Choice - Hot or cold?

@ossobuco,

Quote:

I try to watch energy expense here in Albuquerque, so in winter in the house it'll be colder than my druthers, and in summer, higher than my druthers, but in both situations, not as tough as having no heat at all in winter, or no swamp cooler in summer.

The only reason for heating a house in the winter with the heating degree days that Albuquerque has is to keep the pipes from freezing. A well built house in an energy efficient sense, that's definitely not how they are built, could get by with minimal heat added.

As for cooling, all a body needs is a couple of strategically placed fans.

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@chai2,

If the heat is accompanied with a nice tropical beach, and maybe some bars/perpetual-parties involving lots of Jimmy Buffet music, and if I had plenty of air conditioning that I could retreat to whenever I wanted, I'd take the heat.

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@oralloy,

That's so funny oralloy. Just shows the difference in preference.
Tropical beach, along with tiki bars & parties, Jimmy Buffet are my idea of a dreadful time.

Give me a chalet, falling snow, hot cocoa and a fireplace any day.

http://media.mlive.com/kzgazette_impact/photo/aquinas-college-students-winter-walk-7dfc3936df1f2f5f_large.jpeg

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@chai2,

Yet you choose to live in hell. That's really odd.

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I wonder if our preferences have anything to do with our ancestry. Most of my ancestors come from cold climates.

(Chai, glad to introduce you to a new word. )

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@Roberta,

Good point, Roberta. Growing up in northern New England meant that we were used to cold (inside and out, in our case) and the occasional blast of hot, hot, hot summer heat. Houses weren't built with central ac and before the days of window units we'd take our mattresses out on the porch, or a least down to the living room and "camp out" until the heat wave passed. Heat waves remind me of camping and going outside and sweating our asses off. Cold spells remind me of hunkering down indoors and hauling Grandma's old wool coats out of storage to use as extra layers on the beds at night. Still, in extreme conditions I'd pick cold over hot.

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If I had to choose -- and I'm glad I don't have to in the real world --
I'd take the cold. I love my winter activities. Up to a point I don't
even mind shoveling.

We have, however, a weighted voting system in my family and after
all the votes were in, I'd wind up either in the heat or alone.

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@JPB,

You put me in mind of something else, J. I grew up in the city, but I spent every summer in the mountains north of here. Didn't experience city heat until I was 18 years old. Couldn't believe it. Remember people frying eggs on the sidewalk. Remember being on the subway in 90 degree temps with 90 percent humidity. Hate it.

And I love snow. No shoveling involved. One of my favorite things is the sound of shovels scraping on the sidwalk as the building workers clear a path.

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@Roberta,

The year we lived in New York City, 1950, we had no air conditioning in our apartment. I remember seeing on the tv weather report that it was presently 100 degrees with 100% humidity. I suppose it was about to rain, but I'm no weather smarty - just remember those numbers together.

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@Krumple,

I prefer warm weather--i.e., the American southwest or southern Italy and Spain. I live in the Phoenix area, among the hottest spots in the country, and I spend a lot of money on airconditioning (indeed it's my biggest expense since my house is paid for). I think it's money very well spent: too much heat and I can't really be very active. As long as it's not too humid I'm fine.

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Cold. Have been heat averse all my life. I live in NYC , supposed temperate zone, and have suffered through the summers since childhood. We didn't have AC until I was nineteen. To keep cool we used fans, cold baths and showers and air drying in the fan's draught to fall asleep. Other strategies for summer days were movies, pools and riding the Staten Island Ferry.

What makes summer so difficult is I really dislike AC. I haven't had it in my apartment for about fourteen years, and I'm OK with (without) that. I found the comments of those who choose "hot" interesting. Hot is chosen as long as AC is available. So I'm seeing that people like to be cool. Even in the winter I'll turn off the heat in the bedroom and have a window open. When it's cold you can add layers to keep warm, when it's hot taking it all off doesn't help

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@chai2,

I'd choose hot, hands down.

Shorts, flip-flops, a big floppy hat, and lots of water vs. overshoes, mud rooms, parkas, mittens, and stocking caps.

Hot steering wheels vs. shoveling snow.

Smelly garbarge vs. driving on ice.

Thunderstorms vs. sleet storms.

I remember all of the bad stuff about snow, and very little of the good stuff. Skiing is great; plodding through a foot and a half of snow to walk down the street is not so fun.

I find cold-weather clothing to be horribly restrictive. Sweaters, parkas, gloves, wool socks, etc. every single day?

<shudder>

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@chai2,

Hot - I love the hot and am very sad it is now after labor day.

Also I do not like being restrictive - like in my clothing. I love to be outside in shorts and a tank without shoes. Love to be barefooted. Can't run around half naked and unshod in freezing weather.

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@nextone,

nextone wrote:

Cold. Have been heat averse all my life. I live in NYC , supposed temperate zone, and have suffered through the summers since childhood. We didn't have AC until I was nineteen. To keep cool we used fans, cold baths and showers and air drying in the fan's draught to fall asleep. Other strategies for summer days were movies, pools and riding the Staten Island Ferry.

What makes summer so difficult is I really dislike AC. I haven't had it in my apartment for about fourteen years, and I'm OK with (without) that. I found the comments of those who choose "hot" interesting. Hot is chosen as long as AC is available. So I'm seeing that people like to be cool. Even in the winter I'll turn off the heat in the bedroom and have a window open. When it's cold you can add layers to keep warm, when it's hot taking it all off doesn't help

Do you suppose cold would be chosen if we didn't have heat?

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Cold.

I dislike heat and humidity and I hate hate hate hate being in air-conditioned places. Hate it.

When it's too cold you can always put on more clothing. When it's too hot, you just have to be miserable after a certain point.

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@roger,

roger wrote:

Do you suppose cold would be chosen if we didn't have heat?

yup

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@ehBeth,

When it's too hot, you just have to be miserable after a certain point.

Nah - you just put on a bathing suit and sit in some water - cools you off real fast.

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Interesting takes.

Re restrictive clothing, I think it depends on how you feel about the cold.

For instance, if my hands and feet are room temperature or warm, I'm uncomfortable.
I like having both cold. Not freezing, as in that ache you get, but cold chilly flesh.

I'm good with keeping warm in the upper 30's in yoga pants and a good fishermans sweater. I'll bring felt mittens with me when I go out, but as I warm up they come off.

Once it gets close to freezing, I'll leave the mittens on and add a hat. If there's snow and I plan on walking through it, and it's deep, add boots, and if I'm going to be out for a while, a scarf.

Colder than freezing with a wind, I'll put on a coat.

So, I'm not usually wearing enough clothing to feel restricted, and what I'd ideally wear would be easy to move in.

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@chai2,

Yeah to me restrictive is anything more than shorts and a tank. I'd prefer to go braless and pantiless too. And definately no socks - with a preference of bare foot.

Right now I have too much restrictive stuff on - and all I have is trouser socks, shoes, slacks, dressing no sleeve and of course bra and undee.

But that is just me - I hate wearing sweaters and jackets and anything heavy. I do of course because I hate even more being cold.

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@Linkat,

That's close to my choice. I would have to wear socks. Barring cold weather, I would take shorts over long pants any day. I can change from grubby to sociable several times a day, and don't have to take off shoes to do it if I'm wearing shorts.

1 Reply

Choice - Hot or cold?

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