Storm Claims 46 +1

An “unprecedented” winter storm past through our area this past week. That’s what the NWS has claimed it to be. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost power from the Midwest to the northeast. As of Tuesday morning, 46 people have lost their lives due to the storm.
Well, +1.
See, it’s not just cold. It’s damn cold. To cold for the kids to go to school cold, and my dogs (aptly referred to as “pup-sicles”) are waiting until the very last minute before heading outside – not that I blame them.
Inside, the children and I are wearing sweats with a jacket, heavy socks with slippers and watch tv with a blanket. Why? Because my husband likes it cold. We’ve had to reach a pre-marital compromise on the heating situation in our house. I kid you not.
For example, before we were married, I had to call him and let him know I was on my way (he lived an hour away from me) so that he could turn up the heat – or I wouldn’t come to his house. All the guys referred to his house as “the lodge” where they all gathered to hunt, fish or whatever. There are stories of having waken in the morning only to see their breathe it was so cold in the house! My hubby takes these stories all in stride. He likes it cold.
However, for the past 18 months we had a bird (caught the word “had” did ya!?!). Birds like it warm. Now to be fair, I haven’t had real good luck with animals of the aviary persuasion, but Taffy has been a trooper and had been my diehard (get it?!?!? Sorry – I’m in mourning) guinea pig while I learned the ways of the bird. Anyway, Taffy had been doing fine – and I’d been keeping a close eye on him for a week now looking for any sign of illness. He’d been great. Singing up a storm. I looked for signs of stress that never produced. He was fine. Hubby went to uncover his cage this morning and found him.
Now I know I’m not a vet and we’re not gonna have an autopsy done on a parakeet but we all kind of figure it’s hubby’s fault – course now he says that if it was to cold we should have turned up the heat. YS took it better than we thought, DD stated referring to hubby as the “BM” of the house (bird-murderer she claims) and I’m just thinking I’ll stick to dogs…and fish….oh! and the turtles are still alive too!