Summertime thoughts

[Randi]

If it's really hot in your bedroom, I've heard that having a bowl of cold water standing next to yourr bed - and a towel, of course, is a good idea. Stick your feet into the water for a few minutes if it's gets unbearable. That will cool your whole body off.

I came across this link with advise to keep cool: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-2...cebook_bbcnews

Also, a hot cup of tea should help.

[pomtzu]

I don't get it!!! Why have AC if you aren't going to run it to stay comfortable, because it's too costly? My comfort is worth the money. I'd rather cut corners somewhere else, than be hot and sick and miserable.

[Catty1]

It's happened in Toronto often, and sometimes in Calgary, that a heat wave causes so many AC units to be turned on that the electric companies have a brownout or resort to rotating power blackouts.

My place is like yours, KAK - I am on the second floor and often leave windows open a bit at night. The sun doesn't come around until the afternoon and I close drapes and windows before then. My place stays very cool and I have one ceiling fan that helps a lot if really needed.

I am thinking of buying some of that window film that blocks heat and UV. I have some friends that have used it and the difference is apparently amazing!

[pomtzu]

It's happened in Toronto often, and sometimes in Calgary, that a heat wave causes so many AC units to be turned on that the electric companies have a brownout or resort to rotating power blackouts.

This happens just about everywhere if it's hot enough long enough.

We're headed for our 4th - or maybe it's 5th - heat wave of this season. They consider it a heat wave if the temps are 90 or above for 3 days straight. Supposed to be in the mid to upper 90's all next week, and probably 100+ on Wednesday. Oh joy!!! - guess I know where I'll be all week with the exception of going out for about an hour for a doctor appointment. If only the humidity was lower it would be more tolerable, but when you open the door to walk outside, it's like someone tosses a hot, wet blanket in your face, and then drapes it over the rest of your body. YUK!!! - too miserable............

I'm so grateful that Myndi isn't a dog that likes to be outside. We go out - she does what is necessary - then we're back in the house.


ETA:
We've had so darn much rain this summer, that it never really drys up before the monsoons hit again. We had over 4" here again yesterday, and just about 12 miles south in Dover, they had over 6" with wicked spot flooding. The hospital parking lot had water up to the windshields on some cars, and other roadways closed because of flooding, and people with kyaks paddling down some of the roads. I just walked out to check the mail, and the ditch by the road is still flooded, and there are hundreds of pollywogs(tadpoles), swimming around in the water. And yes - the mosquitoes are ferocious this year since they have constant standing water to thrive in - even with the state spraying to try to rid them. It ain't working...........

[Karen]

If only the humidity was lower it would be more tolerable, but when you open the door to walk outside, it's like someone tosses a hot, wet blanket in your face, and then drapes it over the rest of your body. YUK!!! - too miserable............

I'm so grateful that Myndi isn't a dog that likes to be outside. We go out - she does what is necessary - then we're back in the house.

Pomtzu, I heard a description of the hot muggies the other day that I thought you'd appreciate: "It's like walking around in someone else's mouth." We had a hot very humid day, and we had a bit of rain but it didn't help = it was just like the humidity just solidified here and there into droplets, and a server at my local pizza place told me that one.

By the way, we have A/C here because the apartment/building came with it, we just don't need to use it. And the old house we had a window unit (It's sitting in our storage space at the moment) that we had for the one or two times a year it got too hot there even for Paul.

[ChrisH]

Having AC is rare here in the UK, but then again so are heatwaves, however when they do occur, oh, how I long for AC

This year summer has been a long time coming but it's now arrived and it is very hot in some places, not so bad here so far (fingers crossed & touch wood). I have an electric fan which I use when necessary, otherwise it's windows & back door open to keep the air circulating, great if there is a breeze. Unfortunately, living in a bungalow, and being cautious, I don't leave the bedroom window open at night which is a real bind, even though night temps tend to be lower by then the inside has heated up to make bedtime uncomfortable. I guess I'm 'lucky' in that being retired I don't have to go outside unless I want/need to and any house/garden work I do either early or late when it is cooler.

The pets, well, Ebby just lazes round as always. Alfie is quite clever in that he only goes out to run around in the cool of the morning or evening. When he occasionally does take it in his head to sunbathe it's not for long he either comes back inside or finds a shady spot.

[momcat]

I'm definitely not a fan of summer. As I'm getting older I like the cold weather more and more. AC for us is a necessity. When it gets really hot, especially with these heatwaves, my blood sugar tends to go ballistic. When I talked to my doctor about it, she said that's not unusual for diabetics. According to local weather reports another heatwave is expected to hit tomorrow and last through the week. Ugh!

Karen, here's a definition of humidity I heard some time ago: humidity is when everything that's supposed to come apart sticks together and everything that's supposed to stick together comes apart.

[Karen]

This week has been what I think of as normal summer weather - hot but not too bad, rain at night, thunder, but nothing catastrophic. How is it where everyone else is?

[Karen]

Had to bump this up, I love when this happens:

I go to weather.com, and it says:

Current temperature: 83° (feels like 84°)
Today's (predicted) high: 79°

You'd think they would have a way to programatically bump up the "projected high" when the actual temperature passes it!

[redbird]

Karen I couldn't live healthy without a/c. I have it on day and night when it's needed. We have had a very hot and humid summer here in NJ and I get physically ill when it's that hot so yes, I need the a/c. When we have a cool day which hasn't happened much this summer, I do open windows and Autumn loves that. Unfortunately most of this summer the windows have been closed, I just can't take the heat.

[Karen]

Well, today it has rained so much, the back yard is a pond! We have had relatively nice weather all week, then today it was absolutely pouring, and when I checked weather.com just out of curiosity, it said, "Light rain" - duh! We had downpours!

[kaycountrygal]

I run a/c starting in April and would find it horrible without one. Although this summer has not been hot hot, it has been wet and humid and warm/hot and I would be miserable without an a/c. Wonderful invention!!!

[cassiesmom]

7:15 PM... it's 80F, but 69% humidity. Not too hot but sticky.

[Asiel]

We're having another heat wave, the temperatures have been up to 30C all week but the humidity is what's keeping everyone down. I keep praying the a/c doesn't decide to break down, that would be a real catastrophy-- it's new but anything can happpen when you least expect it. And with the kind of humidity and heat we're having I think I'd be off to a cooling center in less than an hour.
We're expecting hail tonight, who knows, the forecasters have been so wrong all week about everything. After 8:30 am it's impossible to be outside, so I hope we get relief soon.
Shouldn't complain because if this breaks we could be freezing like 2 weeks ago when we were hitting below 0.