Re: Air circulation in my place--Carl or anybody else

[Guest guest]

Jill,

Unfortunately, and as we've discussed off-line, you are stuck with

what you have as long as you stay there. If I may use a political

metaphor, " fixing " your apartment without being able to address

the fundamental issues is like trying to remove the lipstick from a

pig by using more lipstick.

I can't take credit for either of the two metaphors I mixed. One is

from the Palin comment and the other from a real life experience

last week.

I checked into a hotel room only to be greeted by a heavy

fragrance. Of course I tried to convince myself it would be okay

because I was tired and didn't want the hassle of another room

or perhaps moving to another hotel. But it only took a couple of

minutes to realize I couldn't, and wasn't willing, to tolerate the

fragrance.

I went back to the front desk and said there was a problem with

fragrance in my room. They immediately said - no hassle! I

couldn't believe my ears!! - don't worry we'll send someone right

up to fix it. Knowing it can't be " fixed " and fearing they'd use

ozone, I carefully asked, " How are you going to fix it? "

" We'll have housekeeping spray fragrance. "

Now I couldn't believe my own ears. " Let me see if I understand

you. You are going to " fix " too much fragrance by spraying more

fragrance? "

They looked genuinely puzzled as they said, " Yes, That's what we

always do. "

The manager had me try other rooms until I found one

acceptable. Not great, but " good enough " for my short stay.

To find a room in that hotel that was better than " good enough "

would have required a remodel, which was impossible for that

night.

The problem with trying to " fix " the " unfixable " is the remedy is

often as bad as the original problem. The circularity of cause-

and-effect is worse than a dog chasing it's own tail. It's more like

the pig trying to remove its own lipstick with a different shade of

lipstick using a circus mirror borrowed from Alice in Wonderland.

It just can't work.

I know you don't want to leave and the cost of a non rent-

controlled apartment is probably impossible. But every attempt

you've tried only works a little or for only a short time (change in

the weather). But you, like all of us, will stay as long as it is

minimally tolerable. None of us acts until the impact becomes

intolerable. Hopefully you won't reach that point, but if you do

there is no choice but to move. If you stay, you also risk

becoming even more sensitized, making it harder to find a new

apartment you can tolerate.

I wish I had a better answer, Jill, but I don't.

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

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> It's gotten too cold at night (low 50's) to keep my Holmes fans on in

> the bedroom and livingroom. So for the time being I'm keeping them in

> the windows, run them at times when it warms up to the upper 60's in

> the day, and I've put a Holmes fan in 'backwards' (i.e. reversing,

> blowing air out) in the " mycotoxin " second bedroom as I nickname it.

> Does anybody have any thoughts on this? The door is closed to that

> bedroom. I'm hoping that will be sufficient for now and I don't know

> what I'll do when the temps drop even more. I have to figure that out.

> My problem with that heat regulator that Live mentioned is its

> expensive, it has to be retrofitted not to mold according to

> May, I'm a renter, and I don't necessarily want to stay here and then

> what would I do with it? A used one might have mold, I figure.

>

> Any thoughts?

>

> THANKS.

>

>

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