I'm Such a Delicate Flower

I live a relatively comfortable life. I'm not rich, but I'm never left wanting for the basic necessities of life. However, recently, being home has made me realize that I'm not as hardy as I once thought.

The biggest complaint I have about being home is the temperature. My parents' home is considerably colder than my apartment. I'm not sure if it's due to the split-level nature of the home or that it's much more voluminous than my 1 bedroom place, but it is a good 10-15 degrees cooler. The cold makes me want to avoid being downstairs. It also makes the prospect of showering before bed unappealing. In the morning I really struggle to leave the warmth of my bed because I know I'll have to wear two layers of clothing to feel warm.

I swear sometimes it's warmer outside than it is inside. I've been tempted to get a thermometer to take some readings in various parts of the house and compare it to outside. In the summer the lower levels of the house serve as a nice oasis from the balmy weather, but the other 9 months of the year have become unbearably cold. My parents seem to be accustomed to it so any of my complaints are met with the suggestion that I put on more clothing.

I looked at the thermostat - it's set at 66. I have a hard time believing that. I literally will wear a sweatshirt, a fleece, and a windbreaker with hood up to feel warm. I'm considering wearing a winter coat complete with gloves too.

My second complaint also affects my productivity, perhaps moreso than the cold. My parents computer and/or internet connection is extremely slow. It's so slow that it struggles to handle Gmail. I'm on the computer more than I should be, but it also serves as the hub for all my communications and is the starting point for almost all of my productivity. Without it I'm relegated to using my phone, which on its own is not nearly as useful.

My parents' computer is also located in the lower level of the house where it's freezing, so I'm quickly frustrated with waiting for pages to load. As a result, I spend about 1/10 of the time I normally do on the computer.

In fact it's gotten so bad that I can't really get anything done unless I go to Panera, where I am currently. My mom chides me for coming here since it's inevitable that I'll spend money on food and drink, but Panera provides me with the two things I've just complained about - a warm room, complete with fireplace, and wireless internet that blows the doors off my parents' DSL.

Hopefully the weather will take care of the freezing house, but I'll need to convince my parents to upgrade their DSL speed.

I have considered the possibility that my parents' house is somewhat of an anomaly like the House of Leaves. It's a magical house where it's always colder inside than it is outside. Creepy.