It may be an old-fashioned idea, but hell — it works.
Last year, I wrote about using my ancient electric blanket in my RV. As summer turned to autumn here in Washington State, where I’m camped out for just another two weeks, I put the blanket back on my bed.
Two days later, it died.
I kind of smelled some weird electric burning smell while I was sleeping. I have a very sensitive nose — which may be one reason why it’s above-average in size. (Once, when we lived in Queens, NY, I was awakened by the smell of a building fire that turned out to be 13 blocks away. Who needs smoke detectors?) The smell wasn’t enough to fully wake me up, but it was enough to flick the blanket’s control to off. The smell went away. The next night, the blanket refused to warm up.
I can’t complain. The damn thing was new in 1977. That makes it 34 years old. I think my parents, who bought it way back when, got their money’s worth out of it. The fact that it still worked this year is a minor miracle in my book. (How long do you think its likely made-in-China replacement will last?)
I mentioned the death of my electric blanket on Twitter and Facebook. I was roundly teased. I likely deserved it. Electric blankets aren’t exactly hip.
But I do want to explain why I will be replacing it — even though it’s something that most people think only “grannies” use.
The beauty of an electric blanket in my RV is simple.
I don’t run the heat at night. Its blower is very loud and it goes on and off all night. I wouldn’t get much sleep.
When I go to bed, the RV is usually at a nice, comfortable temperature — one good for a light blanket under my light comforter. But as the night progresses, it gets colder and colder. Sometimes down to the 40s. RV’s have amazingly crappy insulation, so whatever the temperature is outside at night, it’s pretty much the same temperature inside. As it gets colder and colder, my need for blankety warmth increases.
What am I supposed to do? Get up and put another blanket on the bed?
Of course not. I flick the switch and let the electric blanket do its thing. Its internal thermostat maintains a steady temperature, keeping me toasty warm all night.
This is the beauty of an electric blanket.
On very cold mornings, I’ll often get out of bed, turn on the heat, and then get back under that granny blanket until the rest of the RV is warmed up.
So yes, I will be replacing my ancient electric blanket. I’ll do it today.
The nights are getting cold now. It’s almost time for this snowbird to fly south for the winter.
Although the sky was clear in Port Angeles, we hit fog within 15 minutes of departure. The crew shooed all passengers away from the bow of the boat and we went inside. We filled in our immigration paperwork and found a comfortable place to sit. I was feeling more than a little queasy from the rocking of the boat, but that cleared up soon enough. So did the fog. We went back out on deck as we came into Victoria Harbor. A seaplane was just landing. It was another beautiful day.
First up was the 
We were pleased to learn that the building was open to the public and wasted no time exploring the public areas inside. The building, which was completed in 1898 and restored in 1973 is in magnificent condition, full of wonderful architectural touches. I picked up the self-guided tour booklet but didn’t really consult it much. It was nice to simply wander around, from room to room, although I do wish we’d taken the guided tour.
At 4 PM, we headed back to the Empress for tea. Despite our shabby appearance — I was wearing my usual henley t-shirt and jeans and Mike was similarly dressed — they sat us at a table by the window where we could look out at the harbor and watch the people go by. We started with a pair of champagne cocktails. Our waiter was excellent, recommending a tea that suited both of our tastes — I prefer mine without milk; Mike floods his with milk. Then he brought the customary three-tiered plate of goodies, including sandwiches, scones, and sweet treats. I’ve had afternoon tea about a half dozen times and this one was, by far, the best. Highly recommended.