Odds and Ends

We had an energy audit today! After some Googling and a phone call yesterday, I learned that every homeowner in the state of Massachusetts is entitled to one free energy audit per year. It's actually paid for by a tax on everyone's utility bills. Sweet! Our heating costs have been pretty high, so we wanted to see if there was anything we could do. I have to admit, I was terrified... I thought for sure he would tell us that the walls were poorly insulated, etc., and it would cost thousands of dollars to repair.

Well... I looked through the infrared camera myself, and our wall insulation is great! Woohoo! Really, the only issue he saw was our attic. But attics are MUCH easier (and cheaper) to insulate than walls are, so that was fantastic news. Even better news was that the work to completely insulate both our attics (front and back) and "air seal" them will only end up costing us a few hundred dollars out of pocket. That's because this same program helps subsidize some of the cost for energy improvements. 75% of those costs, in fact! So, we will definitely be having that done. He also went around and switched out all our lightbulbs with the compact fluorescent ones... Well over $100 worth of light bulbs, all paid for by this program! I am so, SO glad I called!! We will also call out an oil company to do routine maintenance on the boiler, and make sure it's not "running rich" (sucking too much oil). But that's a routine sort of thing, and not terribly expensive-- our boiler is in good shape. WOOHOO!!

Anyway, that was most of our day. Gus finished getting our dining room light fixture installed, I vaccuumed the whole house, Gus installed weatherstripping on the door to the garage, and is now out getting his table saw set up properly. It was over 40 degrees today! Still chilly, but definitely bearable. The energy auditor was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, haha! Maya and I also made butterscotch brownies this afternoon, and now the kids are relaxing and watching a little TV before I start dinner (yummy pork chops, mashed potatoes, and green beans... a big hit with both kids!).

Oh, and on a random side note... I learned from Pinterest that if you save the bottom part of a green onion and put it in a cup with water, it will regrow. So you can have never-ending green onions! I used two green onions in a salad last Friday, and decided, on a whim, to give it a go. I put the bottoms in this lovely Zion shot glass with a little water. Um, wow!!! It's true! This is only a week's worth of growth. I will definitely keep doing this. I might even get something nicer than a shot glass to put them in, haha!

And, some daffodils. Daffodils and tulips are my favorite flowers of all time, and I bought this pot of mini daffodils at the supermarket a week or two ago. I love them! I can almost pretend it's springtime! Hey, there's no snow! That means it's spring, right?? :)