In an erie twist, like the television show "Lost", I have been forced to push a button every half hour to prevent myself from freezing to death.  Our forced air heater fan stops blowing after about 1/2 hour of normal behavior.  I originally thought that the problem was due to the thermostat, which has also been acting erratically.  So I bought a new one, and the same thing happened.  After 1/2 hour the fan stops blowing I can hear a droning sound coming from the unit.

Because it's Sunday and I don't want to pay the extra fee associated with an emergency call, I have not called a repair person.  So I rise from my couch every half hour to turn the unit off, and then switch the fan on.  After the fan runs for awhile I am able to start the unit up again, and it blows hot air for about 1/2 hour.

I have come to accept my new role...

Update:  On Monday the repair person diagnosed the problem as a clogged Drip leg which he cleaned out.  Our heater is working normally and I am attempting to adapt to my freedom.

 

Our family went to Frederick Meijer Gardens for Valentines day.  We had a delicious dinner and then got an early peek at the butterflies that are just emerging from their chrysalis.  On the window sat a translucent butterfly that had just finished its metamorphasis.  It was dusk outside and the natural lack of light in the tropical conservatory made for a dark and mysterious adventure.  I took this picture with a flash and the reflection on the window was a pleasant surprise.

This is some great music with an even greater purpose:

iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=121054236

From the In the Sun Foundation website:

In the sun foundation.org is the home of a very special project launched by R.E.M.'s lead singer, Michael Stipe, in response to the ongoing hardship experienced by thousands of residents of the Gulf Coast. More than five months later, many are still displaced by the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita with no relief imminent, and yet, the news cycle has moved on, taking our focus, as a nation, away from something which still should be at the center of our attention. In this spirit, Stipe felt moved to join others who have remained dedicated to the cause, reminding the public in his own way, through music, that there is still an incredible amount of work to be done: "Things are not fine. The storm is still impacting people's lives in very real ways and many have been left desperate.   I want to remind each of us that as humans, and certainly as Americans, it is our responsibility to help those in need... I had to do something as a public figure. The one thing I can do is sing, and it's probably the best way to get people to pay attention.

All proceeds from this project go to MercyCorps.

My town of East Grand Rapids has made the national news lately.  First, Reeds Lake neighbors convinced East Grand Rapids city leaders to keep a newly constructed home off the Parade of Homes:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10897265/

Might this be the first time that a Parade home has been turned away from a neighborhood?  One of the neighbors was quoted as saying that the parade would draw a "criminal element" to her neighborhood.

And this week a few dozen of our high school students were reprimanded after some parents discovered photos of underage drinking on their blogs:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/08/tech/main1296738.shtml

It's not easy being portrayed by the media as snobby and drunk.  Most of us who live here are neither, and the community is more diverse than other affluent suburbs in West Michigan.  The culture in EGR is totally focused around schools and family, which helps explain my take on the common thread between the two news makers listed above:  Parental concern about childrens safety.

Speaking from experience, the overwhelming urge that parents feel to keep their children safe is incredible.  It makes you crazy, and then causes you to adopt parental behaviors that you always despised as a teenager.  It is true, EGR is not perfect, but we are doing the best we can to raise our children in a safe and healthy environment.