Brrrr!

So, I took myself off to Tim Horton's coffee shop to do some work last week. It was hot outside, and I figured it would be cool and comfortable inside. Boy, was I in for a shock.

Yes, it was cool - in fact, very cool, bordering on freezing. I stuck it out for a while, but after half an hour, couldn't take it any more.

I don't have problems with the cold - heck, I live in Winnipeg, the "Brrrr!" capital of Canada. Nature's cold is something I love. But the artificial kind? That's a whole other matter.

According to Wikipedia, air conditioning is the removal of heat from indoor air for thermal comfort. Not ALL the heat, just enough for thermal comfort. However, many stores, especially the smaller kind with doors opening on a regular basis - coffee shops, restaurants, etc. - seem to think that if they remove all the heat, that will compensate for the many times people come and go. Unfortunately, the result is that it's often too cold for most people who stay.

I've thought about carrying my own personal thermometer when I go out for coffee or something to eat so I can tell management when it's too cold. But you'd think they'd be able to figure it out for themselves when they see people still wearing their outside coats and/or putting on extra layers.

A few questions ...
Is there a standard for inside/outside temperature ratios?
Is it cheaper to cool than to heat?
Are the low temps meant to hurry us out?
Is there any way those places can carry blankets?

Trust me - I've asked about that last one on many an occasion.

Okay, so clearly I don't get the whole air conditioning thing. Didn't have it growing up, don't like it in the house, rarely turn it on in the car - even the low setting ain't quite low enough. And while I've tried to get used to it, there's something about the natural versus artificial thing that makes it all but impossible.

Last week, it was so cold inside that I up and took myself to the closest clothing place to buy a light layer of some kind. It was hot outside and end of season, so wasn't expecting too much in the way of choice, let alone sizes that would fit. I ended up getting a men's hoodie - cheaper than the comparatively unattractive women's hoodie, but that's another story - and returned to the scene of the chill for a more comfortable hour or so.

When I got back to Tim's and put on my new hoodie, one of the servers asked if I was cold. I said I was, and she said, "Just as well you have that hoodie". And then, as two ladies were leaving - they were there for both my first and second visit that day - one said to me, "You were smart. We grinned and beared it, but next time we'll bring an extra layer as well."

Maybe that's my role in all this - to inspire the world, one person at a time, to carry an extra layer with them everywhere they go, just in case their thermal comfort is not met when they get there. Either that, or I'll find the thermostat myself and make all the necessary adjustments.

Cool, huh?! At least it's not "Brrrr!"