Cold

[jacey]

No, I don't have a cold. I am cold. Bloody cold. Frigging freezing, in fact. I sit at my desk and my feet are like two little ice blocks. I have a centrally heated house and an office with a big radiator in it. I know the office is not all that cold, but my legs and feet still get icy when I'm sitting. I've got a big wool scarf which I either double up and lay across my knee or which I wrap round and tuck into my trousers to make a makeshift extra skirt... but still I'm cold.

What do you consider to be a comfortable working temperature for static desk-bound writing?

I'm not sure whether it's the air temperature of the office that counts, but under my feet there's a layer of fitted carpet, a layer of underlay, a layer of concrete skim and a layer of 200 year old flaggstones on top of a vaulted callar which has no window in the window opening and therefore is open to the elements. The carpet doesn't feel cold to the touch, but I'm sure there's some loss of heat through direct contact. The hallway is also cooled down because the cellar entrance is under the stairs and the side wall is wood-panelled, i.e. with no insulkation between the cellar-cool air and the wood panel.

This evening I've been snuggled in front of the TV watching Heroes and as well as the rug around my knees (granny-style) I resorted to a mini (half-pint) hot water bottle in my lap.

I think tomorrow I might resort to the fleece topper I made last winter. It's long sleeved, calf-length (with side slits) and has full length sleeves and is designed to go on top of jumper and trousers. It looks a bugger if anyone comes to the door, but I don't care.

I think two jobs on the 'round tuit' list for Best Beloved are to block the cellar window and to insulate the backside of the under-stairs wall.

Comments

[footlingagain.livejournal.com]

While you're waiting, you can get thermals (including socks) from Matalan for a few quid. I try to heat myself rather than the house, though it doesn't always work. 'Start warm to stay warm' as they used to say in...whatever it was.

Have you noticed how many shops are selling fleece blankets? And dressing gowns and slippers. All the old people who are getting hypothermia because they daren't turn up the heating are an insufficiently exploited market, obviously.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Yup Start warm and stay war,. Well I'm just out of bed and warm at the moment so I'll be trying the stay warm bit next. I'm wearing: usual undies which include both a vest and a camisole; trousers, ankle-warmers, thin polo sweater with 3/4 sleeves, thicker crew-neck sweater with long sleeves and over the top of that. And on top of that a black fleece 'jumper' - sleeveless, knee-length with side slits. When I'm sitting it covers my thights completely.

This is not a fashion statement, you understand.

Even so, the minute I sit down the heat starts to leech out of the top of my thighs.

OK so I've already given in and layer the wool scarf across my lap. Lest you think this inconsequential it's about 6 ft long by about 2 ft wide amd one of those loose-knit things in real wool. I can't wear wool close to my skin because it makes me itch, but it's great as an outer as long as I've got plenty of layers between me and it.

[footlingagain.livejournal.com]

Sounds eminently practical :D

I think you need a snuggle sack (it's basically a sleeping bag, but for sitting in). Apparently they are toasty warm, but a bit of a nightmare if you have to answer the door or get to the bathroom quickly.

Thermal longjohns are much more practical but do add quite a bit to your silhouette. However, wearing them on the motorbike while travelling at 80mph or more in January, I found them invaluable.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

I just thought about the snuggle sack and remembered Billy Connolly's hilarious routine about answering the door in one (or was it in one of those slipper-things where you put both feet into one furry padded thing?). I don't think that would work for me as I do tend to be 'keeper of the door' and we often get deliveries, collections, performers passing through and people in and out of the studio.

And getting to the bathroom... er... when I've got to go, I've got to go.

Thermal longjohns sounds goodish. Bugger the silhouette. It can't get much worse.

[footlingagain.livejournal.com]

There you are then. Longjohns it is!

For some reason men's are always cheaper than women's. Bearing in mind that they're to be worn under trousers, I've never seen why. I don't need 'em to be pretty, just affordable. So I've usually worn men's.

[brownnicky.livejournal.com]

I just wear tights under trousers that usually works OK, though I think I had long johns when I lived up North : )
Mostly I just dress as if I were going to a rugby match - glamorous it isn't.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

I love it. All these sensible people avoiding fashion in favour of practicality!