This probably isn't big news in Darfur, but the price of lobsters here in Rhode Island is going through the roof. That is if you still have a roof. We had this big storm last night and the wind was howling and Jim Cantore was out there with his army of fans and those million dollar summer homes down the street took a good hit.

It hasn't been easy for us bobos in paradise.

Donna and I were going to have lobsters tonight. She's on vacation. Something good happened yesterday and we wanted to celebrate. So we said, " Let's get some lobsters. "

Easier said than done. The seafood place we went to to get them was closed. OK we said. We'll get them tomorrow. Maybe not. There was a story in the Times today. Dateline Providence, Rhode Island. Its headline:

Lobster Elusive, and Price Exclusive, as Harvest Suffers

They're blaming the cold. April, that cruelest of months. T.S. Eliot hated April. Loved lobster. But as a struggling writer, couldn't afford it. Actually I don't know that. Maybe he could. Maybe he could afford those Twin Lobster specials at whatever pub he frequented.

Speaking of which. Twin lobsters. How do they know? How do they know the pair are actually twins? The suckers all look alike to me.

Where the hell was I?

LobsterLand. The south coast of Rhode Island. Which took such a hit from this Nor'easter. It's been colder than the chrome on a witch's 55 Chevy down here. April? You call this April? When I was a kid the first day of the month was set aside for the fools. Now it's every fookin' day of the month mocking those of us who haven't sold our homes and moved to Fort Myers.

The Times story today reported that lobsters have rarely been as scarce and expensive as they have been for the past few weeks. The retail price is about $15 a pound for a one pound lobster. That's twice what we fools paid last year at this time.

Why? The experts say that a pattern of strong northwest winds has made it difficult for the guys who man the lobster boats to head out to sea. Unseasonably cold weather this spring has lowered ocean temperatures by about six degrees, much too chilly for lobsters to want to feed on the bait the lobstermen toss into their traps.

So. Donna and I were planning on eating lobsters this week. Maybe we won't. Enough is enough. The price is too high.

Anyone out there know what they're asking for cavier this week?