Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Fan Wars

There is a war being waged in our house, on a daily basis. It is ongoing, and continual and some days it drives me nuts. As with any war, you cannot truly understand the conflict if you don't understand its orgins. So hop into your time machines and come back with me to the genesis of the situation.
From early childhood until I was 24, I was hot. All the time. I was just hot. In every room I went I wanted the fan on and the air cool, just like my dad and my brother. My mom on the other hand was and is always cold. It can be 95 degrees outside, but when she is indoors, she has to have a blanket. She is always cold. It drove her nuts when we were growing up because we all needed it to be super cold to sleep at night. In the middle of summer my mom would walk around the house in a robe and thick socks, while the rest of us were in shorts and tee-shirts.
Fast forward to my years in graduate school. I was living in an apartment by myself and no longer splitting the bills with roommates. I realized quickly how much that energy bill costs. So being the smart, frugalista I was, I didn't turn on the a/c during the hot months. I had a small and cheap apartment right next to the freeway, and I would have all of my windows open, and just dealt with the mind numbing noise of the freeway. When it got too hot to handle I would walk to the mall across the street just to cool off. I didn't have any money so I never bought anything, I just walked around and enjoyed being cool again.
Then came winter. And once again being the smart, frugalista I was I decided that I was not going to turn on the heat, I would just add more blankets and sweaters. That was stupid. I got sick. I had bronchitis and a few other illnesses that plagued me that fall. I drove down to meet my family for Thanksgiving, and spent the entire holiday on the couch being nursed by my mom and my aunt.
This is where I changed. After that illness, I was always cold. I somehow had morphed into my mother. Ever since then, I am the one with wool socks my feet every single night. I am the one who was to take a steaming hot bath just to get rid of a chill.
And now that brings us back to the present. P is hot. Always. He likes to have it cool and he likes to have the fan on. I noticed a few weeks ago that whenever I walk into a room, I turn the fan off. Whenever P walks into a room he turns the fan on. On and on this cycle goes. If we are watching t.v., that fan basically does sprints. It goes on high for a short time, then I go and turn it off. It goes on for a short time, then I go and turn it off.
Right now the fan is off, but in short time, I would bet money that it will be switched on again and the war will continue.

5 comments:

A Friend Across the Miles said...

What is it with men? Do they have an internal combustion heater or something?

Maybe you should have purchased a fan with a REMOTE. Now that would be hilarious to see!

Brooke said...

sounds like my husband and i :) only he goes with the seasons, in the winter he likes the heat on 60 and in the summer he likes the air on 80. its just a cost thing. i'm the more consistant - 76 year round would be comfy for me.

Anonymous said...

my husband is a furnace. Seriously, while I am sleeping in flannel pj's and two pairs of socks, he is wearing - um - nothing but his undies.

men.

Anonymous said...

I'm at the point of tears do to laughing at all the comments posted. If you care for the skin furnace that you love to snuggle up to at night then by all means keep the fan/noise maker on.

P

Simplelivin' said...

haha I can relate to this all too well. Hubby is always hot. I'm forever cold...and since it's easier to bundle up, I'm normally the one who has to deal.