There are two times of year that seem, to me, to be bi-polar in nature (pun intended) - spring and fall. In terms of the outer environment, I love spring and fall. The outside temperatures tend to be mild, giving us pause from the heat and humidity of summer and the cold and snow of winter. Some years bring protracted periods of amazing spring and fall weather - the kind of weather where people can be overheard saying, "I wish we could bottle this weather for the entire year!" Other years find shortened, almost non-existent spring and fall seasons - seasons where winter morphs suddenly into shorts, tees, and air conditioning, while fall slips away quickly as the first big snowfall arrives early in November.
That is the outside environment.
Inside, I find fall and spring to be environmentally vexing, at best. Because Capt. SO and I have polar- opposite internal heating and cooling systems, we exist in a sort of thermostatic war zone. I do not understand the problem of being cold all the time and I am continually (of course, gently) telling him to simply put more clothes on. As I see it, being cold is just a matter of not wearing denim (denim is much colder to the skin than, say, corduroy....and he has corduroy slacks) and wearing layers on the upper torso. So he looks like a sumo wrestler when he's clothed to his satisfaction? Plus, rectifying a person's "coldness" is socially acceptable, whereas rectifying the issue of being hot all the time can be publicly problematic.
During the spring and fall months, sleeping conditions can also be a matter of contention. The "cold" one wants and needs the winter blankets, sheets, and comforter left as part of the bed-linens. The "hot" one would be happy to sleep with the air conditioning on and one sheet.....period. Thusly, the nighttime becomes a constant tug (or, should I say "throw") of war regarding sheets, blankets, and comforter. Even the "cold" one becomes overheated when covered with double layers of bedding, becoming the recipient of the "hot" one's unwanted linens. I spend these transition nights feeling like a light switch in a public bathroom.....on, off, on, off. One minute I'm hot, so I throw my bed-linens onto Capt. SO's side of the bed but the next minute, I'm cold, so I'm fishing and fumbling to find the layer on him that I discarded. This yo-yo effect goes on all night long, ended only when one of the exhausted bed partners stumbles out from under whatever covers were left over him or her.
I'm off to shop for end-of-season sales on corduroy slacks and down parkas, plus get in on spring promotional sales for fans. Something for "everyone".
Ancora imparo
