, and downtown where all the fun will be.

When I arrived at the house on Tuesday evening it was chilly inside as the heat had been turned down while the house was unoccupied. I reset the thermostat to the regular program but it didn't seem to get any warmer. The homeowner's son said he would come by on Thursday to have a look. My Internet Googling on the furnace model said that it had an automatic pilot ignition system but the furnace felt cold so I knew something wasn't working right.

Since arriving on Tuesday I have been dressed in many, many layers. I have been sleeping in a cocoon and running the hot water over my hands for warmth. I have been living on soup, coffee, and tea. Red wine in the afternoons and evenings helped. At times it seemed warmer outside than in the house.

Finally this morning the furnace guy came. Within ten minutes he replaced the ignition control valve. Now we have heat! It is time to shed some layers.

I'm off this afternoon to test my commute to the stadium as my first training session at the stadium is in the morning. There are lots of road closures downtown so I want to do a practice run when I am not working to a deadline. It is a lovely mild day (9 C, 48 F) with a bit of sun. It is to rain this weekend.

Vancouver is the largest, warmest, and lowest (sea level) city to ever stage the Winter Olympic Games. If you have never been to Vancouver (or even if you have) this is a stunning, time-lapsed video with amazing views of Vancouver. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xMz2SnSWS4