Raleigh was not spared the arctic air parked over the east coast these past few days. As the saner among us cranked up their thermostats, the NC Drydens remain in the throes of a two year display of our profound hardiness.
It began October 2007 with a challenge: how long can we go without turning on the furnace this winter? It ended with Paul away on business, sleeping comfortably in a temperate hotel room, and Kate wiping her condensed breath from the home thermostat registering at 57 degrees.
We made it deep into December, and someone (who shall remain unnamed) noticed a corresponding decrease in monthly gas bills from $160 the same month last year to less than $70. Call it rationalizing if you will, but can it be coincidence that we became the picture of winter health when we breathed less warmed air forced through the ventilation system?
So this year we've held firm at 60 degrees (dropping below only briefly to demonstrate a point). It can seem odd when it feels colder inside than out, but one might be surprised how quickly one feels normal bundled in scarves, fleeces, and wool socks in one's own house.
We gutted it out through this wintry week, watching the outside air drop to 9 degrees. Coming inside from that sort of extreme, believe me that 60 degrees is downright balmy. But please forgive any grammatical errors in this posting as it proves most difficult typing on a keyboard while wearing wool mittens.
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