Thermal

​Thermal
It is not often I feel at a loss for words, but I am feeling fairly close right now.  It was Merrils turn to pick the word at random from the dictionary.  The word her finger fell on was “thermal.  As it were not exactly a hot topic here.  That was my attempt at humour.  Get it.  Hot topic – thermal.  Oh well, moving right along.
Probably thermal would mean more in a colder climate.  Some nights though I am thankful for the reverse cycle air conditioner.  There has to be something thermal happening there.
We had to get carpet for an office.  We found out it needed to be heat resistant to resist burning.  That reduced options on what was available big time.  Seems weird to me though.  A shop can sell me a carpet that can see me consumed by flames at home, but offices have a standard that needs to be met.  Why not only sell carpet that is heat resistant?  Still, it is not the sort of cause I want to dedicate the rest of my life to.  But it still seems weird.
Maybe if I needed underfoot heating in our home, thermal might mean more to me.  In some places to be caught outside for too long without the appropriate thermal gear means end of story.
Here though I want the iron to heat up and the kettle to boil and I like warm showers.  We had no heating for showers over the week end though.  No problem.  A boy shower will do it.  Deodorant does wonders.
Being from Townsville I thought this place was really cold when I first got here.  But I have gotten used to it.  Up to a point.  There are times I rug up big time.  Others ask, “are you cold?”  To which I reply, “not any more.”  There are some though that get about with a normal shirt on and thongs while most are wearing jumpers and are rugged up to the hilt.  Just doesn’t seem right.
Maybe if I lived within sight of a volcano thermal would mean more to me than collecting pretty pictures of molten lava.  I have seen what the slow progress of it can do.  No wonder they are called rivers of lava.  Thankfully I have only ever been a spectator and not a participant.
I did visit lava tubes in North Queensland.  The lava was long gone.
I have started a few fires in my time though (please do not tell any tv stations looking for fillers in programs.  So easily my life could be changed for the worse.)  One I started was in bushland and needed the fire brigade to attend to it three times.  When I saw what I had done I asked could I go visit a mate to escape the scene.  Permission was not granted though.
These days my fires are confined to my fire pit.  Unless I am watching the ones the neighbour lights.  I reckon if man ever makes it to Mars they will report seeing a glow from southern Queensland.
Thermal really does not mean a lot to me but please excuse me while I check I have not left the iron on.