Brian's World

Leaving The Lights On

I like to light during most non sleeping hours.  In darker rooms, like my basement, I tend to leave the lights on most of the time.  In my dorm room, I find I can get away with just using sunlight from 9:00am to 5:00pm.  Using sunlight saves a little power, and if I need some extra light I can turn on my desk lamp for the few minutes I need light.  Most of the stuff I do is on the computer,  and computer monitors generally don’t require much ambient light, if any.

I also like to use sunlight because it means the windows are open.  While I’m not an ophthalmologist, I think looking outside the windows every so often is good for my eyes.  I hope to avoid having to wear corrective lenses for as long as possible.  Looking at a computer screen isn’t the best of conditions for my eyes, but looking outside the window at objects further away seems like good excersize.  In addition I like to have moderate to strong lights on to reduce any strain when looking at computer monitors, for the same reason I tend to not like watching extended TV sessions in the dark.  Televisions due tend to have much larger viewing areas, and emit a more ambient light, but its still the same situation.

Light also lets me see things, which is pretty important.  I could leave all the lights off and pretend that things I can’t see are just like a bottomless black pit, but I don’t subscribe to that philisophy.  Sure, I don’t need to see everything all round me all the time, but its very handy when I need to put something down, throw something out, or find something.  When I need to move, its very easy to identify what I need and where it is to ensure I have all the appropriate equiptment.  More commonly than not, I produce a piece of trash like a wrapper or a scrap of paper I look around a trashcan to deposit it in.   Personally I’m always up for a good hunt, but sometimes I’m feeling a bit lazy and would rather not scrouge around for a trashcan so I just look around and, since the lights are on, I can pretty easily spot it.

Of course I also limit the amount of trash producing stuff around me by limiting the area in which I produce trash to those areas where I know I will be able to dispose of it.  Rarely do I produce waste in such an enviroment wheren I won’t be able to throw it away by getting distracted.  When I start to eat a sandwich, only two options exist for me.  1.  Finish the sandwich so there is nothing left of it or 2. Throw it away in a proper recepticle.  Nowhere do I consider mashing it intro the ground or leaving it for someone else to finish.

That said, I didn’t always used to be this way.  There was once a day when I didn’t fold up blankets after I (or someone who I was hosting) used them.  In past, my basement has had a few empty soda cans in it.  But then it hit me, if I don’t clean up after myself… who will?  My mom certainly doesn’t venture downstairs very much, and my brother and dad aren’t very great at the whole cleaning up stuff.  (My dad just bleaches the bathroom, and Kevin…. I think he might have vaccummed once or twice.)  Somewhere in this transition I recognized it was important to do it ASAP.  Be it before departing the basement, or upon returing from transporting someone to their house, I always put forth the effort to check and make sure things are how I found it.  This way, the next time I  or someone else goes down there, the space will be in optimal shape.

I used to be under the impression that no one really used the basement, and in turn I didn’t have to worry about cleaning up after myself.  Thats just not true.  Dad goes down there to iron, and mom may go into the closet or the the shelves to get some food.  Its very hard to predict when someone is going to want to do something, and in turn you should always be prepared… especially if you aren’t staying onsite to quickly prepare if needed.

My basement doesn’t have a refridgerator, which I think is good.  We once considered putting a little one down there to store sodas and small snacks, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that was a bad idea.  Just upstairs there is the kitchen with everything in it, and the garage is only a few feet away with the soda.  The convience is of nomial consideration to me.  If I want a soda, I should be able to walk more than 5 feet to get it.  If I’m feeling to stubborn to go out into the garage to get one than I probably don’t need one.

On a different note, I would like to go out to Friendly’s a get something to eat.  I was hoping to go out last weekend, but those plans fell through, and then I was hoping to go out this weekend for lunch their, but we went there after I had already eaten dinner so I just got some soup.  When I go I will strongly consider gettig ice cream after my meal, some I have also been desiring but have not yet come across the optimal conditions to engage in.

My voice is starting to come back which is good, just in time for another round of yelling.  I always enjoy it when nobody does anything; don’t you?

Goodnight Moon.