Hot Hot Heat

For most of my life, I've lived with air conditioning. I can't remember a place I've lived without air conditioning, until now. This house somehow manages to capture more heat in the summer than it can retain in the winter. I don't understand. So, I've realized that I've been pretty spoiled with my cool, conditioned air and now it's time to buck up and make some changes.

Just to clarify, I've been in other houses without air conditioning that have managed to stay cooler than this one. We do shut the blinds during the day, so sun doesn't pour in, and when we're home the doors and the windows are open. But, the house manages to become a sauna every evening. I can't sit without sweating, it's gross. A lot of my time while I'm home is focused on being as cool as possible, keeping my core body temperature down. While I haven't resorted to ice packs yet, that option still hasn't been ruled out. Here it is:

A day in the life of someone without air conditioning:

7:00am - Wake up: This is the coldest part of my day at home. I might even have a blanket over me. Both my windows have fans that are working double duty. They circulate air and make white noise to drown out the sounds of my neighbors.

7:05am - Go to the bathroom: This is when I realize the temperature difference between my room and the rest of the house. I make this a quick break.

7:10am - Eat breakfast. On the hottest days, I eat in my bedroom to put off the inevitable. I will have to venture out and start sweating. I read the news for awhile at my computer, make my bed, do the dishes, basically mess around until I have to get ready.

8:00am - Get ready for the day. Usually I curl or straighten my hair so that I can look my best. However, not on the hot days. I spray a little water, run my hands through my hair and that's it. If I can avoid making excess heat, I will. By the time I'm done with brushing my teeth and washing my face, I'll be sweating. Even if I'm still wearing my skimpy pajamas.

8:15am - Get dressed. This is put off until as late as possible so I don't have sweat more than necessary in my work clothes.

8:30am - This is where all the possible coolness ends: my bike ride to the light rail. If I leave exactly on time, I don't have to worry about hurrying to the train and I can take my time. I'm using a pannier now so I don't have to have anything on my back to make me sweat. I usually wear a pony tail too to keep my neck cool. Hopefully the train is pretty cold.

6:45pm - Get home. The windows are thrown open, the fans turned on, and I star making dinner. The reset of the night is spent not trying to touch Andy or move much. If we're really desperate, we'll go see a movie. Just to be in air conditioning. We saw "Hancock" tonight, it was pretty funny. I recommend it.