Saturday, July 17, 2010

Heat By Any Other Name



I've really tried not to write about the heat this summer. Really, what could be more boring than a blogger who lives in Arizona writing about the heat? Also, I kind of feel like I need to have a more macho attitude about it. I've lived here since 1973, folks. If I've put up with it for thirty-seven years I can take this one too.
This week, when the temperature hit one hundred fifteen degrees, the word "hot" seemed a little inadequate. Like we were saying it was hot when it was ninety - twenty-five degrees ago. For one hundred fifteen degrees there really should be a new word. Cooking terms seem strangely well suited: broiling, cooked, boiled, burned, searing. Hot isn't going to cut it anymore. 

So, since my brain is literally boiling inside my head, my skin is seared when I walk aboutside, the sun is overhead in the sky burning down at me, and, as a result, my goose is cooked, I haven't exactly wanted to do much. Well, I'll admit I DO want to drop Daughter off at theater camp every day so I manage to get her there. I DO walk in my exercise class by 9:15 everyday because I'm some kind of robot-woman. But by the time the class is over it's already 104 degrees. That's it for the day. 

In Arizona if you're interested in using your air conditioning at all in the summer and not paying eight hundred dollar monthly bills you end up having to do a lot of time of day calculations to determine if you can actually turn the unit on. We're on the free use between 7 PM and 12 Noon plan. So the house is lovely, even wintery, many of those hours. Husband chills the house down to 68 degrees because he knows what's coming after noon.

Between noon and seven all that 68-degree air has flown out of our paper-thin walls to the outside. Since Cheap economical-minded Husband only allows us to turn on the a/c on one side of the house or the other during this time period, I have to decide where I'll be, where the plants are wilting, the produce rotting, where the children are melting. And that's where I turn it on. I plop down on my bed and decide what I'll do. My main question: does it require thinking?

Some positives about this weather? Well, just in case I thought I bought too much clothes at one time or another, I'm actually going through at least three complete outfits everyday. That's good, right? Also, I'd been thinking about doing Bikram Yoga but I was worried about the 105 degree room. Now I don't have to worry. It will feel cooler than what I'm used to.

Right now? Weekend rates. Ah.

How hot is your summer turning out? Am I the only one whose brain appears to have melted away? Does anyone else live with these strange power bill calculations like we do or should I blame that on Husband?

40 comments:

  1. well, we are only at 95 degrees so I guess I can't complain..however, we don't have air conditioning..
    however again, it's a dry heat...bwahahahahahaha....hahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
    help me linda, i think my brain is melting.

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  2. While we don't hit triple digits, it has been hot in the northeast so far this summer. The biggest issue here is that we have humidity you don't have. It has been hot and humid for weeks. They keep saying it is going to break and we get a day in the 80's and then up it goes again. Killing me as no a/c here. On top of that, I either have to run at 5 am or in the dark (not really an option where I live).

    Try to stay cool!

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  3. I'm trying not to write about how hot it is outside too, although it's all over the news in my country (so my blog entry would be too much...). The main difference is this - in Poland air conditioning is still a rarity. I personally don't know a single person who would have it in their homes. So it's a little harsh. The worst thing is that 90% of public communication in my city doesn't have air conditioning either.

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  4. Hot here too but not that hot! It does mean if I want to ride my bike outside I have to get my rear in gear earlier than I might like.

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  5. We've had high 90's with unbearable humidity...We have a programable thermostat which makes us bake during the day...and even the lower temperature at night doesn't really help with hot blooded mom...URGH! The boys play tennis and the little one has swimming lessons, so twice a week, I am literally melting in the shade.

    I can't wait until it cools off...sometime in January!

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  6. I live in St. Louis (sometimes referred to as Sauna Louis). I simply can not imagine what life was like a hundred years ago without air conditioning. Why didn't everyone just keel over?

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  7. What we hear in the east about those 115 temps out west, "Yes, but it's a dry heat". That seems like it would be worse to me...at least on the skin. The oppressive humidity does add a certain sticky yuck factor to the heat, but I suspect I'd rather not know how oppressive DRY heat feels.

    I laughed at your pondering the phrasing as I've thought of that recently. Once it's over 95, does more heat feel hotter, or is it just still damn hot? Inquiring minds want to know. Stay cool and enjoy the power hours!

