No, I haven’t returned to any long-discarded bad habits. But I did manage to smoke up the house a bit tonight.

The night turned cold, so we decided that a fire would be in order. Only I wasn’t really tending to the fire very well. I started it in a pretty haphazard fashion–in fact, I’m pretty sure at one point I was piling kindling with one hand while holding a slice of pizza in the other. Once I got the fire started, I really didn’t give it the care it required to get it blazing. I just left it to smolder along, while I went about my business.

Did I mention the wind? We’ve got something like 25 mile per hour gusts tonight.

So, what do you get when you have a less-than-roaring fire, a chimney without a cap, and really strong winds?

Smoke in the house.

It took me three really good downdrafts before I gave the fire what it needed to get it blazing.

I am absolutely certain there’s a really powerful moral to this story. I think I’ll leave it to you, though, to fan those flames of wisdom and insight.

Me? I’m going to go get my book now and in read in front of the fire.