BUNK HEATER FAILS / RESISTING IDLING

For the past 3 nights, I've been sleeping a little chillier than usual. For unknown reasons, my idle-free heater quit working. 

   Nighttime temperatures have ranged from 30° to 18° at the places I've parked recently. 

  Not idling my truck is a challenge that I take vigorously. Schneider says each hour of idling consumes about a gallon of diesel; I think it's closer to 0.8 gallons. at current fuel prices, I figure a night of idling however is just over $20. I'd rather spend that money on a hot breakfast. My business, bank accounts & wallet are healthy, but I still like to practice competitive thrift. I will take my truck to a dealership to have the unit fixed whenever a natural opportunity arises.

    In an effort to mitigate the thermal discomfort at night, I bought a $99 mattress heater pad. The price surprised me, since I had bought one for less than $50 about 10 years ago. But, after five nights of use, it will justify the cost. 

   My first night using the mattress heater pad wasn't as cozy as expected. I was in Effingham Illinois and The nighttime temperature hovered around 30°. On the second night, in Breezewood Pennsylvania, I decided to make and improvised small tent out of my extra comforter. This did the trick. A guy can build almost anything when zip ties and wood clamps are involved. Ha ha. Last night, I did okay, although my feet got extra cold. Wool socks are now on my shopping list. The temperature got down to 18° here in Wilton New York. Before getting out of bed this morning, I pulled my phone in from the desk to check email. The frigid phone instantly got covered in condensation from my breath. Getting myself out of bed to change into daytime clothes took an act of deliberate intention. I rewarded myself with a hot satisfying breakfast in the nearby cafe. 

    Yesterday, I occurred to me that I can stay in motels with minimal impact to my budget - as those tax-deductible expedatures can offset what I usually set aside to pay the "gooberment." I still have so much of the company-driver mindset when it comes to so many things. It takes a while for some of us to recognize the freedom & benefits that come with being owner-operators.