My classroom has no windows, and the ceilings are about eight feet high. It is usually around fifty-eight degrees fahrenheit, despite the fact that the thermostat is set at 86 (last year I had a student pick the lock on the plastic case mounted over it so we could try to get some heat in the room… if he ends up being a criminal I’m going to feel partially responsible… but hey, it was a good lesson in breaking rules for the good of the order).
Needless to say, these oversights on the part of whatever idiot designed the building start to get to me at this point in the winter. I live in a region of the country that is notorious for getting arctic blasts of snow, ice, and wind now and then; our winters sometimes drag on from late October through March. I get to work before the sun rises, I leave school and go to the gym or to one of my grad classes, and by the time I get home there is barely any daylight left.I feel a bit like a wilting flower…
I am trying to find a good way to remedy this problem. Would you believe I have actually considered tanning just to bask in the glory and warmth of LIGHT for a short period of time? This would be funny, since I’m pretty fair-skinned and would have to put on sunblock first to avoid burning. My electrical bills are going to be astronomical as a result of constantly having all of my lights turned on (even the one over my stove!). Maybe I should bring a sledgehammer to school and offer extra credit to anyone who knocks a hole in my wall… no, the teacher on the other side might get irritated by my attempt at stealing some of her natural light. Maybe I should quit my job, move to California, and become a lifeguard.
Nah. I’ll just whine about it until spring finally rolls around and I can bitch about how too much sun exposure gives me wicked headaches. 
