I got up yesterday  morning and got ready for work like usual.

You know – the mad dash to get myself showered, wake the boys, slap a little makeup on, wake the boys again, throw a fast yet reasonably nutritious breakfast out for them, yell at the boys to frickin get dressed already (!), blow dry my hair, find something in my painfully sad and bland closet to wear that matches and is comfortable (cause I’m at that age where comfort is now King – sigh), threaten the boys lives if they don’t hurry up, insist that “yes” they do HAVE to brush their teeth, and get their hair into a reasonable style.

And as we’re heading back downstairs for boots, coast, hats, gloves and backpacks, I notice “sheesh – it’s cold in here today”.  “Here” being our house.

But I did just come back from a week on the beach.  And we do live in Canada.  Perhaps I was just getting re-climatized?  Maybe a cold spell blew into town during the night?

So I turn the furnace up a degree or two because it was one of the days that my Mom (known affectionately as  “Gramma” to our entire neighbourhood) comes over to get the boys for lunch and after school and so I want to warm the house up for her.  Cause I’m thoughtful like that.

But when she arrives mid-morning I get a call at work . . .

Gramma:  I don’t think your furnace is working.

Me:  What?  Are you serious?

Gramma: Yeah, it’s colder in here that it is outside!

Me:  awww – crap!  I did think it was a bit chilly in there this morning.

Gramma:  Your thermostat shows that it’s only 16 degrees in here even though the furnace is set for 21.

Me:  CRAP!

So now I’m quickly thinking how I can get a repair guy there asap before we end up with an ice rink INSIDE the house.  And how much, exactly, it’s going to cost.  Because – hello! – just came back from vacation.

So off Gramma goes to investigate.  Furnace is definitely not coming on.  Breaker is fine.  Hydro is okay.  We just had the damn thing cleaned/service a few months ago.  WTH?!

Then Gramma spots the problem.

A large, hand-cuffed, stuffed monkey wearing Star Wars pajamas was hanging from the furnace on/off switch on the wall.  Who clearly had been part of the Super Heroes games the evening before.  Obviously said monkey had committed some heinous crime that required the hand-cuffing and hanging.  Which had inadvertently turned of the furnace.

Gramma released the imprisoned monkey and turn the furnace switch back on.

Problem solved.

Heat resumed.

Crisis averted.

Boys in trouble.