I’m not a fan of air conditioning. I prefer fresh air and fans. Really do. For all these years, even on the sultriest days and nights, I was adamant about that preference and stuck it out until the cooler days arrived.
Until today, when I caved in.
I got through Friday, but it was in the low 90s and the humidity was still fairly low. Friday into Saturday was a little difficult in regard to sleep, as it didn’t cool into the low 70s until about 3 AM. When I got up, I was more wobbly and incoherent than I normally am due to a lack of quality sleep. It got a little better after coffee. But, it was okay until only about 8 AM, when the temperature rose into the mid-80s and the humidity was, shall we say, more noticeable. I got through the day, but when it came time to sleep, it wasn’t happening. I couldn’t find a cool comfortable spot on the mattress for more than five seconds. My room was in the mid-80s and the air was thick with humidity. Quality sleep? Insert insane laugh here.
After tossing, turning, drifting into microsleep, tossing, turning … well, you get the picture … I’d had enough. With the temperatures predicted to stay in the 90s and even close to 100°F over at least the next week, I realized there was no way I was going to make it to the end of the week without something happening due to sleep deprivation. I just got back on the road in May after too many months of no wheels to call my own. That shouldn’t come to an end just because I stubbornly stuck to my guns about sleep preferences under normal weather conditions.
“This weather is not normal, Stupid!” whatever side of my brain still has the logic cells in it screamed. “Do something before we fry like bacon!” So, I got out of bed, sat down at my computer, went online and ordered an air conditioner from one of the local big box stores. I picked it up, set it up, and for the first time in three days, my bedroom was blissfully comfortable, and the unit was set at 79°F, too.
So, I took a $0 balance account and kerchunked several hundred dollars onto it. My excellent credit rating numbers just took a hit as a result. My electrical bill will likely be noticeably higher as well. Do I care? Yeah, I do. But, the credit rating will recover as the air conditioner gets paid off, and the electrical bill will also get paid.
But more importantly, I also care about getting enough sleep so I’m not a risk to myself and others. I’m not as young as I used to be and don’t tolerate the heat as well as I used to. It was time to change my point of view on the subject and so I did. As a result, barring power failures (knock wood for not happening), I will sleep more like a rock and wake ready to take on the road and another hot day tomorrow.
As a final note, I mentioned not being able to tolerate the heat as well as I used to. This is common among older folks, not to mention babies, young children, and pets. Check on them all. Make sure they stay hydrated, find them a cool spot if they don’t have them. We’re all in this together. Chill out.
