Somehow, every year I feel like I fall for the same prank.
I don’t know when I will circumvent all the disappointment that I bring on myself, because for the past 40 years I have had the same unwise enthusiasm every single spring season.
The trouble starts when we get a few days of warm air. After a long, dark winter there will inevitably be a few weeks when the outdoor air temperature rapidly becomes unseasonably warm. Out of nowhere, we’ll all rejoice when the outdoor climate will take a turn for the better. The warm air that comes rolling through the region immediately makes me think that certainly spring is on its way. Surely, our cold days are over and I can look forward to some sun and comfort without a central heating, cooling, and air quality control system. It’s a moment of celebration for everyone as we consider our lower energy bills without a forced air furnace keeping us alive. That’s right about when I power down the forced air furnace and call my heating, cooling, and ventilation technician for a professional heating, cooling, and ventilation inspection on the air conditioning unit. It’s also when I stupidly take down all the extra insulation that I’ve applied to the house for winter. See, in my region, it’s not enough to use a forced air furnace every day. You also need to be ready to expertly seal up your house to keep hot air inside and cold air outside. This is where the window clings and temperature controlling window shades come into play. But every time I remove my winter insulation, thinking Spring is on the way, I’m proven wrong. This year I’m leaving it all up.