I Feel Bad About My Air Conditioner

How was your Fourth?

Most of my day was spent hiding from the heat by staying in my apartment, catching up on correspondence, and watching the latest episode of Louie. I stayed cool by sitting in my apartment in my shorts and drinking ice coffee I cold-brewed, because I feel bad every time I turn on my air conditioner. I think about all that energy that little box uses, and about what might appear on my utility bill next month. I’m sure if I had a pet or a baby I didn’t want to melt, I’d blast that thing all day, but I’m sure there are other people out there who feel the same way.

I did turn it on when Logan dropped by in the evening before we headed to the pier to watch Fireworks. I spent $18 for two Cokes with ice, two orders of Old Bay french fries, and a hot dog. We watched the fireworks for five minutes, and then decided we couldn’t handle the crowd anymore and headed home, covered in sweat. Confession: I turned on the air conditioner when I got home, but I still felt bad about it.

Photo: Shutterstock/Winchan Kongchan

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