so very cold.....

ok, so the electric bill came on friday.....the largest single utility bill ever received in this household.....impressive when one considers that this house is kept at a toasty 65 degrees.....the electric company people wisely included stats along with the monetary request....seems that the average temperature was 20 degrees colder this year than last.....but still.....these chumps must surely have raised their rates to achieve such a dramatic increase in the final tally......but we are managing to stay warm in our own ways.....i have taken a cue from my spouse and am wearing a hat along with my down vest as i sip coffee and type away......and i check to make sure that there are no open doors or windows......i have arrived home to find the storm door actually open.....seems our youngest was unaware that it doesn't close itself.....i can only imagine what sort of bill arrived at the large older homes on lexington or maple avenues.....in comparison, we are fully insulated and have newish windows......go figure.......i do draw the line at wearing mittens in my own home.....things are not so dire that we cnanot pay the bill.....at work last week a workmmate got a call from her spouse about their electric bill which was double the one we got..turns out they had taken to smoking out the back door...and when one adds up how many times one opens the back door to smoke after work and into the night, and then before work....it could easily add up to significant heat loss....not even counting the cost of the cigarettes...i suppose i add that last detail because it is usually smokers who ask me how i can afford to travel...as if they had no clue that their habits adds up to a fairly sizable vacation ..and in their income bracket and by the tears in her eyes it was clear that sacrifice was necessary for them to pay-up......yikes....