Unlike what we had been warned about, the month of July in Pennsylvania has been wonderful when it comes to the weather. There have been a few hints of humidity and now we are told - just wait until August.
Yesterday we spent several hours walking around the campus of St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia with our grandson. This is one of the colleges he has on his "possibility" list as Sept. will start his senior year in high school (how did that happen?). It did turn out to be a hot day and walking stairs in dorms and classrooms proved an aerobic workout. I never knew that parts of Philadelphia were built on hills and this was one. I expected to see statues of Romulus and Remus. It seemed we spent most of the time walking up - I'm sure we walked down too but the up is carved in my mind.
I mentioned to my husband that I would like to turn on the air for awhile when we got home to which my daughter and SIL wondered why is wasn't already on. Ah, you mean you are not suppose to wait until the living room feels like a sauna before you take a few minutes to cool it down? Wow- we got a tutorial on how much more power is used trying to cool down what has been super warmed. We are suppose to keep it set at a realistic temperature and let the thermostat take care of it.
Now this could cause a trauma. Some of you must remember how President Johnson use to walk through the white house turning off lights to save electricity. Well, I truly believe that my husband channels the president. You will rarely find a light on in a room in our home if there is no reason for it - like trying to move through without bumping into something or tripping over something. Reading does allow for a designated lamp.
So we must try to grasp the use of the thermostat in the summer. I know he does not let the house turn into an ice palace in the winter before the heat goes on even though sometimes it feels like it to me. Also we had a wonderful little wood stove to "take the chill" off in Maine.
But that was Maine and this is Pennsylvania. If you should come to visit us this summer - we will be easy to find as in this lovely,fairly large senior complex, we will be in the only apartment with the windows open.
Regarding turning off lights when leaving a room, you may wish to point out the energy needed to start a compact fluorescent bulb is about the same as letting it run for 15 minutes, so if you go in and out of a room that uses that type of bulb in rapid succession, more electricity could possibly be used than saved. In LBJ’s day, compact fluorescent bulbs would have been science fiction!
Posted by: Rob in Sanford | July 31, 2009 at 08:24 PM