I am a believer in doing whatever we can realistically do to decrease our carbon footprints on this planet. Yup, I re-use whatever I can, I recycle what I can, I've re-lamped at home to CFL bulbs, and I always turn off lights when I leave a room. So, when Georgia Southern University decided to re-lamp, I said YAY! However, when they decided to put sensors in all of our offices that automatically turn lights on and off by detecting movement, well, I'm less than happy.The problem? The sensor doesn't see me because there's a HUGE file cabinet between the sensor and my desk. I could move all of my furniture around to accomodate the sensor, I suppose, but then I would have to have all new outlets installed for the Internet, telephone, and electrical supplies in the office....
So here I sit. Every 30 minutes I'm thrust into darkness. So I won't break my neck every time I have to jump up and move around the desk to wave my arms like a mad-woman at the sensor, I have to turn on the lamps in my office (which kind of defeats the purpose of having the motion sensors turn off the lights, because now I have to have lamps AND the overhead lights on all day).
I am one of those (rare?) beings who actually needs the fluorescent lights to see; my lamps aren't enough to allow me to work effectively.
So, today:
Lights go out. I walk around the desk, jump up and down a few times until the lights come on, sit back down and realize I have totally lost my place in the work I was reading when I was so rudely interrupted. Lost time....
Lights go out again. This time I try leaning across my desk (past the huge file cabinet), holding a book in my hand so I can wave at the sensor. The lights come on, but I accidentally knock the Web cam off the top of my monitor. I finally find it, replace it, and go looking for the place in my work that I have once again lost track of.
Lights go out again. I've learned my lesson: I mark my place before leaning over the desk (carefully avoiding he Web cam) to wave at the sensors, lose my balance in so doing, catch myself from falling, but bang the hell out of my knee as my chair goes careening across the office.
Solution?
1. Maybe it's time to think about retiring! (Mmmm, no, can't afford to do that.)
2. Bring lots more lamps in to my office so I don't need the overhead lights any more. (Hmmm, that's an idea, but it would INCREASE my carbon footprint -- and probably increase Georgia Southern's electric bill AND defeat the purpose of the sensors in the first place--plus short of asking for more outlets, it would probably entail stringing extension cords everywhere and overloading the circuits: can you say "fire hazard"?)
3. Give up and realize I've been working in the dark my entire life and just didn't realize it. ("Hello, darkness, my old friend. I've come to talk with you again.")
So, when you hear me holler, "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!" you'll know why.
/End rant
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