I’ve learned plenty since moving to Texas. Like when it’s hot, it’s really hot – and when it’s cold, well it’s really cold. When the guy on the news says we’re in for a hard freeze, that means eat whatever you’ve got in your pantry, cuz it’s too cold to go out anywhere. I still don’t exactly know what a hard freeze is, I just know I get to break out my sweaters!

Lesson I’ve Learned in Texas #237:
Let’s talk about the relationship between heating and electricity. Back in CA when it got cold (like below 60), I would simply march over to the thermostat, crank up the lever and nice warm air would magically come out of the vents. Super easy, no brainer, all courtesy of Socalgas. Here in TX, I can still march on over to the thermostat and crank up the heat, and warm air comes out through the vents, but since it’s a little far for Socalgas to send gas, we have these things called heat pumps. Prior to moving here, I’d never heard of heat pumps before. One might even say I didn’t care to know about heat pumps. Well, I do now.

Last night was cold. By Texas standards, by California standards – it was cold, followed by dang cold, followed by that hard freeze thing. Low was 21 degrees, but I didn’t care – we’ve got heat pumps!

I woke up this morning, glanced outside…yep, that’s frost out there. I ran upstairs to grab my laptop so I could check my work email and boy, it was really cold up there. I did what anyone would do – I cranked up the heat, grabbed my laptop and went back downstairs. I had just hit the send button when it happened. The whirring of the heaters stopped, the tv went off, the pool shut off, there was silence. The only words spoken were, “uh-oh”.

Out of self preservation, my mind always, always, always goes to worst case scenario. I immediately thought we’d be without power for days. No power, no heat! Wait a minute- even worse, no power, no blow dryer!!!! Quick, call the Hampton Inn and see if they have power, and if they do reserve a room! We can go to Starbucks and work there. How long will my laptop and cell phone batteries last? Seriously, all these thoughts ran through my mind in less than 15 seconds.

But wait, it gets better…bless his heart (and I mean that in the sweetest southern way), JD knew I’d be worried about drying my hair. He had a brainstorm! “I’ll go get the leaf blower (battery operated and fully charged), and I can hold it while you dry your hair”. I couldn’t even pretend not to laugh! I’m thinking – or you can just drive me around the neighborhood and I’ll stick my head out the window! He was totally serious. I tried to explain to him the complexity of blowing dry one’s hair, heat being one. Then there’s air speed – not to mention all those other complex things like ions, etc. I love that he’s always thinking, and he would do anything to make me happy. I don’t take that for granted for one minute.

Just as I was ready to find a hat to cover my wet, unstyled hair, the power magically went back on. What caused this you ask? Well, heh-heh…remember when I ran upstairs and cranked up the heat? Well that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Because it was so cold, the pool was running, the tv was on, the heat pumps were working overtime, and then I had the audacity to turn on one more heater!

Lessons learned: modify the leaf blower too add heat, consider investing in a generator, make friends with the front desk staff at the Hampton Inn,
and add Starbucks to my list of contacts. Oh, and last but not least, turn the heat up sloooooowly – like one degree at a time!