Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Today I woke up and it was winter. Actually, I felt it coming on all through the night as the wind whipped tree branches against the side of the building and I had to burrow deeper and deeper into my nest of blankets. I have realized afresh how my conception of cold does not align with most of the population. I've learned that most households keep their thermostat at around 70 degrees in the winter. Some people even dare to drop to 68. This is not how I was raised. We were like a family of house-cats all seeking the warmest spot and turning the heat up to a temperature that would stifle most Mid-westerners. My parents' electric bills must have been obscene. I never thought about bills, I just wanted to be warm.

Now that I have to pay the bills, I am trying to adjust to life in an igloo. But in the mornings, when my resistance is low, I still sneak into the hall and turn the thermostat up to 75 degrees. Even that's not really warm enough. I wear sweaters all the time now, and fuzzy slippers. I sleep with a comforter, a quilt and another down comforter on my bed. But I'm still cold and am looking into getting an electric blanket. Now if only I could find an electric jumpsuit to keep me warm during the daytime.