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  8. Compared to you and the last couple of weeks here, it's nearly autumn like at 84 degrees at 3p.m.

    I must say your blue background on the blog has a cooling effect. Nice choice!

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  9. I hope you aren't still getting the migraines. I know that you said you had the tumor removed. I hope that kicked the headaches for you. The heat is one thing that will rachet up my migraine to intolerable very fast. I feel for ya:-(

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  10. Well today is a little cooler here at 100F right now and getting hotter still as opposed to the 104F getting hotter still we had yesterday mid-afternoon. I love the heat but once it gets over 100F then that is getting too warm even for me, 115F every day, well that would be really tough and those A/C bills, oh my goodness!

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  11. After years and years in the cold north, I love the hot days here in Florida. The only problem is Floridians overdo the AC. I need fresh air...

    I love your bright blue splashy blog. It looks great!

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  12. I saw your blog name at the Absence of Alternatives and I just had to click over. SO creative.

    I guess I am going to stop complaining about our 95 degree days for seven days in a row. Oh my gosh. How do you do it? Seriously. That is CRAZY! I think I would die.

    So nice to meet you. Can't wait to read more!

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  13. Chris, with no AC at 95 degrees I'd be complaining (and melting) too! And if it's so dry, why do I have to change my shirt so much? Is it me or is it summer or is it menopause???

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  14. Nicki, I am awfully thankful that my exercise doesn't occur outdoors right now! My husband swims and that's asking for trouble in Arizona in the summer so he's moved to evening. But, yeah, you could get a good run going if you're running from criminals!

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  15. Misery, how interesting. Of course, from what my mother's told me about growing up in the general Poland/Lithuanian/Russian area, cold is more the problem most of the year! My parents had a very macho attitude about it, both being Eastern European, but then, when I was ten, my dad had enough and completely redid our house with AC!

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  16. Karen, last week I started using the exercise bike at the JCC and mindlessly watching whatever is on their TVs there. I find it strangely enjoyable, considering I've been going to Jazzercise for 21 years! I got to watch Jillian Michael's show on Tuesday and it was inspirational!

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  17. feefifoto, thanks for visiting my blog. I can relate to what you said. Imagine how strange it is to realize that people lived in Arizona a hundred years ago too! Not really in Phoenix, though...

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  18. Leslie, I've got to say, it IS hotter at 115 than at 95 any day! It has more of a burning sensation to it! And no matter how many years I'm here it always somehow feels wrong, like I should really own a cabin up in the pines somewhere and I should be living in it! So far, no go.

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  19. Lisa, 84 degrees. Sob. That's how it was in Flagstaff for us recently.

    And thanks on the blog design. I love the new template designer so much but I have to stop messing with it. I know I need to pick something and stick with it. But I do find myself missing that orange one. I guess as long as it looks like a Bar Mitzvah party!

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  20. Hey Robin, getting the tumor removed GAVE me the headaches! For eight years - I've now been a year and a half with none. I may write a post about how I got rid of them. It's kind of an interesting story.

    The only thing I've gotten headaches from lately is menopause and my hormones seem to have smashed those out so that's good, though I can see the doc will have to crank them up a bit. Me and Bar Mitzvahzilla seem to be butting heads a lot lately and I guess it's always me who has the problem...

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  21. One thing I love about the heat, or at least the sun, is that we always have clear skies here in Arizona. Even on cold days in winter (relatively cold, that is!) the sky is always blue. I don't know how I'd feel living somewhere overcast all the time but I remember growing up in Chicago with white skies (was that a layer of smog?) it being kind of weird.

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  22. Life with Kaishon, thank you for visiting and I appreciate the compliment on the name! If my son hadn't suddenly become a Bar Mitzvahzilla then I never would have named it this!

    Your blog is quite beautiful. Such lovely photography!

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  23. Oh, my goodness...so my posting was timely, heh? Just drove through Phoenix yesterday at 10am it was 100 degrees. I suppose having a sense of humor works. But for the love of Pete there really isn't anything you can do without air conditioning in that heat. Have you considered making your home a nudist colony? I'm sure your kids would love that...ha!! Keep cool, my friend.

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  24. Wow. I am okay walking in the 90 degree weather but if it ever hit your temps I'd probably never leave my house. Ever.

