It’s been chilly around these parts. I want to use the word “cold,” but I know that isn’t accurate since it never drops below 40* here. And yet, 52* feels cold for this wimpy ass Bay Area native.
It’s 5:50am and I’ve been up for an hour because it was freaking cold in our unit and I couldn’t sleep. At 5am the heat upstairs kicked on. We keep the thermostat at 58* at night because the kids can stay warm enough in their beds even if it’s really cold. 58* is low enough that the heat almost never kicks on before the thermostat changes to 63* at 7am. When I heard it rumbling at 5am I knew it was legitimately cold out.
The wall heater in our downstairs unit it broken and it gets COLD down there. We should probably get it fixed but it’s hard to commit to spending what will surely be many hundreds of dollars on a heater we’ll actually NEED only a few times a year. We do have some space heaters and it’s probably time to pull those out, but I hate to use the electricity to run them.
At school we have to keep our windows and doors open and lately that has been quite unpleasant for the kids. The heater is blowing all day but it’s still cold when the wind is blowing across the back of the classroom between the two open doors. Luckily I have flexible, free seating so kids can move themselves when they want to. It’s weird how willing they are to bitch about the cold and yet how unwilling they are to move to a different seat (or just dress more appropriately!) Just kidding. That’s not weird for middle schoolers at all. (Sigh.)
This whole keeping-the-windows-and-doors-open-and-blasting-the-heaters-all-winter feels like a very unproductive policy. It seems like just upgrading our HVAC systems would make more sense. But that requires more money up front and god knows public schools don’t have that.
They were talking big talk about how they had someone coming out to look at the HVAC systems so that we’d be safe inside with doors and windows closed once fire season ramped up and our air quality got dangerous. But the atmospheric river that came through in early fall put an end to fire season early and we never ended up having any high AQI days. We never heard anything else about the HVAC renovations after that.
Evidently another atmospheric river will be coming through next week. Should make for an interesting couple of days. Besides that big dump we got in early fall we’ve had almost no rain and we’re still technically in a severe drought. I hope we start getting more consistent rain this winter. Huge drops of double digit inches and then nothing for months is obviously not sustainable.
Well it’s 6:07am and technically I should be up getting ready. Also the heat, which I turned to 60* when I came upstairs, went off so this spot on the floor in front of the vent is no longer as appealing.
Happy Friday everyone! Stay warm!
I don’t know how you do it. I keep my house a pretty stable 68-72 degrees year round. Being comfortable at home is very high on my priority list.
Our house is usually around 65-68* without any intervention. We don’t turn the heat on until it’s dipping into the low 60s. We definitely wear sweatshirts around the house most of the year, but I do think that 64 inside when it’s 60 outside feels different than 64 inside when it’s <45 outside. I’m sure we’d keep the house warmer if it were colder outside.
SF chilly is also a wetter chilly than in many areas. AND, no acclimatization to the cold makes a huge difference. Socks in bed will keep you warmer until you figure out the blanket to chill ratio needed. Beanie hats in beds can help too. Remember Ma was in her bonnet when that red suited person showed up on a with a clatter.
Your description of your classroom environment was VERY clearly written. Monday, if the projected atmospheric river hits will be interesting. Hats, mittens, scarves all make sense. Sending you best wishes for that!
Trusting your week of school goes well and hoping you are able to enjoy the majority of the holiday period. (while also doing prep for January.)
Thank you.