Pondering furnaces options for my Lowell home

However, I would need to keep an on site oil tank and be reliant on deliveries

When I moved into my household in Lowell, Massachusetts I knew I needed to select a good heating system. I debated on what would be the best option for me. I knew I wanted a furnace that could hook up to the existing ductwork in my home. In Lowell I didn’t need to worry about AC either. Massachusetts just doesn’t get that hot. We have a few months where the daytime temperatures are rough, but cooling isn’t really needed. For the most part, we are all about heating in Lowell. So I knew I needed either a gas, oil, or electric based furnace. I started looking over the pros and cons of each. I liked that a gas furnace was easy to install and most Lowell, MA HVAC dealers knew what to do. The hook ups and flue system seemed a pain to install. I also didn’t like that it was a safety hazard. An electric based one I nixed due to the expense. Relying on electricity for a long winter season would bankrupt me. The oil furnace was appealing since the flame burns hotter and provides better heat. However, I would need to keep an on site oil tank and be reliant on deliveries. That sounded awful. What if it snowed in Massachusetts and I couldn’t get oil? So I am leaning towards the gas powered furnace. I feel like that would work best with the Lowell weather, the local dealers know how to operate one and I could keep it clean to avoid the safety risks.

 

Lowell Massachusetts Heating system

A short train ride to Chicago

I love living in Elgin, Illinois.

  • For one thing it is really nice that the weather is mostly great.

The summer season isn’t overly hot and the winter season gets snow, but it is not too brutal. We get changing leaves and blooming flowers too. Our home is outfitted with radiant flooring due to a lengthier and more intense winter season. The summer air conditioner is just a few indoor air handlers strategically placed around the house. We have one in the kitchen and everyone has a bedroom cooling system. That is good enough for our summer. Another perk of Elgin is being close to Chicago. In Chicago you have some of the best shopping in the United States. There are also swanky hotels, good restaurants, and tons of musicians that come to play. Also there are the Chicago Blackhawks that do quite well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I really enjoy getting tickets to a playoff game every year. What is great is that I don’t have to drive in the city either. The train goes from Elgin to Chicago and is around 1 hour and 30 minutes long. It is only eight dollars a person. That sells me on it. No need to worry about parking with that. I can safely get the family in and out of the city for cheap. We then take the train back to our car after the game and it is a short ride home. It makes for a long, but thrilling day when we finally get to see a hockey game.

 

Elgin Illinois furnace/heater installation

Making an itinerary for Fort Worth, Texas

After figuring out that the NCAA gymnastic championships were in Fort Worth, I immediately got on the horn and ordered tickets.

I have always wanted to see college gymnastics in person.

I really love the sport and I did it in school. Being able to watch it live will be so exciting. My husband isn’t too keen on tumbling. So I have booked us a trip that is fun for him too. Luckily Fort Worth, Texas has a bunch of things to do. There are distilleries, breweries, live music, and nightlife. There are great places to eat, parks, and hiking. I have made us quite the itinerary and I can’t be more excited. First, we are going to do the gymnastics championships on April 18th. Then the 19th will be where we do a beer tour, walk around a bit, and eat a good dinner. The 20th is the championship that we will see won. Then the 21st will be a spa day at our hotel. We will get massages, facials, and swim in the pool. Then we have one more day to explore the city and then fly home. Luckily the weather in Fort Worth in April will be very nice. We can get away with shorts and t-shirts. We can go swimming and even get a tan. My husband is excited that the hotel is swanky, luxurious and has good AC. I am excited by all the great things that we can do in Fort Worth as a couple. It will be an amazing trip.
Fort Worth Texas Air conditioner tune-up

Sioux Falls has a bit of everything

Anytime I want to do fun holiday themed events or see a professional sporting event, the drive is quick and easy