    No A/C here either but I only melt when I cook. Yeah, not a lot of cooking done around here.

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  25. Michelle, I'll see how the awkward, adolescent 14-year-old boy reacts to your suggestion of making our home a nudist colony! I know when I was a teenager here in Phoenix and we were a household of all women, clothes were certainly optional! And that was good because we had like no money to pay our power bill!

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  26. Amber, you got it perfectly right. We only leave our air conditioned houses for our air conditioned cars and then for air conditioned shopping malls or restaurants, etc! Amazing how business at the mall picks up in the summer in Arizona!

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  27. Oh my. There is really nothing else to say to that. I often feel that if I had the money and freedom, I would reside in the northeast in the summer and the south in the winter. I hate bitter cold and snow.. but I equally hate oppressive heat! Although I grew up on the east side of Texas where it is a humid heat, I have been to Arizona and New Mexico in July... and to those that question what that feels like, the easiest way of describing it is that feeling when you open the oven and lean in a little too close. It instantly sucks the breath out of you and makes you feel like you've been burned. And when people say, "Get a swimming pool" , I don't think they understand that the heat warms the water to a point it isn't refreshing. It feels like a jacuzzi. Keep cool, woman. I don't envy you- but am impressed you are still getting in your exercise.

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  28. I wouldn't survive. I don't know how you do it. any you exercise, you are my hero.

    I love your helpful comments on my stupid up coming little talk. I've done this a ton but never for Rosemary's Baby.

    You advice gave me some good ideas.

    Now, for you in the heat. Take at least 8 showers a day and know you are a better person than most.

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  29. After reading all these other posts, I guess I should feel guilty that i have to where a sweater, 'cause its a tad chilly here in Northern Calif.

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  30. We'll be driving from Grand Canyon to Phoenix in a couple of weeks. Thanks for the "warm weather watch"! Maybe I can shvitz off a dozen pounds on our trip to the West Coast!

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  31. Jennifer, You are right about the oven analogy! And about pools not being refreshing. I've been hearing my husband complain about this for about a month. A pool actually couldn't be too hot for me since I'm such a wimp with water, but he likes that whole "cool dip" thing.

    And, yea, I'd settle for a house in Flagstaff in the summer and here in the winter. I'm not even asking to leave the state! Is that too much to ask for???

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  32. Terry, believe it or not, I still have to carry a sweater into restaurants because even though it's boiling outside, they crank the air to like 60 degrees inside! It's amazing I don't catch pneumonia!

    I'm glad I could help on the talk. Now if I could only help my own writing along... :)

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  33. Toronto Pearl, good to see you here again! And I'm sure you'll love visiting Arizona - with the car windows shut! It is "schvitzy" here. Just bring a lot of changes of clothes! I'm thinking gauze!

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  34. Just got back from Vegas where it was a crushing 112 degrees. I just lolled in the pool like a hippo. Man, the heat that radiated off the pavement by 6pm was something to behold.

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  35. Summer is the bane of my existence. Hate. It. I ask myself every June why we're still living here. And it only gets to about 104, 105, here (only!). I could never live in Arizona. Thanks goodness for air conditioning all day long!

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  36. 68? I feel like I'm splurging at 78 - I'm comin' over! I couldn't stand it anymore and jumped in the pool yesterday and it was actually HOT - yuk! October, October, October, October...

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  37. TKW, I think they must've built Las Vegas in the desert to keep everyone inside gambling, right? 112? Ouch.

    Stacia, I keep telling myself summer's the price I pay for the nice winter, but then summer comes and the price feels too high!

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  38. Lisa, if I'm on this plan, YOU can be on this plan. I think you have to call APS and beg (not really!) but then, seriously, you get to crank the air between 7pm each day and NOON the next! It's arctic-like in here between those hours!

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  39. It's pretty hot in Athens, Greece, at the moment...There are studies that prove that wet, dreary days sharpen our memories and enhance our productivity whereas bright, sunny spells make us more forgetful. That could explain why I am blogging at work rather than working today!

    I found your blog from Robin at the Daily Dose...You are my blind date with a blog. Take care!

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  40. Purple Cow, I love being a blog blind date! I'll have to go on one too! And thanks for the info on the fried brain - that explains a lot!

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