I’ve been doing what I can to make myself comfortable (i.e. warm) at work lately. The VP never got back to me regarding the space heater issue, but I did some research online and learned that it’s super easy to blow a fuse with a space heater because they typically use 1500 watts which equals about 12 amps and most outlets are either 15 or 20 amps. The outlets in our cubicles are daisy-chained and have several computers, monitors, etc. plugged into them, so the chances of the space heater blowing a fuse when someone’s cubicle printer kicks on are high. I don’t even want to chance it, so I ordered a heated carpeted mat that uses much less power and should work well if the reviews online are to be trusted. It should be delivered next week sometime. It cost me $100 but it will be well worth the cost if it keeps me comfortable this winter. It’s definitely cheaper than resigning!
In the meantime, I’ve been messing around with what clothes I wear and how I layer to see which combination works best. It’s been a bit difficult, however, because the office temperature isn’t the same every day. For instance, instead of layering nylons, cotton socks, and then my wool blend socks, I eliminated the cotton socks because I read one’s feet will get colder if there are too many tight layers not allowing air to circulate. So far that seems to be working better, but then again, it’s about two degrees warmer in the office lately so it’s hard to tell which is having a bigger effect. Also, I’ve been bringing my lava seat after microwaving the insert at home each morning. At lunch time it has lost most of its heat but it definitely helped keep my butt warm through the coldest part of the day since the office is always warmer in the afternoons.