ELECTRIC BLANKET

What a wonderful invention! It keeps you warm during those cold cold winter nights, uses very minimal power, cheap to buy, and provide something very valuable even money can't buy: a cosy night's sleep. Of course, I'm referring to the ELECTRIC BLANKET!!!

Going through my 12th winter here, I just realised how much comfort this thin flat piece of material and bits of wires can provide. Can't believe how come I didn't buy this wonderful invention sooner! I suppose I haven't really needed an electric blankets in the past as houses that I've lived in in the past have been quite warm and the winters haven't been as cold as this year's or other obvious reasons.

In the last few weeks, I've been woken up in the wee hours of the morning feeling so cold that I'm unable to go back to sleep, (hate it when my xxx dreams are interrupted, hahaha). So, started my quest for the perfect heating solution. Of course not everything is as straight forward as it should have been. I started to think that since I'm going have heating, I might as well go for something that would be able to warm up the different rooms that I'm going to be in and easy to move around the house.

There are so many different types of heaters available out there that it became a BIG research project for me. There's the fan heater, convector heater, gas heaters, oil column heaters blah blah blah, the list just keeps going on and on. Since a lot of people have been recommending oil column heaters to me, I decided to give it a go.

Monday, bought a 9 fin column heater. Tried it in the lounge, waited waited and waited for it warm up the whole room. I think I'll be waiting till summer at this rate. I think I was expecting too much from this poor little machine. I was hoping to be walking around the house in my boxer shorts and either singlet or T-shirt while watching TV. How wrong can I be. I doubt that it even warmed up the surrounding areas. I think I felt more warmth (and even broke a sweat) from lugging this thing up from the garage to my lounge and taking it out from the box! Not light you know...

Tuesday, returned it! Hahaha.... I think may be I should have given it another chance given my unrealistic expectations. However, I wanted instant results... Surprise! I exchanged it for an electric blanket! Even for e blankets, there are so many sub-choices to make. Do I want 2 switches? a gazillion heat settings? fleece? sizes? feet warmers? fitted or tied down? In the end, I thought since this is a trial run, I'll just grab whatever that's on the shelf in the big red shed that we all fondly know as The Warehouse. What a bargain! Half the price of the heater some more.

They were having a 20% sale for all electric blankets so must be my lucky day. When I got home, I decided to change the sheets of the whole bed to really be able to indulge in the "experience". Fixing the electric blanket onto the bed was a mission as the strings have to go all around and underneath the mattress. One by one, got it all tied up. Deciding where the switch should be. Then, there's the deciding which duvet case, pillow cases to use and changing the duvet case.... Phew! (hot already, no need blanket hahaha...) After all the mucking around, it is all set up! Fresh crisp luxurious sheets, big cuddly pillows and puffed up feather down duvet.... my intention to create the ultimate sleeping experience is almost done. And FLICK!

Straight away set it onto the highest setting available. Hop onto the bed immediately to see if can feel the heat... chee sin one. Of course can't feel it so fast but I thought I'll try anyway, can't resist the bed. Left it turned on then went to downstairs to continue watching my canto drama. All the while, was hoping there's no fire engulfing my bed upstairs.... hahahaha... touch wood.

Judgement time has come, feeling anxious, slipped my hand under the covers... OMG!!!! The bed is warm!!!! Wasting no time, immediately hopped into it! So nice, so warm, so comfy, so cosy, BLISS!

Flick, turn off blanket and zzz... zzz... zzz... zzz.... zzzz.... zzzz.... zzz... zzz... zzzz... (too much zzz?????) GREAT!


P/s: 2nd night, I forgot to turn it off (on full power) last night and fell asleep... lucky, I didn't get roasted, or worse, char-grilled. Gosh, so hot... have to get the hang of this.... my latest toy :)

P/s/s: Do you think I can wrap one around myself while it's turned on to watch TV on the sofa? or even just pop outside for a ciggie? Believe me, if it's not so difficult to set up or take it off the bed, I would have tried by now :)

Nite nite!