I hit the finish tape, finally. I just completed the last ugly, cold winter living way up north. The battle with brutal winters is officially over. Maybe it’s the fact that I am getting older and fighting the winter cold is just getting to me. The furnace was my best friend during those long cold winter months. When I did get out, I did my best to find the fun in winter. Skiing was good but, that was about it for winter outdoor fun. There just really isn’t one thing about the cold that I will ever miss. I can even do without the snow covered Christmas. Plus, I can kiss goodbye those staggering heating costs that the winter weather produces. I have a new best friend. That would be the HVAC heat pump. Our move to the South occurred during the spring, so I am now free of ever shoveling snow. Now, there is a tradeoff. The summer is really hot but, I’ll take that over 7 months of cold weather. The heat pump has done a superior job of keeping us cool thus far. Our utility bill is still far less than it would have been spent heating a house for the winter. That’s a trade off I will agree to just about anytime. The summer has its downside with the heat. There are times, during the peak heating hours of the day, where it’s best to be inside in the HVAC cooling. However, that only lasts like four months. And then, it’s the best weather that I have ever experienced. Don’t even get me started about all the sun.