I Wonder...Just How Cold Is It Going To Get?

I got the news last summer--my employer allowed me to work from home. The only space available in our house was the unfinished basement. An unfinished basement is wonderful in the summer--it's cool down there so you don't have to be close to an air conditioner vent.

We anticipated it getting cooler and cooler as autumn approached and the temperatures dropped outside. We bought a space heater and I didn't really need to turn it on until last month. When I worked in an office, the building's temperature controls had a tough time adjusting from spring to summer and from summer to fall. Because of that, I bought a little thermometer to see just how cold it got.

I brought the thermometer home with me.

It's on my desk and I check it often to see just how cold it is.

This morning, it registered around 54º. The heater I use works well so my work space warmed up quickly. I had no complaints. But something happened today. It seemed when I got just outside of my work space, it felt cold, colder than it normally felt.

When I checked the temperature again in the afternoon the thermometer showed 63º--it usually warms up to 70º. It was cold today. We usually don't get this cold until January, so it's nice to know my little heater can do it's job.

It's a year of firsts. I experienced my first winter storm where I didn't have to drive to work. I'm going through my first winter working at home. In a few months spring will arrive and we'll see how that goes. Then, later, I'll know how work will be in the basement once summer rolls around.

Telecommuting--so far, so good (even if it's a little cold...).

At Work Just How Cold...Is Cold?

I've written about being cold at work before. It's not a big deal. I could appeal to HR to get a portable heater, but that requires seeing a doctor and having to be diagnosed with an actual medical condition that requires me to have a heater. I do a fleece jacket that I keep at work for just such circumstances. I've been wearing it for the past couple of months. Our autumn was mild, as autumns in Utah go. But this week it's turned cold. 

My little jacket no longer keeps me warm.

A few years back the building where I worked had their heater die in the winter. It got so bad I had to wear gloves in order get my work done. It hasn't gotten that bad where I'm working now, but this morning I wondered just how cold it was in my cubicle. On my way back from lunch, I stopped by a local hardware store and for a few dollars picked up a thermometer.

The question I now have is, how cold is cold?

The temperature at my cubicle for most of the day was 70º Fahrenheit. Usually the mornings are worse and I got the thermometer at noon. I'll have to see what tomorrow brings. Since I've never had a thermometer at work before, I can't tell if 70º is warm enough or should I feel slighted that my cubicle is colder than other places in the building?

Truth is, this whole experiment is mostly for fun. I've put up with it being a little chilly for years. And I hardly expect the company to make massive changes just to raise the temperature in my area a few degrees warmer. Tomorrow I'm going to also take the thermometer to areas I know are warmer to see just how much warmer they are. Again, it's for fun. Maybe after doing more amateur sleuthing, I will know just how cold at work...is cold at work.