My roommate and I can literally see our breath while standing in our living room. It’s become somewhat of an evening pastime, watching each other blow streams of steam from our mouths. We each have space heaters in our rooms, but why heat the living room when it will cost us an arm and a leg, right?

Plus, this state of affairs has its decided benefits. Namely, the whole living room can be used as a refrigerator.

When I came home from Costco the other day, there was no space in the fridge for my two loaves of bread, box of reheatable steamed buns, and crate of grapefruit in the fridge. But not to worry. I deposited all of those items on the futon in the living room. (It’s not like an actual human would want to recline there in the current sub-zero temperatures.)

I thought my roommate might say something about the herd of grapefruits I had left to greet her when she got home, but she completely understood. It was the practical thing to do.