Freezing My Ass Off in June
I came in to work this morning to a cold office. Cold, cold, cold.
Now, I work in a house that is divided up into a couple of businesses - one of which is a computer company. Apparently, because of the equipment, the air conditioning must be kept on at all times.
I am freezing, however, so I've at least opened a window in my office (closing the door to the rest of the house, of course) to let out a little cold and let in a little heat of summer.
Don't believe me? This is what I'm wearing right this second from skin outward: black cotton boycut underwear and black stretch cotton bra (both are warm weather wear - the black is psychological insulation), black linen pants and a black sleeveless undershit, black & white polka dot nylon shirt, a red cashmere sweater, a white spring coat (never again, I need the black to attract the sun instead of the dirt), sandals.
The sandals are the flaw, I know that now. I need those thick wool work socks and shoes to insulate my feet. Oh - and a toque to keep all the heat from escaping out the top of my head.
As I said, I'm freezing, so to warm up, I decided to do some work-related errands - outside. I went to the Post Office - cold, a Bridgehead to order office coffee - colder, and a Loebs - so cold I had to go back to the office and retrieve my springcoat (which I normally just wear while sitting at my desk) so I could buy something to microwave for my lunch - although I'd just as soon use the oven to even out the temperature in the office a bit.
In the end, instead of going back to Loeb's, I went to a little cafe and bought a sandwich, instead. I plan to go there exclusively now, though, because it doesn't have air conditioning and I've decided to put my money where my mouth is and only patronize places that have at least some conscience in terms of the environment - and my comfort.
I noticed lots of ladies buying their lunch there, by the way - but no men in suits. Another reason to patronize the place - the prices are good, the food even better, and the owners are the friendliest, nicest people in this area - probably because they don't spend the summer couped up in a freezing office and instead run a tiny little cafe with the door kept open to the world outside, inviting it in as opposed to shutting it out.
So what's up with all these cold workplaces, eh? I mean, all Canadians are going to be on the hook - taxwise - for the carbon emissions that have made a special few super rich and I find it more than a little egregious that government buildings are being kept so cold that I needed a sweater in the time it took me (sigh - and the postal worker...) to buy a book of stamps.
I'm not kidding about this, either. It isn't a new pet peeve. ALL of my adult life I've been freezing at work - in the middle of summer. You'd think with all the news about climate change, somebody somewhere deep in the bowels of the Government of Canada (at least) would have said, "Hey, why don't we raise the bar a bit and put the airconditioning above freezing?"
I mean, really. I've spent summer after summer covering up whatever it is I walked to work in - usually a short skirt and light tee-shirt and sandals - with, well, in one government job I wore a wool plaid jacket that was supposedly left behind after a meeting by one Frank Miller - a Conservative Party of Ontario leader who went from selling used cars to politics and used the same wardrobe for both. (Note to aspiring politiians: Take a page from Stephen Harper's book and hire a personal dresser.)
Anyway, I just thought I'd toss it out there today that for the past 25 years or so I've wondered why I must freeze at work all summer for the sake of.... what, exactly? Men who WANT to wear suits in July? Computers that NEED to be kept cold?
Because, nevermind the environmental implications of all this cold in summer - *I'm* paying for *your* summer comfort and I think you should - at least - have to meet me halfway. So how about men ditch the suits in summer and wear shorts and tee-shirts and computers be programmed to deal with a little heat and humidity.
Geez Louise, eh? I mean, c'mon people. How hard is it to dress for the weather? It's not rocket science. It's not even hard. It's just adapting to what we know - air conditioning is not something we should be using when we don't have to use it. And when we do have to use it - we should use it considerately. There is no sound reason why I should be freezing at the office, having dressed for the walk to it, while Mr. Big Shot sits comfortably in his wool suit, having driven his air conditioned SUV to it.
IT'S NOT FAIR!!! I'VE EVEN GOT THE SCIENCE ON MY SIDE TO PROVE IT!!!!!!!!!!
It really is all just so much bullshit, isn't it. This blather and yak about doing something to combat climate change. I mean, really.
Because it's the summer of 2007 and I'm still freezing at the office.
