The rule of three

gillpolack warned me that quoting The Gas Man Cometh was tempting fate.

I was just surprised that the gas men had managed to solve our problem in two visits, since my experience is that they always require three: one to establish what the problem is, one to work out the solution, and one to return with the part needed to fix it. But the house was warming up nicely, so all seemed to be well. I went out yesterday evening for a pleasantly sociable meal with the Readers of the Lost Art to celebrate trinitywildcat's birthday, came back through flurries of snow to a cosy house, decided to defer swimming until Friday in the hope of not having to scrape ice off the car in the early morning, got up this morning planning to have a nice warm bath...

And thought "Hmm, this is a bit chilly."

So it's back to square one. British Gas say someone will be with us this afternoon, afternoon being between midday and six - and since we are due in Sunderland at six, I'm hoping for early rather than late (thoughts about afternoon baths, pleasures of, deleted to avoid tempting fate any further).