I mentioned that I’ve been (involuntarily) unemployed for a year now.  That means I don’t have a lot of $$ coming in.

However, the hubby is still gainfully employed and helpfully paying all the bills.   Which means he keeps a hawk eye on the money he’s spending.  While this is plenty convenient in many ways, it has spawned one small, ongoing marital battle during this uncommonly and painfully long winter we’ve been forced to endure here in Lawrence, Kansas.

When we bought this house, one of the very first things I fell in love with was the gas-powered fireplace in the front living area.  Our kitchen, dining and living areas are one big, open space, and the fireplace makes the whole area SO nice and cozy when it’s cold.  There’s nothing I like better on the coldest of nights than sitting on my couch with a glass of red wine, with the fireplace going.  Absolute nirvana!

When the first big snowstorm hit us the day before Christmas, it was only fitting that I turned the fireplace on. After all, we WERE snowed in. And then the weather stayed cold, the snow hung around, more snow and ice came. . . In short, the cold hung on relentlessly.

I don’t do well with cold weather. It ruins my mood. And I’m already kind of moody, so that’s not good. My one solace while winter was slapping me upside the head was my fireplace. It created a cocoon of warmth, allowing me to . . . well, not exactly forget the cold. But at least ignore it temporarily.

Well. They say all good things come to an end. And this one came to a screeching halt about mid-January.

Sebastian had begun to voice a sneaking suspicion that our gas fireplace was driving up our gas bill during the winter months. He has a couple of buddies who work for the gas company, and he decided to run that theory by his buddies. These guys told him that running the gas fireplace does indeed hike up the gas bill.  These guys told him we should only use the fireplace sparingly.  This seems a little counter-intuitive to me.  If you work for the gas company, shouldn’t you be encouraging folks to buy MORE of your product and not LESS of it?

How smug is a husband with a little ammunition for his argument? Don’t even ask. Sebastian presented the testimonials of his buddies to me, and went on a little about how high the first winter gas bill was. Yawn.

Ultimately, he drew his line in the sand. He explained that HE pays the gas bill, so he gets to call this particular shot.  I suppose he has a point, but I won’t ever admit it to him.  I’ll lie quietly in wait.  Then, as soon as I start to bring in some real money, I’m taking over the gas bill. In the meantime, I’ve backed off. Mostly because it’s March and spring is around the corner . . . at least it better be.

Sebastian has (temporarily) won this battle. But, loyal readers, rest assured that I will inevitably win the war. It’s one of the things I do best!

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