cooler now

In honor of living in my house for 20 years, I'm sharing 20 memories. Here's #3. 

I lived without air conditioning the first ten years at Chez Pez. I used to be pretty insufferable in my quest for fairness and justice. 

Why should I live like a queen when others are suffering? I'd never lived in a house with central air and I'd gotten by just fine. 

Living alone I feel like I'm in charge and want to be able to hear what is happening in the neighborhood and if someone is knocking on my door. 

A couple of things changed my attitude. My neighbor cut down the huge tree that shaded the back of the house, a breakup resulted in a free air conditioner, and I was getting older and crankier and tired of tossing and turning and getting dressed in front of the fridge. 

When I started cooling my bedroom I had crazy rules about when I could turn it on. July was soon enough right? Those days are over. I think I had it cranked up in May this year and I had it on a few days ago. 

I still worry about the not being able to hear. The first night I used the air conditioner a decade ago there was a fire across the street and I didn't hear a damn thing. I have learned to embrace the white noise of the fan.  I figure if the fire fighters need to get into my house they can use one of those axes they carry to break down the door.