I am convinced that Sioux Falls is one of the best places to live. South Dakota sees all four seasons. I can’t imagine not having a white Christmas, seeing fall leaves change, spring flowers bloom, or a hot summer. How do some states go without? I like rotating my clothing from hot to cold. I enjoy that I can bundle up near the furnace for a few months and then lay out in a swimsuit and get a tan. It is the best of everything. Sioux Falls, SD is a really great place since there is so much to do. Those with kids really luck out. There is a toy factory, space golf, ax throwing, movie theaters, and escape rooms to just name a few fun things to do. The restaurants and bars are all unique and sell delicious food. I like that the big city is only a 45 minute drive. Anything you could possibly want is less than an hour away. I like that if I need HVAC, plumbing, or electric work, I have my pick of the crop. I try to stay local and hire only Sioux Falls, SD companies, but sometimes the price can’t be beat out of South Dakota. Anytime I want to do fun holiday themed events or see a professional sporting event, the drive is quick and easy. I have a really nice house with a good plot of land for not that much money. My place of work is a short drive as well. My husband and I are really happy that we ended up in Sioux Falls, SD.

 

 

Sioux Falls SD heater

Keeping our vacations within Florida

It was an amazing week-long trip

Since our son was born my husband and I can’t get away as much. We used to do two vacations a year with each other. One would be within the states and one would be overseas. We have been to Hawaii, Iceland, Denmark, and Ireland. Sadly our baby boy makes traveling so much harder. Now we stay within Florida for our travel. It is better to go by car than plane with our son. That way we can pack his car seat, stroller, tons of diapers, outfits, and get food at the local grocery store. It makes for a more relaxed trip. I have found that Florida offers a lot in the way of trips. We live in Jacksonville so we have quite a few options for fun. We have done Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine, and Tampa, Florida. Recently I booked a stay in St. Petersburg, Florida. That was a great trip. I found a swanky hotel that was right on the beach. We could literally step out our hotel door and be in the sand. Our son loved the ocean waves and crawling in the sand. What was nice is that the hotel offered a heated swimming pool too. So if I wanted a break from the salt, my son and I would do the pool. We took turns getting massages and facials as well. Then we ate at the hotel restaurants every night and slept in our suite. It was an amazing week-long trip. I kind of want to go back to St. Petersburg again rather than try a new spot.

 

St. Petersburg Florida HVAC technology

Found a spot in Lakeland to get married

Another bonus is that we don’t have to drive too far to get what we want

My husband and I live in Florida and we were looking for a place to get married. I started hunting around looking for locations nearby that were beautiful. I found that Lakeland Florida is a gorgeous spot. There is water, wildlife, and plants all over the place. It is low key, the weather is great, and it is so pretty. After looking around at what Lakeland Florida has to offer, I found that Hollis Garden was where I wanted to go. It offers lush greenery and florals that are the perfect backdrop to pictures. There are also places to host a large group of people or a small crow for a wedding. They have done weddings there before. What is great is that afterwards, Lakeland does offer a lot of options for bars and entertainment. There are plenty of places to stay as far as hotels, airbnbs, and condos. I am really confident that this is going to be the best location for my husband and I to get married in. It is beautiful, the weather will hold, and there are tons of accommodations. Even if we don’t get into the garden, I am happy to pick another location in Lakeland to host us. The spot offers so many diverse backdrops that will be just perfect. Another bonus is that we don’t have to drive too far to get what we want. I hate to ask my family to leave so far from home just to see us get married. It wouldn’t be worth it at all.

Lakeland FL heating and air conditioning

Beer-making dates and I hate beer

I have lived in Springfield, MO my whole life. There is quite a beer scene here. A lot of people try their hand out at making beer and there are a lot of breweries if you want a professional’s stock. Well, I don’t like beer. There, I said it. I think it looks and tastes like pee. I tried drinking a beer at a baseball game once and almost vomited. The smell and taste are just vile to me. I keep it quite close to the chest though. If people hear I don’t like beer they get all offended. Everyone wants me to try a specific beer. All beer tastes the same. Whether it is a local Springfield, MO brew or a tried and true beer, I hate them all. They all taste gross. Well, I recently went on a date and the guy took me to Show Me Brewing. It is a part of the Springfield beer experience. You can make your own craft of beer. You get paired with a brewmaster and they guide you through the process. You then were able to take your craft home. It was a very unique and cute date idea. But the guy loved beer and really was excited to make and try out everyone’s blend. I hate beer and at first tried to hide it. Then I had to let the cat out of the bag mid date and it was super awkward. How do you engage in cute date banter making beer when you hate it? You don’t. I didn’t get a second date with that guy.

