Toyu x Teiden = Tanoshikunai!

Well well well, hasn't this week been full of fun and games? Last Thursday night my heater decided to turn itself off, and in place of the friendly "I'm maintaining the temperature you asked for" numbers, displayed the cryptic message "EE06". Uh oh. Which one is 06? Surely it can't mean I'm out of Toyu (Kerosene) already? Better check just in case. Better check "just in case" means vaulting over the wall of snow (possibly the most fun I've had all winter!!), wading a few meters, and straining to find that the 280 litre tank that I'd had filled at New Year was COMPLETELY empty, yup, not a sausage - how did this happen!?! So I then had to dig a path through the snow I'd just waded, for the nice Kerosene-truck-men, but of course there was no chance of them coming until the next day which meant a particularly chilly night, and a shower at Bridget's in the morning. On Friday it was all sorted out, the kerosene came, and neither the stove nor the water boiler got air in, which meant the office didn't even have to know about my slight lapse of concentration. Evening came and that was the end of the first day.

Episode 2 happens early Monday, sometime before six. I am peacefully half asleep, hiding in bed listening to the heater warm itself up, when suddenly, for no reason, it stops. "EE07", it says. 07?! Never had 07 before! What the ----?! Must have been too dopey to notice the distinct lack of light from anywhere, because it wasn't until I got to the loo and the seat was cold that I realised we were having a power cut. Sure enough, no street light, in fact no light anywhere in the village... This went on for about 3 hours during which time I shoveled (one of the few things you can do with no candles in a powercut) and then went off for another refugee shower, this time generously arranged by the benevolent Mr. Speed of Ajigasawa. Was a bit worried by the pattern developing but luckily since then everything has been in working order (touch wood) and I finally got to have a shower in my own house on Tuesday. But like.... really. It was minus 4 driving back from Aji... of all the times to be without power! I am more convinced than ever that there are some places on Earth that people should just not try and inhabit...