Thinking Warm Thoughts ...

... is not enough. I need a new furnace.

I just spoke to a man at Sipco Fuels, a Canadian company that offers petroleum products for, among other things, home comfort. My friend and neighbour, Joan, recommends them. Joan was a big help to me months ago when I needed to visit the physiotherapist regularly. She took me to the hospital too, for my appointments with Dr. Roscoe. Remember?

"Good afternoon. Sipco."

"Hello," I said. "I need some home comfort. Badly. Can you help me?"

The man laughed. And I explained further.

"Do you think I might benefit from a new furnace?" I asked, finally.

"How old is your furnace?" he said.

I told him it had once been a coal furnace, converted many years ago to burn oil.

"Then I can guarantee you'll benefit from a new one. I installed a new furnace in my own home last winter. It replaced a furnace that was twenty-four years old. We're saving up to ... are you ready for this? ...up to $200 per month. PER MONTH! I'm not kidding."

I was astounded, Ms J. $200 per month? It sounded almost too good to be true. Yeah. Come to think of it now, it does seem a bit exaggerated. But what the hell? The furnace I have is old. It's bound to be inefficient.

"How much does a new furnace cost?" I asked him. I was shocked by his answer.

"About $5000."

"Really? I didn't think it would be that much."

"Yeah. About five grand," he said. "Give or take."

They don't have a monthly payment plan, so I'll have to borrow from the bank. That's OK. I'll pay it off in a year or two. Probably two. And I'll tell my fuel oil supplier that I want to enroll in their "equal billing" plan. That way, I'll get a fuel bill every month, instead of only for seven months or so. Spread the cost throughout the entire year.

Yes. I think that might be more manageable. And I'd have a furnace that would last for another fifty years. The man - his name is Bob - is coming over tomorrow afternoon.

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