The Quietest Air Conditioners

I met my wife at a party I attended with my girlfriend.

I had been invited to go with her to this party thrown by her friend.

I was reluctant to go, because I had worked all day, but I wanted to please my girlfriend, so I joined her. I instantly felt a connection with her friend. I thanked her for having me. We talked for a long time. I felt guilty when I realized how long it had been since I talked to my girlfriend. While she was talking with an acquaintance who was getting married, I overheard her saying she was hoping I would pop the question soon! I felt even guiltier! Here I was thinking about asking the host out on a date, and the girl I came with thought I would marry her! Before I realized it, I was telling Liday, the host, I was an HVAC contractor. Her brother was, too, she said! For the next few months, Liday and I dated. One day, I asked her to marry me. It wasn’t until our wedding reception that I realized she knew my brother. Every one of us had often talked about her friend, but we realized my sibling and her acquaintance were the same person! That’s when I found out she was from an HVAC company. I had been with her for almost a year, and I didn’t know she was an HVAC worker! She told me she didn’t want me to avoid asking her out, if I found out. I would have been drawn to her if she was a dinosaur! She was still my Liday.

 

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Not everyone can boast that their mother owns an HVAC company.

She didn’t start out as an owner.

That was my dad’s work, but when he had his heart attack, he was out of work for months. Someone had to take over the operations, so mom stepped up. She did such amazing work, that my dad opted to let her become the owner. He became an HVAC teacher at a local school. Dad was an excellent instructor. He helped me to learn how to be an HVAC technician. As for me, it was well into the 2000s, and it shouldn’t have seemed odd to see a female HVAC technician, but it was. Odd looks were shot at me when I pulled up in the repair van. One day, I was filling in at the school, lecturing on servicing an air conditioner. When I walked in, I heard several of the students wondering who I was. One of them said my mom was the owner of an HVAC corporation. I told them my name and confirmed they were right about my mom. This had nothing to do with my position here, they could either pay attention to me or just stare off. I didn’t care which. They were the ones who had to pass their HVAC certification. I had already passed it and gotten a job. One of them pointed out that I worked for my mom and dad. I replied that I had to study and pass the certification before I could work for them.

 

 

air conditioning professional

I was already nervous, being the first from my HVAC training class to be hired by a company in my area.

I was under a lot of pressure to perform well right out of the starting gate.

Either do the job right, or you will not be doing it at all, our teacher would say. It didn’t matter if it was the first day on the job or the 501st. Put your personal life in your pocket, forget about anything outside of work; focus on the customer and their needs. If I couldn’t get this done, I would not be able to keep a job as an HVAC contractor. This isn’t something they taught in school – it’s taught at home, and it’s something I was taught growing up. I hoped I’d be able to practice what I learned when the time came. Do the job right, or don’t do it all, my dad said. This is the same thing my HVAC teacher was telling me. I was hoping I could hold up to the standards others expected of me. I headed to work the following day, starting my first day of work. I was sent on several inspections, and I consistently had another HVAC contractor with me. I was proud of the work I did, and I couldn’t wait to show the boss what I could do once on my own.
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When you’re setting an appointment with someone, it’s important to be on time – perhaps even a little early. I got in such a habit of setting an approximate time, that I was setting up meetings I knew I couldn’t make by telling people I would be there at “6-ish,” for example. This meant that if I showed up between 6 and 6:30, I would still be on time. When I had this happen to me, with my heating and cooling company, I was aggravated. What gave them the right to put me off and make it sound like I would be there on time? They told me my technician would arrive between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. – a two-hour window! Why was it so hard for them to understand that I needed them to be punctual? Suddenly, it hit me, that I was doing the same thing. Whenever I put the ‘ish’ on my time of arrival, I was telling my clients that I wasn’t respectful of their time. I changed how I worked quickly. If I expected the HVAC contractor to be on time, I had to expect the same from myself. I made a mental note to never use ‘ish’ again, but I had to be patient with the HVAC tech who was coming to my house, and trying his best to be on time.

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If you cannot stay consistent, then you will not improve your health.

We see it at the start of the new year, in January there is an explosion of new people at the gym.

Making a New Year’s Resolution is what drives a lot of people to start working out. After a few weeks, or even a few days, that passion and commitment fades away, and we are left with a bunch of people paying for a gym membership and not using it. Working out for a few weeks is not going to help your health, you need to stay consistent. Going to the gym isn’t as important as making a commitment to health, nutrition, and activity. When anyone asks me if they should get a gym membership I always ask them the same question in return – should you? People think that the gym is some kind of magic wand, and once you step inside it magically transforms you. The truth is the gym is what you make of it, and if you don’t have the determination and dedication to make a change, no gym in the world can help you! If you are thinking about joining a gym, ask yourself how much exercise and activity you currently get. If you aren’t putting in the effort already, don’t bother with the gym! Exercise, work out, go for walks, start a nutritional program, do whatever it takes to get the ball rolling. Once you are invested in your wellness and fitness, then you can decide if joining a gym is worth it or not.

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First of all, despite what you might have heard there is nothing wrong with trying to meet people at the gym.

