update

we got warm last night around 6:30pm. my brother was correct and it was a small ceramic glow part for the ignition. i was able to replace it easily (with the power and gas off mind you) and the furnace clicked on without issue.

we kept it on for about 4hrs to warm things up.

in the end, it cost $20 without having to pay for the service. i guess i owe my brother a good bottle of scotch. the house got as cold as 51 deg. in the dining room where the thermostat is, but i am positive it was probably below 50 in the kitchen and back office as they are uninsulated. did i mention it's a 1890's house?

also, sausage making was a hit. eventhough we still ended up with our screaming lady during carolling - yes, someone screaming - "SHUT UP EVERYONE! WE'RE DOING 12 DAYS NOW - COUNT OF 2 BY 2." and it's 50 older adults in the crowd. you wonder why i'm so f'ed up sometime. she used to babysit me.

and yes, i did mix in my own flavor to the sausage, replacing the 10 year old pepper with fresh ground peppercorn. we also did a final batch, not for everyone elses consumption that was 2/3rd pork and 1/3 beef and instead of just salt, we used garlic salt with little pieces of roasted garlic in it. we added about 1 cup of ground onion and some red pepper to the mix also. that was split amonst the final three preparers. if anyone wants to try some, i have it in the freezer.

i got a new battery for my pedometer too.

and the holiday madness is here.