I admit it, I'm cranky as all get out right now. This heat just gets me down because it is impossible to do anything outside and it turns me surly.
And all day I've been staring at my stinking, hot monitor with fans blowing all over the place. And I don't like it because I would rather be outside playing, but I can't because it is just too damn hot.
Thing is, I have three window ACs---two of which sit in a closet unused. One is meant for the bedroom but when I moved my very heavy iron and solid cherry bed in, I placed it badly. Mrs. TVB and I have talked and talked about moving it but it weighs about 8000 brazillion tons. Until that happens, I refuse to put an AC unit in there because I don't want the damn thing blowing on me all night.
It's not the bedroom however that is driving me nuts because it is fine with spill over from the living room AC unit. I keep that one going mostly for my pets as I spend little time in there but that is where they spend the day.
It's my office and my neighbors that are bugging me.
My office area is like a greenhouse with eastern and southern exposure. It has great light with lots of windows and damn it right now...a sunroof ceiling. I imagine my perennials will be quite happy over-wintering in it this year. I put curtains on these windows but because I really like the light and there are no privacy issues I hate using them; I love sunshine and light. It's a trade-off I chose to make but never expected temps in the 112 degree range.
So what is my problem...you are probably asking yourself that question right now as I stare at the two unused units in the closet. I'll make it even crazier---I don't pay for electricity. I'm supposed to but the landlord did a whole bunch of electric work in here before I moved in and never got a stinking permit for it so the power company won't install the meter because the place hasn't been inspected. Don't get me wrong on this...it's a nice place but they kind of fucked up. I tried to have it installed but nope...no permit, no meter. I stopped trying sometime in the spring---screw em at this point. If he can't play by the rules, the part of my lease requiring me to get electric in my name is null and void and they know it so I coast on it. My problem is that putting in another inefficient AC unit and contributing to more greenhouse effect through electricity usage.
I am having serious questions run through my mind as I stare at the unused AC units. Is it more fair to me to try and cool this office area that is quite comfortable 99% of the time because I don't want to contribute to any further global warming while putting up with the heat or should I stop being a fucking martyr and stop worrying about the planet. I'm having a serious quandary about it.
Comfort or global warming? It won't be an easy place to cool due to it's construction and will likely use more power for a smaller space than my living room unit that I use for the pets. Is it fair to put another load on the electric grid at a time like this when I can deal with it most of the time? I know that once I put that unit in there, I'm going to use it out of convenience just like I use my fans but am I more important than the earth?
My other bitch (which is really what set this diary into motion) is my downstairs neighbor. I live above a small take-out deli that only does breakfast and lunch. Great neighbors for the most part but very irresponsible. As I struggle with the effects of burning up the atmosphere by trying to reduce my energy usage, they waste it big time by leaving their SUVs running while parked. The wife is particularly bad with her Jeep Cherokee. The biggest problem I have with this is that it is right below the aforementioned hot office and so much heat comes off that ugly gas hog and into my space. Of course, they are also being selfish with their gas usage and thinking only of themselves. I'm not talking about 5 minutes but an hour or more the times I've witnessed it. I've held my tongue thus far but I don't know if I can any more because it's really starting to piss me off. This is not a new thing as they did it over the winter too. I'm torn between losing it (because I know if I open my mouth I will say things I regret) or just opening the car door and turning the damn thing off. Stealing the fucking SUV has also crossed my mind. I wouldn't take it far...maybe just across town and only to make a point but as an adult, I know that it doesn't help the big picture. What I really want to do is ask them if they give a damn about their grandkids because it is obvious they are so selfish on gas usage. I'd also like to remind them that it doesn't take a brain surgeon to know that heat rises and moves around the easiest paths it can find...like into my office. But I am too chicken in the name of trying to be a friendly neighbor and not currying anger from my neighbors.
In the meantime, use this as an open diary to share your methods of staying cool. I actually salt my water just a tad to help keep my electrolytes in balance. Heat stress led me into an adrenal crisis due to CAH and put me into the hospital just over a year ago and then into bankruptcy last September. My problem is my body will not hold salt so I must make sure to consume lots on torrid days like today. It helps everyone too...trust me on that. Vitamin Water does good but check the ingredient list before you consume one of the off brands...there is also some nasty crap for sale out there (but Vitamin Water brand is good I think and helps me greatly).