I met my last three boyfriends at the gym.

Either that means it is a great place to meet people, or it means the gym is a terrible place to start a lasting relationship. Because as I said, they are all three of my ex-boyfriends now! That does not deter me from checking out all the new arrivals that come into the gym. I even try taking various workout classes, just to see if there are any new people there I haven’t met. I started out with cross fit classes, which were super intense but ultimately not for me. Cross fit requires not just strength and mobility, but an insufferably upbeat attitude that I found more exhausting than anything else. In other words, cross fit requires too much of a positive attitude, and that was something I just could not do. Yoga classes were much better, because I could stay quiet and focused on myself, which was a much more rewarding experience. I found that I needed more than what yoga could give me, but I still take at least one yoga class a week at the gym for the sake of my mobility. I have tried several other workout classes as well, including a boxing class, an MMA class, and a swimming class held in the pool once a week. Out of all of them, I think the yoga classes were the most beneficial, and the only one I returned to.
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I have to tell you about the old man who takes walks in my neighborhood. I don’t know his name, but in my head I call him Gus, just because he looks like a Gus to me. When I first moved here, about two years ago, I saw Gus walking up the side of the road. This guy is at least 80 years old, and moves slower than cold molasses. The next day I saw him again, and the next day, and then six months had passed and I realized that Gus was out there every day, rain or shine, walking for hours. I never walked anywhere except out to my car, and from my car to the gym. Walking is such a terrible form of exercise, I wished that old Gus would go to the gym and make a real difference in his mobility and health. Just like the old story about the race between the turtle and the hare, Gus ended up winning the race of wellness and fitness. I might have been hitting the gym several times a week, but I still didn’t have the commitment that Gus had. In a weird way, Gus was more motivational to me than any personal trainer ever could be. Watching this guy with nothing but his own dedication made me feel like a loser, because I needed a gym and a personal trainer just to try and keep up with him. The funniest part of all this is that I don’t even think Gus knows I exist. Our race for fitness and wellness is all in my head.

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I got into shape almost by accident.

I wasn’t seeking fitness, just a cool place to relax and socialize.

For many years I was a bit of a hermit, and didn’t go out much. Then COVID happened and everything got worse for a year or two. Once society opened up I realized I didn’t want to be at home alone any longer, I wanted to be around people. But I didn’t want to go to a bar or a club, nor a library – I needed something different. Much to my surprise, the gym ended up being a great place to hang out, so I started going several times a week. Most of the time I didn’t even use the gym facilities for exercise, I just used the sauna or hung around the shallow end of the pool. Gym membership fees are not outrageous, but they are pricey enough that I want to get maximum value from my investment. I can take up to five yoga classes a week for no upcharge, but so far I haven’t come close to hitting the maximum. The Weight lifting room comes with a staff member to serve as a spotter. There are some days when I don’t want to lift or stretch or do anything at all, so I will sit in the wet sauna for a half an hour before jumping into the swimming pool to rapidly cool off. One way or the other I take full advantage of the gym amenities as often as I can, because I am paying for the privilege.

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No pain no gain, is what my dad always said to me. I talk to a lot of modern personal trainers who wildly disagree with this mindset, but for me it’s too late. I was raised this way and it is stuck in my head, no matter how much I try to fight it. This means that when I exercise I push it as hard as a can for as long as I can. In the high heat and humidity whenever possible, because it makes the whole experience that much more miserable, and it doesn’t feel like a real workout unless I’m miserable. There is a personal trainer at the gym that overheard me discussing this philosophy, and ever since she has been trying to talk me out of it. She isn’t even my personal trainer, she just works at the gym, but she was so aghast by what I said she wants to change my mind. She thinks my attitude towards workout plans is dangerous, and will be harmful to my body in the long term. She advocates more low-impact exercise, and her emphasis in particular is on yoga. She feels that my body, and my mind, would both benefit greatly from yoga classes. I put her off for a while, but she was insistent and I ran out of excuses for why I couldn’t do yoga. You know I was surprised when that first yoga class turned out to be a deeply intense and rewarding workout. Maybe that personal trainer really was on to something good after all!

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Attitude is everything, never forget that! My old gym coach in high school always told me “you can’t control your talent, but you can control your effort and your attitude.” She was right! Our attitude is what guides us through life and helps us make choices.

The correct attitude can help you in situations when you can’t help yourself.

Being polite and respectful, having manners, these are attributes that a positive attitude can give you that will help you in life. Attitude means more than how you deal with others, it also informs how we see ourselves. Having a bad attitude about your workout plans can be catastrophic, and doom you to failure before you even begin. I don’t go to the gym and work out because I have to. No one is putting a gun to my head, and my doctor isn’t even insistent about it, I just choose the gym to keep myself fit for all the long term benefits that come with it. Good wellness and fitness makes you more energetic, it helps you sleep better, and it naturally staves off anxiety and depression. The reason I go to the gym is because I want the best possible version of me, and the gym gives me the tools to do it. My attitude is my biggest weapon, because I am not very fast, very big, or very strong. With the right attitude, and dedication to hitting the local gym several times a week and working my hardest, I am in the best shape of my entire life!
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