Bring On the 90 Degree Weather!!

The purpose of this blog would be completely pointless if I did not write the truth and about the struggles that I deal with in my life. I hesitate to write this entry because I don't want any of you to get the wrong idea about Foster. It is actually quite humorous in my mind that we would even argue over something as stupid as this, but behold it has been a common struggle between two very stubborn people. Air Conditioning.

Air conditioning is something that a lot of people take for granted, and heat. In my household, not by my choice, the heating and cooling system is only used in dire emergencies. During the winter the heat stays at a chilly 64 degrees, and during the summer the air stays off. Prior to Foster and I getting married, I did not have the right to argue about his stinginess because I was not paying the electric bill. He had just returned from Iraq and was used to 100+ degree days. I understood how he could be so comfortable in 90 degree heat. So when I would get too hot, I would head back to my place and enjoy the nice 71 degree environment. He and I compromised due to the fact that he enjoyed having me around and put a window air conditioner in the bedroom window so I could sleep during the day since I work third shift, and that way I would be there with him when he got home at night.

The winter months do not bother me because I usually feel hot, and even if I get cold it is easy to warm up by applying a few layers of clothing. I love to curl up under the down comforter and cuddle up to Foster in the middle of the night. The only downside to a cold house is when I need to get out from under the covers to get ready for school or work in the morning, but a hot shower is the perfect remedy. Foster loved this past winter and probably saved quite a bit of money because I was pregnant and ALWAYS hot. I think the heat was down to 62 most of the time.

Today was the last straw. I snapped. It was probably a combination of the heat, humidity, and residual hormones, but I could not take it anymore. I had to put my foot down and ask for a little pity. I was miserable. The temperature reached 92 degrees today and the humidity had to have been at a 100%. I could not get away from the heat. I am not a very pleasant person if I am hot, I am very light skinned and I don't sweat very easily.

To give you an example, when I was in basic training I was stationed in South Caroline between May 20th and July 23rd. If you think Ohio has hot summers, South Carolina is ridiculous! We were in the middle of a long road march on sandy hills and people were dropping like flies from the heat. I seemed to be doing pretty well, but my Drill Seargent, who was a fellow red head with very pale skin looked at me and said "Finneran you are not looking too good." At first, when I am hot I turn beat red, but the danger hits when I go pale again, and as I said, I do not sweat much when I am hot so my body does not do a good job at cooling itself down. My Drill Sargent sat me down and took my temperature. It was 103! He immediately made me sit down in the shade, poured cold water on the back of my neck, and gave me a canteen full of electrolyte water.

This evening I was hot, sticky, and very irritable. I bent down to unhook Rowdy's leash, and got really dizzy, I knew it had gotten to a bad point. To give Foster credit, yes I did know what I was getting myself into when I married him, but I also figured he would be reasonable and able to compromise if things were really important to me. I had been hinting to him all day about the fact that I thought it would be a good idea to turn on the AC. I whined, bitched, complained, and even asked nicely but it just seemed that he wasn't getting the point. So, I had to start raising my voice to make a point. Yes, I picked a fight. He gave me every excuse why NOT to turn on the air, the electric bill would go up, he was fine, it was not a necessity, we are saving energy. Every excuse he gave me, I came back with just as strong of an argument supporting my stand on turning ON the air, we are on a budget so it just means we will get a smaller refund (if they give us a refund at all, my theory is they are more willing to come for more money than give you a refund). I was not fine and he is not the only one in the house that matters. Even if it is not a necessity, why purposefully torture yourself if you have the means of making yourself comfortable? He told me that if the air was on, than all we would do was sit in the house and not go outside and work. I told him that BECAUSE it was so hot in the house, I don't go outside and work because there is no way for me to come in and get cooled off if I got too hot outside. I explained to him that the reason I could suck up the heat in South Carolina was because I knew that when it was time to eat and time to sleep, I was in nice cool accommodations. I told him that I hate cooking in the heat because the stove makes it hotter, I hate doing laundry in the heat because the dryer makes it hotter, and I hate cleaning in the heat because I work up a sweat sweeping the floor. Plus, I can't eat in the heat, so my cooking would be just for him and would go to waste on me. He claims we can make a little "house" in the basement and hang out down there. That would be great, but there is no kitchen, laundry, or bathroom in the basement. Needless to say, with two VERY bullheaded people, this argument looked like it would never end and neither one of us were going to win. So I came up with not one, not two, but three compromises.

My first idea was that we only turn the air on when the temperature outside reaches ninety degrees. I am usually okay in the eighties and a fan is sufficient to cool me off. We would set the temperature in the house at 75, which is higher than most people set theirs.

My second compromise was that if he still refused to turn on the air, than he could not yell at me for complaining, bitching, or crying, and he could not complain about the electricity I waste with my little window air conditioner. But, don't be surprised if I hide in the bedroom more often than usual.

The third compromise, and one I knew was totally out of the question, was to allow me to go around the house topless. He HATES it when I do this, because although I steer clear of windows, and pull the curtains when I do, he thinks the neighbors can see, so I keep my top on.

Well, he didn't like any of these ideas. Obviously #3 was a "no go", he said he would eventually say something if I complained all the time, and he did not want to put on the air even in 90 degree weather.

It is moments like these that I wish I had my daughter. Because you know, that if poor little Rosie were sweating her little baby butt off, daddy would turn the air on in a heartbeat.

My last option was going to have to be turning the AC on when he is not home in order to get some housework done, and then turn it off before he gets home and notices. I do not want to blatantly disrespect him like that or hide anything from him. I must admit, if the air condition is the biggest thing that Foster and I argue about, I consider myself blessed, because it is so small an issue in the grand scheme of things.

Although it seems like my husband sounds like an unreasonable man, this is far from the truth. The problem is he does not like to admit he is wrong in the middle of an argument. It is like he is a stubborn mule who as long as you try to move him he won't go, but as soon as you stop trying to force him he will start walking on his own. Sure enough, as I was speeding to work, because the argument lasted a little too long, he called and admitted my compromise was completely reasonable, and he totally agrees with it. He told me he was sorry, he loved me, and he was not the only person that mattered in the house. So it is official, when the temperature hits 90 degrees, we will turn on the air to 75. Here is to hoping the temp stays above 90! Happy summer guys!!