So, after having a gaping hole in the side of the house, and temperatures diving, I appreciate the progress that has been made in home construction.  The holes were not part of some disaster, but rather, a construction project.  Cardboard and plastic is no replacement for siding, wood, insulation, and drywall when it is 20(F) degrees out.  I am thankful everything was closed up before it got down to 8 last night and -10 in a few days.  I would like to think I could survive a few hundred years ago without all of the fancy home building materials, but knowing what I know, it would suck.