lukewarm.

I hate lukewarm, room-temperature. I hate it in opinions, in actions, in temperature.

If you're going to have an opinion, HAVE it. Don't mold or flex toward what a stronger-minded person in the group is saying, then ebb back to what the opposing opinion is. There is a difference between being a mediator and being someone who is too wimpy to formulate an actual opinion. It is, of course, perfectly okay to alter a previous decision. That's not being lukewarm, that's being smart enough to realize that you have gained additional information and would like to amend an earlier belief.

I hate lukewarm actions. I don't like people who tentatively approach the register after watching me ring up a purchase and say, "Um, can I, um, pay here?" WHAT DO YOU THINK THE PREVIOUS CUSTOMER WAS DOING WITH ME, A SECRET DRUG DEAL? Yeah, that money they handed me? In return for a bag of books? Actually fancy imprinted pot leaves. It's so crazy what kids will do to get high these days.
[Semi-related rant: WHAT THE HELL is up with people asking me, "Do you take credit cards?" when I quote their purchase amount? No, we have five floors and a fucking starbucks, but we're a cash-only business. Actually, it's cash or clam shells, but we don't get a lot of shells for some reason. Which is such a shame because I was hoping to have some flair to hang from my freaking nametag by the end of the holiday season. GOOD. GOD.]

And, now to the biggest: lukewarm temperature. I want it to be hot or I want it to be cold. This applies mainly to food. I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE warm food. I want it hot. Or cold. Yes, this means that, when I eat by myself and can do this type of thing, I get up and reheat my food at least twice. (This is also because when I eat by myself I eat slowly because I'm reading at the same time, or watching TV, or having to stop in the middle of dinner to lock Charlie in the bathroom after he upsets yet another pot on the stove.) Cold food tends to have a less drastic warming period, but I have a full freezer of ice cubes ready for any situation. But I would rather eat cold spaghetti than half-heated. THEREFORE: When I purchase a meal at a restaurant, I really, really appreciate it if it comes out hot. I am not paying to eat something that has sat in the back for 10 minutes and become soggy and greasy during this time period. I am paying so that when my food is finished being cooked, it then arrives on my table for me to eat BEFORE IT HAS FORMED A CRUST AND CONGEALED. I want to enjoy my meal, not inhale it because in another minute it will have fossilized on the plate.
Temperature of a room: If it's cold, I'll wear a sweater. This is ideal. I like being cozy. If it's hot, I'll wear a sleeveless shirt and a skirt. If it's warm, I have no freaking clue what to wear and end up taking clothes off and on, over and over. My body doesn't adjust to "warm," it wants an extreme.
Which is why my favorite thing is 50 degree weather, open window, down comforter, and my bed. With cat. She's neither extreme, but some things are meant to just be warm.

[I wrote this post before the oddly temperate weather we're receiving today. Which? Haaaate. It's the last day of November. Grow some balls and give me some frost. Seriously, if I wanted to be listening to Christmas music and hearing the flipping of flops, I would live in Florida. SANDALS IN NOVEMBER=BAD.]