Chicken Mama . . . Electrified!

The mercury topped out at 11.5 degrees today, and I had to be outside sanding window trim for this weekend's project. So, how to stay warm while standing in one place in those temperatures? I couldn't work in the garage (tried that yesterday) because A) it was too dusty in the enclosed space - even with a dust mask on - and B) I seem to have succeeded in blowing up the salamander heater which would have provided my heat in there. But, not to worry - last night, brilliance struck! My heating pad!

Now, those very close to me know that my heating pad (okay, pads) rank only slightly below Tom. I don't travel without one. Even in the summer. It's my security blanket. If it isn't being used to alleviate back pain (the usual need), it's providing a cozy, at-home feeling in motel rooms at night. So . . . I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before!

I really wish I had a picture to accompany this, but with Tom away at work that was impossible. Imagine if you will, my ensemble: a pair of lightweight yoga pants underneath Arctic-weight Carhartts, a sweatshirt underneath a polar fleece jacket underneath my down work coat. A ski hat on my head, my insulated boots on my feet, an insulated work glove on my left hand, and a single chopper on my right hand (too cold to be holding the sander with gloves on). Then, a bright white electrical cord with a temperature control attached to it hanging out from underneath my coat.

Yep, I had gone upstairs to the medicine box (still have no master bathroom finished to unpack it into) and got the torso wrap Tom used when he cracked a rib a couple of years ago. So now, the layers go like this: sweatshirt, heating pad, elasticized torso wrap holding heating pad in place, polar fleece jacket, and down work coat. I simply plugged myself into the same extension cord that I was using for the hand sander, and went to work! It almost made the job bearable!

When there's the will . . . !