 

heat pump install in Springfield MO

Jacksonville is so much better than the north

I lived up north my entire life. I was used to a cold season that lasted 8 months out of the year. It wasn’t unusual to deal with temperatures in the negative twenties. I scraped ice and snow off my car multiple times a day. It was just life. Now I live in Jacksonville Florida. It is so much different. First, the weather is night and day different. The heat is intense and lasts forever. It is nice that I can get a suntan during the freezing cold times in the north. It is nice never having to deal with snow and freezing temperatures. I don’t love the humidity though. Second, the people in Florida are just so much nicer. Everyone is friendly and has nothing to do. Nobody wants to work but nobody wants to rush either. Third, I adore that there are plenty of things to do for entertainment. Jacksonville offers a wide range of dining options from fine dining to fast food. There are arcades, shopping malls, ice rinks, bowling alleys, mini golf, you name it. There are plenty of businesses for services like dental, hair care, HVAC, plumbing, and electric. I always have a handy service within a few minutes drive. That is so much different from where I used to live. I will admit that I miss the cold. I never get to wear pants and a jacket anymore. The winter season just isn’t that bad. There are nights that I rely on my heating system, but they are few and far between.

 

geothermal heat pump in Jax Fl

South Bend had an impressive holiday display

About once a quarter my partner and I like to travel to a new state and see the sights.

We have it in our heads that we are going to see all fifty states. We have already taken down Hawaii and Alaska. The rest should be easy right? Well there are certain states that just don’t seem appealing to us. It is hard to get excited to go there. When I decided that this winter we would try out Indiana, my boyfriend wasn’t really pleased. What is there to do in Indiana? What are they known for? Well to make it fun, I booked us a trip during the holiday season. I figured up north must do Christmas the right way. They get snow after all. It was a good idea if I do say so myself. South Bend IN is where I landed on for us. They do a ton of holiday themed events and have an impressive light display. I booked us an airbnb right in town to see all the holiday stuff. We went shopping, drank cider, and looked at the lights. We got to experience snow and enjoy the holiday season. It was a really magical trip for us. South Bend probably wouldn’t be that fun if it was during the summer season. Even though they have milder summers, it wouldn’t be great just walking around with nothing to do. Holiday seasons are only fun with snow in my opinion. I am glad we got Indiana off our bucket list. It turned out to be a very nice trip.

heat pump service in South Bend IN

Moving to a better location

I lived up north my entire life and dealt with the snow.

  • I hated the severe cold, windchill, and getting feet of snow each year.

I spent most of my life pushing around a snow blower. I would chip ice off my windshield. It was so cold all the time. I just hated it. I then decided that enough was enough. I was going to move somewhere better. Somewhere a lot warmer. I then settled on the idea of moving somewhere south. I didn’t want to be in Texas or Florida where the heat is brutal. I found that Alabma had everything I could ever want. The heat there is reasonable and the winter season is mild. I would get enough to wear shorts in the summer and pants in the winter. I wouldn’t be sweating to death or freezing ever. Isn’t that great? I am happy that I chose to live in Tuscaloosa now that I am in Alabama. Is it a really known location? No and I am glad. The last thing I would want is to be in a big tourist trap. I also didn’t want to be in a huge city. I wanted enough things to do but a rural town feel. That is quintessential Tuscaloosa, AL. Now that I live with ideal weather 24/7, I can’t believe how long I lived up north. Life is too long to live in inferior weather conditions. I hated being cold and stuck indoors all day. Now I can enjoy my outdoor season. I can plant shrubs, flowers and maintain a vegetable garden in my Tuscaloosa home.

Tuscaloosa Alabama space heater