Jon Holato

Tom Hanks had to fight the volcano. Jon Holato has to fight the cold. Currently it is 11 degrees Fahrenheit outside and it is expected to drop a few more to 9 before the night is over. It goes without saying that wind chills are below 0. This is ridiculously cold for me for a number of reasons. Number 1: I am from Southern California, it hasn’t ever been this cold there since the last ice age. Number 2: this is unseasonably cold even for New Jersey, and in winter that’s saying a lot. Number 3: my apartment isn’t the most insulated. Number 4: the radiators in my apartment do not work, leaving me to make due with two space heaters. Now you know why the title of this post is necessary.

There was a similar arctic air mass that moved in a few weeks ago and it was next to impossible to get out of bed in the morning my apartment was so cold. When I say cold I’m guesstimating lower 40s (in my place). Tonight, however, I vowed to take matters into my own hands and do a bit of “insulating.” So, using standard household appliances whatever I could get my hands on I attempted to patch the spaces where cold was seeping in and consuming my apartment. Here is what I came up with:

1) Filling the left gap of air conditioner in window sill with t-shirt.

2) Filling the right gap of air conditioner in window sill with t-shirt.

3) Taping the top-corner of doorway to balcony.

4) Taping the side of doorway to balcony.

I hope this is at least marginally successful as there is no let up of this cold in sight and I don’t have the necessary electricity to power more heaters.