We don't get to the 90's every summer...maybe 1-2 days/year...not this year! Couple the 90's with high humidity and the heat index is soaring this week, with no relief in store until the weekend/early next week. Your heat index yesterday in St. Paul was 115...that's what we'll have today.
I remember a summer when Emma was a baby or toddler ('94 or '95)...hot like this. I remember being as white as winter that summer...was so worried as a first time Mom about sun/heat damage to my baby!
Another one, I believe, was in 1988. I stayed in Madison for the summer in a gorgeous studio on Mansion Hill...with no a/c. I worked in a Senator's office in the evenings doing data entry so I was cool from 6-10. During the day, yes even in the heat, I sunned at James Madison Park, then came home and took cold showers. Since I didn't pay for water, I would run the shower on cold and set a fan in front of it, pointing out of the bathroom, where I would sit for hours reading or talking on the phone. I also froze cooler packs over and over, putting them in bed with me at night. That heat wave lasted about a week as well.
This week, central a/c is my all time favorite invention...however,, the anticipated bill is not! Luckily, we don't have a lot on the calendar...Peter's baseball summer season is over (thank God!) and Emma is in her taper. She's down to one early a.m. practice/day. She's babysitting a lot and Peter just spent the last two days with his buddy, Michael. I have a few meetings this week...all good for networking. Thinking of stepping away from politics and definitely exploring other options.
George does not fare well in this heat....shedding like a crazy dog and takes VERY short walks. He has proven to me that he can "hold it" for a very long time, avoiding "let's go outside, George" like the plague. He prefers a cool 71 setting on the a/c. Charlie, on the other hand, can't get enough of this heat...spends 5 hours at a time sprawled on porch, soaking it all in...why do cats love this weather? He doesn't even pant!
One thing I've been doing is setting up my sprinkler near the bushes/bird bath/bird feeder...the birds go absolutely crazy...flying in and out of the water...sitting right in the middle of the cool spray. At one point, yesterday, I counted 25 birds flying for joy! I try to do this 4-5/day for 10 minutes or so.
Hang in there, Sissy. I know your a/c is not the best. Send the kids off to the grandparents today, spend the day at the book store, sipping iced tea and reading every magazine on the rack!
Heidi
No comments:
Post a Comment