Since summer started (which starts mid-May for me, since the conditioning of summer vacation for 20 years of my life), Mother Nature has maintained a pretty pleasant temperature. A few showers here and there, a couple humid days in between. All in all, I can't complain. Until now.
Last week, meteorologists explained we'd be reaching the mid- to upper-80s. That's great for all you central air folk, and perpetual beach junkies; but what about us full-time cube dwellers? We're forced to wear business casual -- Or, here, jeans, as compensation for all the economy business causing us to get pay cuts and lose our 401K matching).
No problem. They've got AC, you say? That's right. I'll deal with walking to and from the car. nbd.
BUTWAITDERSMORE.
It's not so much going to work that bugs me. In fact, I don't mind because I'm getting paid to sit in air conditioning all day. The problem is, when I have to head home.
As mentioned before, most of you know I live in an upper unit apartment in a very, very old house. Without air conditioning.
Last year, I bit the bullet and bought a cheap AC unit, to use when Lucifer decides to vacation in SE Wisconsin a few times each summer. It's been a godsend.
Problem is, the heat started Monday morning ... and I didn't get a chance to set up the unit until Monday afternoon. I cranked it on high until going to bed, hoping it'd at least cool my bedroom a few degrees. The thing rattles like someone beat it with a sledgehammer, so I decided to turn it off before falling asleep.
Terrible, terrible idea.
I woke up at least three times, drenched in sweat. Then I got out of bed in the morning pissed off at the world for being so EFFING HOT. I didn't want coffee. I didn't want eggs. I didn't want anything having anything to do with warm. I didn't even want to shower unless the water felt like icicles.
Tuesday: I go to work, come home and turn the AC on. I put up a sheet between my kitchen and living room.
The cold air comes from my bedroom, and some will make it into the living room; but in order to cool my kitchen, it would have to go through the living room and front hallway first. That's a lost cause, making my bathroom and kitchen unbearably hot. For some reason, all of the heat from the day is not only trapped in that insulated box of a room, the oven/stove puts out some kind of ridiculous heat from the pilot light. (I checked repeatedly, all the knobs are set to "off." And yeah, it's probably not safe.) Yesterday my kitchen and bathroom sat at about a balmy 120 degrees. I'm not exaggerating.
Anywho, I stick to the BR and living room as my main areas. Don't get me wrong, it's still about 75-80, but some of the humidity gets eaten up with the cold air.
I slept with the AC on all night. The rattling didn't even bother me, because I knew my internal body temperature wasn't rising above 100 degrees. In fact, after awhile the rattling turned into white noise, and seemed to lull me to sleep.
Another great thing? I don't pay for electricity. That means the AC can run without any financial consequences. Of course, I still limit use to days when the dew point matches the temperature, and the temperature's above 80 degrees.
3 comments:
My last house in college didn't have AC.. Infact, none of them really did.
I shiver at the thought, I'll never go back to that twisted world. Waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat... It has to be the closest feeling to hell.
I feel your pain, sista.
I also live in an upper unit apartment. Only, our AC isn't in our bedroom, it's in our living room. I WISH it was in our bedroom. And sharing a bed with a warm, sweaty, 6'4'', 180 lb man, does not make for a cool room.
kudos on the picture. made me lol. I want to see a "WE ALL DIE" graphic the next time someone does weather.
Also, if you have unlimited electricity, I would just get a bunch of AC's off of CL and plug them all in.
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