So, the heat is broken in my apartment…the landlord and I are hoping it’s the thermostat and not the furnace itself, because it would suck if she needs to replace the whole furnace.  I realized the heat was broken when I woke up to 48 degrees in the apartment, and since then it has gotten steadily colder – right now, it’s 42 degrees in most of the house, colder in the bathroom, and warmer in the music room where I have set up a borrowed heater (hopefully my instruments, and the rest of the apartment, will not catch on fire). The first night after I realized the heat was broken, I stayed at a friend’s house at which there was an impromtu slumber party, which was actually a lot of fun though unexpected (at least by me).  When I realized it was only getting into the 40’s in the apartment, I decided to go home the second night.  My landlord loaned me an electric heater, and I barricaded myself and my little girl in the music room, with my extra futon set up as a bed…Andre joined me for moral support.  We set up every candle I could find around the room, and it actually got rather toasty in there…I mean, I’ve slept in a tent in the freezing cold with only a sleeping bag and body heat to keep me warm, so as long as I wasn’t in danger of hypothermia, I wasn’t too worried about how cold it was.  Chuie (dog) doesn’t seem too thrilled with what’s going on, what with first being subjected to a roomful of 20-somethings in a strange house and then being locked in the music room, although, as always, she found the ‘key’ and was able to move back and forth between unheated apartment and semi-heated music room.I played my new low D tin whistle by candlelight, and it’s starting to sound like an instrument…it’s significantly harder to play than the normal, high D whistle.  The wholes are bigger and farther apart, and the airstream is touchier…I’m starting to learn how to breathe while playing it, which will help with phrasing, etc.  The first day I got it I played and played until my hands hurt…I think another few days like that and I’ll have the knack of it :) .