This past weekend we had the opportunity to head over to Portland, Oregon, for a high school playoff game, between Tualatin High School and Beaverton High, where our nephews were playing against each other. Unfortunately for us, we knew one was going to win and the other would lose. A few things came to mind:
— What side do we sit on, that was easy as it was raining and the visitor side (Beaverton) was not covered…
— And who do you cheer on, “Well, of course, both!” I just shared with my fellow Tualatin Wolf Pack fans around me, please understand I will be rooting for both sides as our nephews are playing against each other!
However, when my nephew, playing for the Beaverton Beavers, catches the ball in the last few minutes of the game, for a run of 65 yards and the winning touchdown, I am not so sure they appreciated my zealous behavior! Of course my football emotions overtook me as I was jumping up and down, and then, I remembered where I was jumping up and down at… and looked over at my sister, and immediately gained back my composure… with a meek sorry to my Wolf Pack Moms around me…
It is times like this we will never get back again, and never forget. I thought this was so important, that we were able to have our children and their families make the trip as well… it is what families are about and should be about!
It is that time of year again where the “Hustle and Bustle” are upon us, and family and friends begin to fill our homes. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving and gratitude you’ll appreciate the peace of mind that a little early preparation will bring to you, in the busy weeks ahead.
Enough hot water? With all the holiday baking, delicious smells of the season and extra guests, your consumption of water increases… now is the time to call Central and look into our tankless water heaters. A tankless system will heat water on demand, which takes away from the chance of being left without enough hot water for everyone. A thankful addition for all!
Strategically placed furniture. If you are like our household, when the tree goes up, we are also re-arranging our furniture. Make sure sofas and chairs are not covering heating vents to allow proper heat distribution. For comfortable eye-to-eye conversations, I like to strategically arrange our furniture so we can enjoy the vision of the tree and several “conversation spots” that allow for a few different conversations going on at the same time. This is a season of creativity, so be creative with your furniture staging.
Light the way for guests. At this time of year, with the sun going down by 4:30 or 5-ish, and the sky not really getting light again until 8-ish, I like to set my outside Christmas lights to come on around 6 a.m. in the morning and off around 10 a.m., and then on again around 4 p.m., this just creates some nice ambiance of lighting at this time of year… and so festive as guests arrive.
I like to concentrate my lights in the back of our home as well. Back in the day when Dave was just starting to realize what he got himself into when he married me, he thought this was odd. My comment back was, “Well I spend a lot of my time this year in the kitchen, which is located in the back of our home. I want to enjoy the lights too; this is not just for our neighbors.”
Keeping them warm. Now is also the time of year if you have been knocking on the door of “Ebenezer Scrooge” and you know you should be replacing your home’s heating system, nothing could be worse than your heating system going out just before guests arrive or when they are staying with you. If you wait until it no longer works… you are just asking for more expenses!
Clogged drains? Like the “Ghost of Christmas Past,” a clogged drain could make for a nightmare for you and your guests at the worst possible time. If you have been having drain problems and keep putting this off, just like in the movie, “The Christmas Carol,” this will catch up with you. Give Central a call today.
As you are decking your home, be mindful to the advice given here, and realize, here at Central we are grateful for the dedication of our Team, who are dedicated to making your holidays problem free. Our wish to all, is to have a safe and happy Thanksgiving, full of family and friends.
As always, your comfort is our Central concern. Call us at 756-6656, for all your heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical and drain-cleaning needs!
One of my favorite quotes as we head into this magical season: “May your home be too small to handle all your friends and family!”
A must to have on hand in your refrigerator:
Cream cheese, Jalapeno pepper jelly, and your favorite crackers.Place cream cheese on a festive plate, pour jelly over the cheese evenly, and serve… So easy and yummy!!!