Having to go about my day to day life in this sweltering heat is already getting pretty old. After a stuffy morning commute on the bus, I spent the entire day yesterday at my office shivering, fingers turning blue, because the dang AC was turned up so high. I had to go sit in the sun at lunch just to bring up my core body temperature! I need to remember to bring a jacket to work in the summer. In the afternoon, I made plans with my sister to walk around Green Lake after work. Toward the end of the day she sent me a text message: “It’s too hot to exercise.” I told her to suck it up and that I’d call her when I left the office. 20 minutes later, as I entered the oven that is downtown Seattle, I sent her a text back: “It is WAY too hot to exercise!!”
Washington does not have that lovely, dry, desert heat. We have humid, thick, sweltering heat that leaves your skin sticky from the moment you step out of the shower. Commuting on the bus is the worst. No AC and evening commuters packed to the gills onto the express routes. I literally could barely breathe for the entire ride home yesterday, and had to concentrate to fight off a steadily rising panic attack.
Yes, it’s hot. But it’s really not the end of the world, and I suppose beggars can’t be choosers. Seattleites complain all winter about the rain, and now we’re whining about the heat. Our condo is absolutely sweltering (Stew’s air conditioner does not fit in our new windows), so it actually sounded appealing to head to the gym yesterday for a workout… at least I could sweat in AC. I regretted this decision immediately when I stepped back outside, sweaty from a workout, into 90 degree heat. It was 8pm. This morning I planned ahead and finished my workout by 7am. It was still 75 degrees by the time I left the park.
Today I’m trying a new tactic to keep our house cool. We opened every window and door overnight and turned on multiple fans to air things out. Then this morning I shut every window and closed all the blinds, hoping it might stay at a slightly lower temperature than outside. Tonight after work I have my first LSAT prep course, which is held in a historic building in the University District – no AC is my guess. 6pm to 10pm is going to be brutal. I’m drinking tons of water, eating popsicles, and avoiding being outside as much as I can. But until the weekend comes and I can spend 12 hours a day on a boat, I think I’m going to be whining quite a bit.
Do you have any tips and tricks to stay cool during a heat wave?
5 comments:
I do the same thing as you - shut the windows and curtains during the day and open them at night to let the cool air in! Also try buying dark curtains, it helps.
I'm used to it getting 30 C (90 F) AT THE MOST where I'm from and now that I'm living in Kamloops it's been hitting around 40 C (over 100 F) it's KILLING ME! I'm ready for the heat wave to GO AWAY, too!
Ha, welcome to my life every day all day for six months a year -- AKA Florida! LOL. Except EVERYTHING down here is central A/C. If a building didn't have AC it'd probably get condemned. One of my friends I game with lives in Seattle and his computer kept shutting off from the heat. Keeping the blinds closed should help a lot, actually.
Cold showers are great in the summer!
Man I hope that heat wave doesn't come while I'm on vacation next week. Seriously I will melt.
New URL: http://www.myeverydayadventures.com
I feel your pain, I was crazy enough to plan out moving this last weekend and I'm still going through all the little details. 3 floors up w/no elevator or A/C makes me want to throw in the towel.
If only Seattle was used to this type of weather we'd have A/C in most places, but no. If you meet someone with it it's a rarity and it's time to become BFFs with them. :-)
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