It's Probably Colder Inside Than It Is Outside...

"Is it cold outside?" I asked a co-worker after he came in from an off-site meeting. I was curious because it looked cold outside as I gazed out the office window just before noon.

"It's not as cold as it looks--it's not that bad."

And then he added, with a laugh...

"It's probably colder in here than it is outside."

Twice a year one of the things we 1st-Worlders have to deal with, at least in the geographic area where I live, is office buildings acclimating to the changing seasons. The building in which I work is lacking in that ability. Needless to say, it was a tad chilly in my cubicle today.

And I wasn't the only one affected. I heard the laments of many a civil servant bemoaning the atmospheric conditions inside the building. I considered myself one of the least affected, however, as the day went on, I noticed I was feeling colder and colder. The fact I didn't bring a jacket didn't help.

There are some things we can do to change the temperature in our work stations, like get a small personal fan. And this helps in the spring when the building thinks it's still winter. But when autumn hits and the building thinks it's still summer and cranks the A/C, the fan won't help. And heaven forbid we have personal heaters. I know extra precautions must be taken with heaters. They can burn down buildings. Plus, it's next to impossible to get permission to have one. You need not only a doctor's note to have a heater in your work station, but the doctor needs to tell my employer what ailment from which you suffer in order to justify the heating source.

It's just easier to bring a sweater.

All in all, though, I am lucky to be in a building that has A/C and heat. For that, I'm willing to put up with the "adjustments" a couple of times a year.