Whenever my buddy and I leave city for a while, it is a stressful event.
I’m always on top of my jobs, to be clear. I have everything packed and ready to go the evening before my buddy and I depart. The afternoon of our trip, I get the creatures packed and loaded in the car, and then beginning to help my bestie get his packing under control. This is the problem area. He is always waking up late, having no idea what he’s bringing, or even doing laundry on the days of our trips. As you can imagine, he easily complicates things and tends to put me into anxiety overdrive. That’s why it’s no real surprise to me that my buddy and I tend to forget to turn off the thermostat before my buddy and I leave. I can tell you, the indoor air temperature is the last thing on my mind at that point in time. The only days that I even realize the indoor heating and cooling system is running are the ones when I’m dripping with sweat after my 6th trip out to the van… Of course my buddy and I often fail to turn off the furnace and AC component for a week or two at a time, considering we’re always running 2 hours late. It’s no surprise to me at all that our electric bills are through the roof even when we’re on the road, since my buddy and I literally run out the door every time. I know what to expect, and I don’t child myself. That’s why I don’t get mad anymore, and instead I started looking for solutions. This year for his crucial 3-0 birthday, I’m buying my bestie an alarm clock and a smart thermostat.