Wednesday, July 16, 2014

On staying awake and staying cool

I had quite the hangover yesterday from the oxycodone and Benadryl I had taken the night before, causing Diane to say I looked like I was ready for a nap and I should stay in their central-air-conditioned haven a little more.

But I had basically just gotten up, and although I wanted to stay, I also wanted to get home.

A three-shot cappuccino from Starbucks did the trick, and I got home with no problem.

We have both turned into our mother in different ways, and I heard my mother's voice in Diane's when she said, "Turn on the air conditioners!" She has talked to me on the phone when I have been lying on my couch sweltering because I don't want to turn the room air conditioners on. I dislike their noise and I dislike the electric bill.

Joe turns it on, I turn it off, and around we go. Diane is right that it probably costs more to turn it on and off than to just let it be.

Sometimes I leave the lights off in the living room because we mostly live in the other part of the house. This creates a kind of black hole. My mother liked having a lot of lights on. It definitely creates a more warm, homey atmosphere.

"Turn on the damn lights!" she would say. "I don't care about the electric bill!"

Probably the small amount extra to turn on a couple of lights does not impact my global footprint or my electric bill. So sometimes when I go in to turn those lights on, I say to whichever child is around, "I'm turning on the lights for grandma."

I should turn on the air conditioners for myself, before I melt.


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