Summer in California can get pretty hot. It may not be as hot as states like Arizona—which I am eternally grateful for because it seems like it's just baking over there—but this year in particular has brought in a good number of heat waves that keep hitting the state.
With the kind of weather that has been going on for the last few months, it's no wonder that people either ramp up the air conditioning, or seek out cooler places to stay comfortable. Working outside in the sun or working indoors without air conditioning has made me glad to return home to relax with a fan circulating cool air around the house.
For most households, the average temperature for an air conditioning system to run on during the summer is around 78 degrees. When you're away, it's recommended that you set the thermostat to 82 degrees to save money. I do think that staying around 78-82 degree range works well as the golden numbers of an average house temperature.
It's when my parents decide to drop it below that point that it becomes a few degrees too cold for my body to handle without shivering. Whenever the air conditioner kicks in my house, it's set to about 71 degrees. That seven-degree difference really shouldn't bother me so much. Unfortunately, it does.
There have been times when I got fed up with being unable to sleep at night because my thin, lightweight summer blanket is simply not enough. On go the lights and out comes one of the small fleece blankets from the drawers. Still a bit chilly? I'll throw on a long-sleeved shirt. My feet still feel a tad nippy? I'll wear another pair of socks.
Now doesn't that sound overdressed for a typical summer night? It sure does to me.
I swear my dad has this mystical power that senses when I turn off the AC. It would be barely 15 minutes that passed since I turned the darned thing off before my dad wakes up to turn it back it on. I don't want to be immature about it and flip it back off again. So instead, I settle for putting on more layers.
My dad likes to blame the insulation in the house for the uneven distribution of temperature in the different rooms of our house. For whatever reason, the living room and the master bedroom always end up warmer than the rest of the other rooms. Meanwhile, my bedroom is usually the coolest room in the entire house.
Maybe my parents have a higher body temperature than I do. Or maybe I'm the strange one that will live through life like a cold-blooded lizard constantly searching for find to stay warm. I should just never put away my comforters.
I feel like I am perpetually going to wear socks for the rest of my life no matter what the season. Sorry feet, it looks like you're never going to see the light of day ever again.
